FW: Fish issues

[Kentanner11]

Ok something is really weird in my FW 5gal tank. I had 3 adult mollies in there with 2 dwarf frogs, and a snail. the 3 mollies bred (gender unk.) having 4 babies. This was about a month ago and they are now about 1/2 an inch.
Then one adult died. The remaning 2 mollies have a baby, which died so the remaning two had to be M & F.
So. to the point, today another adult mollie died. The strange thing is that the adults both were REALLY slim/skinny and had a curve to them. I dont want the remaning adult mollie and their babies to die.
All params are fine.
Any help is appreciated!!!! Thanks!

[jerryz]

Where to start. First off with mollies a female can be impregnated once and create babies many times so that won't help you determine gender. Males have highly modified fin elements within the anal fin that form a structure known as the gonopodium. It's a long and pointed while a female has a a normal anal fin.

Now that the sexing is taken care of on the death thing. Mollies aren't particularly long lived so the first ones could have been simply due to old age. You didn't state how long you had them or how mature they looked when you purchased them.

Now to params. You said they were fine but what are they?

[azrednex]

I have experienced the curved skinny symptoms before. It was with giant danios though. I think it was a bacteria or some other parasite. It wiped them all out before I could figure it out, unfortunately.

[EvilE]

Do you use tap water?

[Kentanner11]

yea, not the best I know, but it sits for a week and shows nothing C/C wise.

I had plans to upsize tanks anyways so hopefully the babies and what I think is the father (?) will be ok.

[Kentanner11]

As far as Parms (ppm):
Nitrate: 20
Nitrite: 0
Hardness: 75
Chlorine: 0
Alkilinity: 80
pH 7.0

[EvilE]

Originally posted by Kentanner11
yea, not the best I know, but it sits for a week and shows nothing C/C wise.

I had plans to upsize tanks anyways so hopefully the babies and what I think is the father (?) will be ok.

I am not being critical because I use tap water for my FW tanks also--I condition them with either stress coat or amquel. The reason I ask is because from time to time cities add stuff to the tap water that may or may not adversly affect aquarium fish. Last year I lost my RBP after a water change to swim bladder disease. I thought it was just bad luck--now last weekend I did a water change in my black rhom tank, and he now has swim bladder disease after being healthy as a horse for years. I am beginning to think it's some additive the city added to water. I have him in my 10 gallon QT tank, and am treating him with tetracycline power, hoping he pulls through, but I am skeptical. He isn't doing well, and not eating anymore. I am VERY upset over this. Just a thought.....

[Kentanner11]

hmm. I will do some asking.... The weird thing is though is that I have had 3 die all looking the same way in the past 3 to 4 months... Maby it is something new that they added? I previously thought that one of my frogs were grabbing them and trying to eat them lol, but after watching them for a while there is NO way lol, the frogs are in no way good at catching prey do to they have poor eyesight and are slow.
Sorry about your tank and fish, hope he overcomes and pulls through! it allways sucks when everything is going well and then all of a sudden it is not.

I am now glad I started switching to bottled water untill I get my RO/DI for my reptiles. Can you use RO/DI for FW?

[azrednex]

Use RO but not the DI. We use DI for SW because we put so much back into the water with the salt mix. This isn't the case with FW.

[muzzelfuzz]

did you starve them to death?

[Kentanner11]

azrednex- thats what I was thinking,

muzzelfuzz- no they get frozen thawed food every 2-3 days, actually the day before one died. I know its not the food because one died before I started feeding this type of food.

[muzzelfuzz]

so you feed them every 2 to 3 days? try that for yourself and see if there is any ill effects.....

[EvilE]

Originally posted by muzzelfuzz
so you feed them every 2 to 3 days? try that for yourself and see if there is any ill effects.....

fish have different metabolisms then humans! Most fish can go 2 weeks without food---not that I condone that, but they can. I feed my SW fish every day, but I feed my FW dwarf puffers every other day--again due to different metabolisms......

[JMCAquarium]

Fish Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium) Is what you have alot of mollies, guppies, swordtails and danois have this disease before you even purchase them. Always look for a full looking belly if the belly is flat or worse then over look the species and do not buy him or any of his tank mates as they are infected and it's not worth the effort. Your other adult mollie will most likely die so do get all worried about it. The young will survive as long as the Bateria is rid fo the tank when they reach adulthood. as young they are much stronger like we are when we are young are immune defenses are way up as are thiers. Remove the young asap and leave the adult to fend for itself until it dies or pulls through. need more info yell I'd be happy
FUNGAL DISEASES
- - - - - - - - - - - -

Saprolegnia and Achlya
S: Cotton-like tufts of fungus appear on the body of the fish. As algae grows on the fungus, the fungus turns a brownish color.
A: Fungal infections are secondary infections that can only occur when the fish is already diseased or physically injured. When fungal infestations occur, raise the water temperature. Several different courses of action can be taken including a 30 minute bath in 1 ppm Sodium Permanganate (10 Mg/L); the addition of Malachite green; or the addition of a commercial fungal medication.

BACTERIAL INFECTIONS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Fish Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium)
S: Fish may lose color and appetite and become hollow-bellied. Fish become lifeless and often crippled–with a bent spine. Fish develop ulcers under the skin and may rupture causing open sores and “pop-eye.”
A: This disease is highly infectious and deleterious. Bacteria can remain living in the gravel to infect other fish when they are weakened. Some success has been achieved by treating infected fish with antibiotics (Oxytetracycline and Kanamycin), although often it is best to kill the fish and put it out of its misery. When removing piscine tuberculosis victims, do so with care, as this disease can be transmitted to humans.

Dropsy (Aeromonas, Pseudomonas)
S: Fish infected with Dropsy are characterized by protruding scales, bulging eyes, pale gills, the body cavity is filled with fluid, and there may be red patches on the skin.
A: An infectious disease that spreads most readily among weakened fish. Infected fish should be removed and destroyed, or treated with antibiotics. Treatment is not usually successful.

[JMCAquarium]

"but after watching them for a while there is NO way lol, the frogs are in no way good at catching prey do to they have poor eyesight and are slow. "

Don't underestimate them they are fast as lighting and eyesight is bad but not that bad. i feed my larger ones baby guppies at least once a month.

[Kentanner11]

Originally posted by EvilE
fish have different metabolisms then humans! Most fish can go 2 weeks without food---not that I condone that, but they can. I feed my SW fish every day, but I feed my FW dwarf puffers every other day--again due to different metabolisms......

I have read what EvilE said MANY MANY places, and MANY MANY people do this because most fish dont eat daily, but have one big meal every so often.

[Kentanner11]

Originally posted by JMCAquarium
Fish Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium) Is what you have
Your other adult mollie will most likely die
The young will survive as long as the Bateria is rid fo the tank when they reach adulthood.

BACTERIAL INFECTIONS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Fish Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium)
S: Fish may lose color and appetite and become hollow-bellied. Fish become lifeless and often crippled–with a bent spine. Fish develop ulcers under the skin and may rupture causing open sores and “pop-eye.”
A: This disease is highly infectious and deleterious. Bacteria can remain living in the gravel to infect other fish when they are weakened. Some success has been achieved by treating infected fish with antibiotics (Oxytetracycline and Kanamycin), although often it is best to kill the fish and put it out of its misery. When removing piscine tuberculosis victims, do so with care, as this disease can be transmitted to humans.

Thats what I was thinking after doing some research....

[Kentanner11]

Originally posted by JMCAquarium
"but after watching them for a while there is NO way lol, the frogs are in no way good at catching prey do to they have poor eyesight and are slow. "

Don't underestimate them they are fast as lighting and eyesight is bad but not that bad. i feed my larger ones baby guppies at least once a month.

Do you seriously feed African Dwarf Frogs baby guppies? lol. never heard of that!

[jerryz]

On the feeding front. I only feed my Saltwater fish every 2-3 days. They do very well with this.

[JMCAquarium]

Originally posted by Kentanner11
Do you seriously feed African Dwarf Frogs baby guppies? lol. never heard of that!

Yes'em I sure do the baby baby ones. they love them (if my angels don't get them first) , but i try to keep it as a treat and feed blood worms, frozen and live brine as often as i can.

My buddy has ADF that killed off all his neon tetra's they'd reach up and snatch them by there heads and hold on to them until the drowned and then let them go and then hunt down the next one. Was cool looking until they went after the third neon then we removed them and brought them back to LFS.

I also feed my african frogs full sized guppies or head accross the street with a mesh cast net and catch some baby crappy and blue gills, minnows rinse them off real will in the sink and toss them in. Until you have seen a frag shove with both hands a fish twice as big as there head into there moulths you ain't seen nothing so cool.

[JMCAquarium]

Originally posted by jerryz
On the feeding front. I only feed my Saltwater fish every 2-3 days. They do very well with this.

I feed my fresh tanks once daily very light and every three days 1 cube of blood worms and 1 cube of brine mixed together.

My Salt tank basicly the same except the the frozen is every 7 days instead.
I toss in Reef Snow for the filter feed twice a week