[Falina]

i have a problem - my tank which has been established for a few months now, and has always had 0 amonia readings now has a slight reading. this could maybe be because i added 4 fish recently. all the fish other than these 2 mollies are healthy and behaving normally. i would do water changes but my 2 mollies have cotton wool growths and so am treating them for that and the medication says "before redosing or using any other treatment in the aquarium you should wait a period of seven days then carry out a 30% water change before dosing." i wouldnt normally use an amonia remover but since i cant do water changes i considered it. however it says that the medication is nott o be used with amonia remover. i dont know what to do. i dont want to let amonia get high and risk hurting my other healthy fish but i dont want to do water changes when that would dillute the medication and risk the mollies dying, or it spreading to toher fish?!?!?

 

[musho3210]

couldnt you remove the water, and add water that has been remedicated, i dont know if you can do this with your medication though....

 

[Falina]

it looks like its definitely too late for my male molly (richard). hes just lying at the bottom of the tank completely still and not eating. i dont expect him to make it through the night but i cant bring myself to euthanise him so ill let him die in peace without stressing him with water changes and more medication then in the morning ill do what you suggested. the female molly (judy) has only very small cotton wool bits and its on her body rather than her face which is the case with richard. and she is swimming about as though she is quite happy so im hopeful that the medication will work for her so tomorrow ill do a water change. i was thinking maybe changing 1/4 of the water???

thanks for your help

 

[shavon]

The answers to these questions will help to determine a plan of action.

1. How high is the ammonia reading?
2. How long until you can change the water?
3. What medication are you using?
4. What size is the tank?

 

[Falina]

ammonia 0.4ppm
35 gallons
other tankmates: the 2 infected mollies, another molly, a swordtail, a pictus catfish and an upside down catfish
medication "aquarium treatment anti fungus and finrot"
it says to wait 7 days before changing water and adding more medication however what would your opinions on doing a partial water change and adding a small amount of medication to the new water? ie, the same porportional dose to the new water so that the levels of medication are the same when the new water goes in??

richard has started swimming a bit again so i think there might be hope therefore any help is really greatly appreciated

thanks

 

[shavon]

With ammonia levels that high I would recommend doing the water change with the meds added to the the new water.

My male platy has done the same as Richard more than once. There have been many nights I thought he wouldn't make it. He never showed any signs of illness over than lethargy. He would actually stand on his nose at the bottom of the tank. As soon as I was certain he was dead, I would try to net him and he would take off light a bolt of lightning. He would be fine for a couple of days and then do it again. I don't know what was wrong with him. He is doing really well since I moved him to the 75 gallon brackish tank.

 

[Falina]

thanks very much for your help. im not sure why the ammonia levela got that high. like i said i put 4 new fish in but they were zero or only trace before and i always do regular water changes. the new fish were mollies mind you and they do produce a lot of waste

ok im going to do a 1/4 water change and add a small amount of medication to the new water. ill post tomorrow with the result.

thanks again

 

[musho3210]

feed once every other day. THis will help the ammonia levels not get as high.

 

[Falina]

ok the update is that i have done a water change - took out about a quarter and put a small amount of the medicine in the new water. judy has never been acting as if she was ill but the "cotton wool" seems like it might have decreased a bit. as for richard - he is like a different fish. the "cotton wool" has decreased but also he is swimming about and seems desperate to mate judy. i am very hopeful for my fish now and so thanks for everyones help