Hi, everyone! Sorry to skip the introductory posts, but I've got sick fishies, and am worried for them...
Here's some stats on our tank:
-55 Gallons
-Ammonia, 0 ppm; Nitrate 5 ppm; Nitrite, 0 ppm; pH, 8.0 (API master test kit)
-freshwater tank
-Established ~2 months
-Fish count: Mollies (various), 8 adult, 12 babies (yikes!!!!); 4 various cory catfish; 1 pictus catfish; 1 high-fin pleco
-Temperature - 86 currently (in case what I have is ich); normally 74
-Minimal live plants and a mossball
-Filter - Fluval 205 (I know it's undersized; will be upgrading soon; water quality hasn't dipped as far as we can tell). Filter media mostly unchanged except for polishing pad. Filter cleaned around every 2 weeks.
-The only natural light is what shines through our backdrop; tank is typically artificially lit from 7AM-10PM
-Last water change was yesterday. Have been doing it daily since our fish got sick 4 days ago. Usually around 25-50% changes.
-Fish are fed a mixture of flakes and pellets, which occasional algae tablets for our pleco twice a day.
-One fish (black molly) has white spots between its scales, but not all over. The spots are not granular (as I'd expect ich to be). They're kind of fuzzy in appearance, and no larger than 1mm in size. The fish still eats fine and is active. It *may* be swimming more erratically than normal, but doesn't seem to be itching on the sides of rocks or anything like that.
-The only treatment so far is the temperature increase (to 86, just in case of ich) and salt added (1 TBS/10 gallons). I didn't want to add too much, as I've read our pleco/catfish won't thank us for it...
Whew! I think I answered most of the items from the *Read First* questionairre! I don't have much more to add, other than it seems we've also had an increase in free-floating algae at about the same time, although none of the water quality measurements have picked up anything different. Any ideas what it could be? Pics are kind of rough (little bugger doesn't hold still), but I can try if y'all are stumped! I appreciate any ideas you have!
Here's some stats on our tank:
-55 Gallons
-Ammonia, 0 ppm; Nitrate 5 ppm; Nitrite, 0 ppm; pH, 8.0 (API master test kit)
-freshwater tank
-Established ~2 months
-Fish count: Mollies (various), 8 adult, 12 babies (yikes!!!!); 4 various cory catfish; 1 pictus catfish; 1 high-fin pleco
-Temperature - 86 currently (in case what I have is ich); normally 74
-Minimal live plants and a mossball
-Filter - Fluval 205 (I know it's undersized; will be upgrading soon; water quality hasn't dipped as far as we can tell). Filter media mostly unchanged except for polishing pad. Filter cleaned around every 2 weeks.
-The only natural light is what shines through our backdrop; tank is typically artificially lit from 7AM-10PM
-Last water change was yesterday. Have been doing it daily since our fish got sick 4 days ago. Usually around 25-50% changes.
-Fish are fed a mixture of flakes and pellets, which occasional algae tablets for our pleco twice a day.
-One fish (black molly) has white spots between its scales, but not all over. The spots are not granular (as I'd expect ich to be). They're kind of fuzzy in appearance, and no larger than 1mm in size. The fish still eats fine and is active. It *may* be swimming more erratically than normal, but doesn't seem to be itching on the sides of rocks or anything like that.
-The only treatment so far is the temperature increase (to 86, just in case of ich) and salt added (1 TBS/10 gallons). I didn't want to add too much, as I've read our pleco/catfish won't thank us for it...
Whew! I think I answered most of the items from the *Read First* questionairre! I don't have much more to add, other than it seems we've also had an increase in free-floating algae at about the same time, although none of the water quality measurements have picked up anything different. Any ideas what it could be? Pics are kind of rough (little bugger doesn't hold still), but I can try if y'all are stumped! I appreciate any ideas you have!
