help identify molly illness

[red]

my mollies have been dying one by one a couple days ago my two white ones have been swimming vertically and gotten so weak they couldn't get away from the filter thing, they recover and are able to swim fine now but the body has some type of pinkish tint to them with the scale protruding a tiny bit.

 

[jo3olous]

That stinks sorry for your loss, unfortunately it will be hard for anyone to help/identify whats happening to your fish unless you give us more details.

When was your tank set up? What kind of tank/heating/filtration do you have? Did you cycle it before adding fish?

How many fish are in the tank, when did you add the platys?

What do you feed them, and how often?

Do you do regular water changes, etc etc. And what are your water parameters

We might be able to help you better if you can give us those details

 

[red]

the tank was set up about 2 and a half month ago.
filtration: biowheel 200
heating: don't know the type yet (at school) but i keep my tank at around 80 degree
tank- 29gl
yes i cycle before adding them
fish: 4 mollies, 3 dwarf frog 1 pleco (2in ready to move once it gets bigger)
added all the fish and frog at the same time when the tank finished cycling
feed them once a day at night
feed the frog once every 4 days
water changes every 2 to 3 weeks
ph: 7.2
amonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: don't know

 

[MissFishy]

Google "dropsy" and look at some pictures. If the scales are protruding, that could be it. However, it is rare to have that in livebearers.

It sounds like ammonia poisoning to me. How did you cycle your tank?

 

[vahluree]

I agree with MissFishy. Maybe adding all the fish at once caused a mini-cycle. How much water do you replace when you do a water change? 2-3 weeks may be a little too long inbetween water changes, especially with a new tank and new fishes.

 

[red]

i did 5 gallon per water change and i cycle by putting in a filter from an already establish tank.

 

[MissFishy]

The fish behavior you describe sounds like ammonia poisoning, have you taken water readings on your ammonia and nitrite levels?

 

[brian1973]

the tank was set up about 2 and a half month ago.
filtration: biowheel 200
heating: don't know the type yet (at school) but i keep my tank at around 80 degree
tank- 29gl
yes i cycle before adding them
fish: 4 mollies, 3 dwarf frog 1 pleco (2in ready to move once it gets bigger)
added all the fish and frog at the same time when the tank finished cycling
feed them once a day at night
feed the frog once every 4 days
water changes every 2 to 3 weeks
ph: 7.2
amonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: don't know

You need to know the nitrate levels if they are to high that could kill them as well. I read you used established filter media to cycle, how soon did you add fish after adding the filter media? If you waited to long with out feeding the bacteria they may have died off.

 

[red]

i waited like two days, tested the water before i add in the fish, first the mollies and frog couple days later my mom added the pleco mand yeah amonia and nitrite are both at 0, the fish seem to be doing better now and the red spot on the white fish seems to be clearing.

 

[MissFishy]

Your tank won't cycle in 2 days. It takes weeks to grow the necessary bacteria in the tank that will keep the water livable for your fish. Please read up on the link below on cycling a tank properly, otherwise you will soon be back on this forum asking what is wrong with your fish when they start dying.

 

[BlueStraggler]

It sounds like there is an ammonia spike in your tank. I've always been taught to add fish slowly to avoid this problem like...only two at a time.... Ok you say the ammonia is at 0, but that does not sound right to me at all. Are you testing correctly?