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My female balloon mollies seem to be dying.

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#1 ·
Ive had the tank(10gal) about 2 months now. I originally got 1 male dalmation molly, 1 red tailed tetra, and 1 female balloon molly. I waited about a month and introduced 4 more fish. (another tetra, 1 male&1 female balloon molly and male dalmation molly) .. a few days later, the first female balloon molly i purchased died. (not until this that i realized the male to female ratio was too high) so she was probably stressed and died. so i got about 4 more mollies a few days later. 2 female dalmation mollies, and 2 female balloon mollies. it's been about two weeks since then. and today i get home from work and find the 2 female balloon mollies are dead. i don't get it. all the female BALLOON mollies i've bought have died... all the other female fish are fine. am i doing something wrong? or is it something particular with balloon mollies ... please help :(
 
#2 ·
Test results for pH,ammonia,nitrites,and nitrAtes should read ..pH 7.5 to 8.0 ,,ammonia = zero,,,nitrites= zero,, and nitrAtes around 20 ppm with 10 ppm being even better and temp around 82 degrees F for mollies. If results read otherwise ,this could be contributing to overall health of the mollies.
Will submit that ten gallons is too small for more than a couple mollies and 20 gallons is recommended minimum tank size by most.
Balloon mollies are somewhat hampered by their shape with regards to being able to swim as normal mollies and in small tank,,, they might have difficulty avoiding the attention of male mollies which you have witnessed according to previous posts.
A couple female mollies might do OK in ten gallon tank but for more than this,you will in my opinion need larger tank. Mollies will like most fish,, establish a pecking order, and weaker fish will be weeded out or singled out. Without room to escape,, which ten gallons does not provide,and or floating plants for fish to rest,hide in,, I would expect that which you have observed to continue.
Tetras would be best suited for the ten gallon tank but they do not enjoy the water parameters that mollies do.
 
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