overwhelmed with babies!!!!!!!!

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butterflylove

fishie fishie fishie
Dec 17, 2004
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maryland
i knew what i was getting into when i went with all livebears because thats what i wanted, babies! i thought i would have my 55 gal up and cycled by now but i just set it up on monday. i have a 20 gal tank with 7 different types of mollies(adults) and 3 guppies (adults too) they have all had babies constitanly and now i must have at least 80 babies!!!!! the water is so nasty and my nitrates are sky high!!! almost 10 ppm. i have been doing daily water changes this week to bring it down, and threw 30 of the babies in the 55 gal to lighten up the 20 gal( what 30 babies when i know i will have many many more?) they are all fine still, but i am afraid my adults may die from the high nitrate. my nitrites and ph and everything else is perfect though. last saterday i lost 1 male fancy guppy, but im not sure why. what is something i can do to try to lighten up the load and not loose any adults. could i stick all the babies in the 55 gal , or willl i risk loosing all of them??? im really lost and worried i may loose the adults.any suggestions would be great!!!
 

Harlock

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Dec 15, 2004
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Adding some salt can help lower the toxicity of some of the pollutants. You didn;t mention if the 20 was planted or not. Plants absorb lots of the problem toxins frmo your tank. Also, you're 20 gallon is overstocked if these are full grown adults and not just sexually mature but still growing fish. Mollies can get 3-4 inches long with some girth and as full grown adults, 7 of them would really be pushing the limits of a 20 gallon tank. Adding 3 guppies to the mix complicates matters further, of course. Since you have a 55, and actualy want baby fish to raise, I suggest getting something like BIO-Spira (which supposedly instantly cycles a tank, ask your LFS if they carry it or can order you some. It's made by Marineland same folks who make BIO-Wheel filters) adding it to the 55, transfering your adults to that and then using the 20 as a growout tank for the (doubtless) numerous babies you will soon be housing. I hope that helps som, and really, check into plants if you don't have them, fry love them for hiding, can eat the "micronutrients" on them and they help keep a tanks toxins down. Good luck!
 

Puffernewbee

AC Members
Dec 9, 2004
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I would go with the Bio-spira approach in the 55 gallon and move the adults in there. I cycled my 29 gallon tank with Bio-Spira and never had a problem. I did not verload my tank when I started and the 10 fish you are going to add should no be an overload on a 55 gallon. The only problem is that the Bio-Spira will set you back around 20 dollars.
 

Raskolnikov

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Jan 2, 2005
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First, take a deep breath.

10ppm nitrates is totally fine in and of itself, and definately not "sky high". The water from my tap regularly tests at 5-10ppm nitrates. Ammonia and nitrite are acutely toxic to your fish, though. What are your measurements of them?

Adding salt would help if you have problems with detectable levels of nitrite, but if you don't, I would not do so.

What kind of filtration do you have on the 20g? On the 55g? How long has the 20g been established?
 

butterflylove

fishie fishie fishie
Dec 17, 2004
118
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maryland
i already add salt with the water changes, and my 20 gal has been set up since oct. the 55 gal came as a whole set up tank(filter, heater,hood and lights) so im not sure about that filter, and the 20 gal was givin to me a while ago, and when the filter got slow on that one i just bought one that was for a 30-40 gal tank. i used to have the 20 gal planted last month, but everything is gone now. i know snails arent supposed to eat healthy plants, but between them chewing and my mollies and pleco grazing them, they didnt last long. the snails would chew through right at the stem. i plan on trying again later though when its just the babies. as of now i just have many plastics plants for cover. i will look into the Bio-spira approach in the 55 gallon . also, i dont have an Ammonia test kit. i have the 5 test dip strip. is the strip kit better, or drop??
thanks for all your help!~!
 

Harlock

Educated Idiot
Dec 15, 2004
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San Angelo, TX
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butterflylove said:
i already add salt with the water changes, and my 20 gal has been set up since oct. the 55 gal came as a whole set up tank(filter, heater,hood and lights) so im not sure about that filter, and the 20 gal was givin to me a while ago, and when the filter got slow on that one i just bought one that was for a 30-40 gal tank. i used to have the 20 gal planted last month, but everything is gone now. i know snails arent supposed to eat healthy plants, but between them chewing and my mollies and pleco grazing them, they didnt last long. the snails would chew through right at the stem. i plan on trying again later though when its just the babies. as of now i just have many plastics plants for cover. i will look into the Bio-spira approach in the 55 gallon . also, i dont have an Ammonia test kit. i have the 5 test dip strip. is the strip kit better, or drop??
thanks for all your help!~!
Ah. Well, my mollies, while they pick at the plants, never actually eat the plants, they eat the algae that grows on the plants. You may have been witnessing that. Mollies really don't eat plants. A Pleco and certain snails will. The test strips can work, it's just that if your water is treated with chloramines and you use something like Prime or Amquel it will give you false ammonia readings. For that situation you need an ammonia test that is Salicylate based as it can distinguish between ammonium and ammonia.
 

Soulcoffr

Casiotone Nation
Jan 9, 2004
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Eastern Iowa
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Harlock said:
(If) you use something like Prime or Amquel it will give you false ammonia readings. For that situation you need an ammonia test that is Salicylate based as it can distinguish between ammonium and ammonia.
Which test kits are Salicylate based? Or do they typically say on the package? I know the water around here is treated with chloramine, so I'd need one compatible with Prime or Amquel...
 

Harlock

Educated Idiot
Dec 15, 2004
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Well, usually one that has 2-3 reagents (bottles of drops) to use. I know for sure that the Hagen ammonia test works. I think some folks have said the Aquarium pharmaceuticals test is Salicylate as well. Hopefully someone can confirm or refute that at some point today.
 
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