I have a 55 gallon tank that had 4 gourami's, 3 bala's and 4 mollies. The three dalmation mollies were recent additions, and two have now died/been euthanized. They appeared to have dropsy. My nearly year old black molly then developed severe dropsy - looked like a pine cone, scales all sticking out and body bloated, fins becamse ragged. I euthanized the poor thing. One dalmation molly remains - it can swim and eat, but its hanging in the water at rest (tail fin down).
Now my three bala's are 'twitchy' - their fins are moving, their mouths are moving constantly, not eating much that I can tell. One this morning developed an inability to maintain equilibirum at rest - he can swim still, but when he stays in one place he drifts on to his side and then down.
The tank is about 1 month old (55 gallons) and was seeded from another tank with gravel and decorations. All of the existing fish moved to it were well unil the mollies were added. Nitrates haven't gone above 0.5ppm and were 0.25 ppm yesterday; nitrites zero, nitrates about 5ppm. Water changes have been done twice weekly, about 15-20%. Tap water is chlorine free, but I condition it anyway. I have added (more) salt and raised the temp slowly, now at 82. Mela-fix started today.
Does anyone have any other ideas? I wasn't attached to the mollies, but I am to the sharks, as they were some of my first fish.
Now my three bala's are 'twitchy' - their fins are moving, their mouths are moving constantly, not eating much that I can tell. One this morning developed an inability to maintain equilibirum at rest - he can swim still, but when he stays in one place he drifts on to his side and then down.
The tank is about 1 month old (55 gallons) and was seeded from another tank with gravel and decorations. All of the existing fish moved to it were well unil the mollies were added. Nitrates haven't gone above 0.5ppm and were 0.25 ppm yesterday; nitrites zero, nitrates about 5ppm. Water changes have been done twice weekly, about 15-20%. Tap water is chlorine free, but I condition it anyway. I have added (more) salt and raised the temp slowly, now at 82. Mela-fix started today.
Does anyone have any other ideas? I wasn't attached to the mollies, but I am to the sharks, as they were some of my first fish.
