Dead Mollies

[Lupin]

Nitrate at zero? That's impossible without having a tank fully loaded with plants or quite a large water change done on a frequent basis. Any test strips would be more unreliable compared to API liquid test kit. Get one by API and retest again to be more certain. You also did not mention your nitrite. Test that one with a new kit.

I am guessing the test strips are misleading you into thinking you have no ammonia although the actual results by a liquid test kit may tell you, your tank has rising level of ammonia. How often do you feed and what do you feed? Your tank is only a month old. That's not long yet to be considered a well established tank where water parameters have appeared to stabilize.

What symptoms have you observed from your fish? If their fins appear to clamp, gills turning colors abnormally, gasping on the surface and swimming around listlessly, then the fish may well be suffering from ammonia and nitrite intoxication. Do you use dechlorinator to bind the chlorine and chloramine? If not, it could be poisoning as well from both gases although this may not be the case if your fish has been around for a few weeks already.

 

[Lupin]

Threads have been merged so we can be on track in one thread.

 

[JimTurntable]

The mollies were lethargic and stayed at the bottom of the tank for a day or so before they died. I didn't notice any odd behavior from the bloodfins however. I'm going to go pick up a liquid test kit in a few hours. I already have ammonia reducer, is there anything else I should get? Something to change Nitrate levels if needed? Do they make that?

It should also be mentioned that I have another 29 gallon tank with some parrot fish, and there are no problems there, it's about 3 months old.

 

[Kashta]

Hey Jim. I'm glad to read you're getting the liquid test kit the others have been recommending to you. With those strips, I'm afraid you've really been trying do this with no credible information to go. Now, at least, you'll be able to sort out what's really going on with the water and determine when water changes are needed to protect the fish you have.

Keep in mind... your fish have been exposed to toxic levels for certain periods of time between the water changes you've been doing. Based on the test strips, we don't know which kind, how often, or for how long.. and neither do you. So even under ideal conditions, you may still lose some of the fish you presently have due to diminishing health factors that develop slowly from these exposures. Just wanted to give you a head's up there, just in case. If that happens, you don't need to look for new reasons or causes. They may also do fine from here on out. It's just a rather iffy question now.

I wouldn't bother getting an ammonia reducer, anything to "change" nitrate levels, or any other product sold to artificially alter or adjust water parameters chemically; i.e., ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. Most of those do nothing and some can even interfere with the natural development of bacteria colonies you need as the cycle process continues.

What you do need is that API test kit and a bottle of something to dechlorinate your tap water (like many others, I'm using Prime). Keep up with your water changes as indicated by your API test results (whenever you detect ammonia or nitrite and to keep nitrates below 40). As you monitor the conditions with the tests you take, you'll begin to see exactly where you are now in your cycle and we'll be to give you help to answer questions you may have.

As soon as you get back, take tests of your tank water (and probably do another 30-50% water change right away if something looks high). Then fill a container with tap water and let that sit uncovered... then take water tests of that tap water 24 hours later. This will give you a baseline of the tap water you have for comparison.

Post the test results you get as you have them and we can help you step-by-step through the rest of this. You may still need to do frequent water changes (possibly on a daily basis or even back to back) at some points... but then you'll know when and why. It gets a LOT easier for you and your fish now.

Keep us posted. And best of luck!

 

[JimTurntable]

Thanks for the info. I don't have the results with me anymore, but I got the API kit and the amonia levels were alarmingly high, and the nitrates were off as well. Did a 40% water change and before I put more water in my bucket I used the water conditioner. In 24 hours I'll do another change and keep you guys posted.

 

[BMHo]

Interesting how you have a hardness that is so low...

I've kept mollies before, but returned them because I didn't really like them in the tank I had. Usually I have a hardness of around 300 ppm, and a pH at 7.5+. There were no problems with them.

However, from what I know there is a wrong way to cycle the fish. Also, did you pour the water from the fish store into the tank? Sometimes when you buy fish at a LFS it is known to have bad stuff in the water.

 

[JimTurntable]

I had to keep some water from the fish store in the tank because, well, aren't you supposed to?

Readings are still nominal all around and ever since the big water change the remaining fish have all been a bit more active and the highfins are spending less time sticking to the top of the tank. The only fish still acting odd is the sole bloodfin that's left. He's just staying in one place shaking back and forth. Is that because he has no schoolmates now?

 

[Lupin]

I had to keep some water from the fish store in the tank because, well, aren't you supposed to?

No. The water could have harbored pathogens which will harm the other occupants (unless you were putting new fish in your quarantine tank). Same applies to asking for established filter media to immediately cycle the tank. Ask only if you are sure your source is free of pathogens.

Readings are still nominal all around and ever since the big water change the remaining fish have all been a bit more active and the highfins are spending less time sticking to the top of the tank. The only fish still acting odd is the sole bloodfin that's left. He's just staying in one place shaking back and forth. Is that because he has no schoolmates now?

Good to hear everything is going well. Leave the bloodfin alone for now and buy his company only after you are sure nothing else will go wrong in a few weeks. Better yet, get a quarantine tank ready and buy new bloodfins and quarantine them there for four weeks.

 

[JimTurntable]

So when I get new fish I'm just supposed to fish them out of the bag and put them in the tank with no acclamation period? That goes against everything I've ever been told about moving fish. Setting up a quarantine tank really isn't an option. I don't have the money nor the space for something like that.

Ammonia continues to be fine, as are the nitrates, pH is about 7.4. Should I do daily water changes?

 

[Lupin]

So when I get new fish I'm just supposed to fish them out of the bag and put them in the tank with no acclamation period? That goes against everything I've ever been told about moving fish. Setting up a quarantine tank really isn't an option. I don't have the money nor the space for something like that.

Ammonia continues to be fine, as are the nitrates, pH is about 7.4. Should I do daily water changes?

I meant to go with your usual acclimation process however I would not advise pouring the LFS water to your tank. Without the quarantine tank, you cannot safeguard your current stocks from health threats by new fish which are possible disease carriers. A 5g should be a good start if space is an issue.

Do daily water changes for now until you are sure everything is stable.