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Look out! I used my store credit today, to get 6 mollies. We now have 3 black (1 male, 2 female) and 3 blood sword tail (1 male, 2 female). We plan to cull the fry, using them as feeders for the 55 gal. If they survive being in the 40 gal with Goldie and Bulldozer (Angels). So far Bulldozer takes no notice of them. Goldie is not liking the new company in the tank. She hasn't actively chased them, but if they get too close... She takes a nip at them and they move along. I'll check on them in the morning at feeding time and see how it's going.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Hi Kelly,
Well the only problem I see with the setup is that the
Angel fish are from the Amazon where the water is soft
and acidic. The mollies and swordtail's prefer water that
is hard and the pH alkaline 7.8-8.0.

Not really a good mix.

IMO, You would be better off with the
swordtail's and mollies in a separate tank.

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I noticed that, but the kids wanted them anyway. I'm going to keep and eye on them to see how they do... The main purpose for getting them is for food for the 55 gal anyway...

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Not to go against what Frank said, since he is right, but I'd been told once long long ago that often farm raised fish (rather then wild caught or bred wild caught fish) are more acclimated to different PHs as most breeding farms don't take the effort to adjust the ph to where it should be.

If you gave them a good long acclimation they should be fine. Hope the kids will be ok with the babies becoming lunch (or were you planning to do it when they werent looking ?)


^_^

Strangest thing is... I think my youngest will enjoy scooping them out for the other tank. She's all ways asking can she pick some snails for the yo-yo's!

I now have a new problem! I just noticed white sprinkles on the top of one of the black mollies! Now I've got to treat for ick. Can I also put pimafix in as well, just in case? It's going to drop my ph, but I'd rather nip this in the bud.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

I wouldn't put Pimafix unless you think there's any reason to use it, which there isn't since ich isn't a fungus or a bacterial infection. Just put in ich medication.

--------------------------------------------
The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

After reviewing the profile on mollies, I've realized I have 3 black male mollies! I want to return 2 and exchange them for females but... 2 of the 3 blacks had ick! I just cleared it up. I don't want to have to re-medicate the tank for 2 new female mollies. Do you think I can get away with a 5 gal fish bowl for a week or two? (Just the new 2 females will be in there.) It will serve as a temporary hospital/quarantine until I know they are safe to put in the 40 gal with the others. I can run a air line and get a small heater. I really don't have the space or money for a full out 10 - 30 gal tank and all the fixin's.

Man, this really blows!

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Something that ive done that works quite well is floating a large enough container in one of your tanks to quarantine the new arrivals. Only thing you would need is an air stone to keep the water aerated. This way you don't need a heater and they are all ready to go into the tank when you are done quarantining them.

I give up! I was planning to take the 2 black male mollies back to exchange for 2 females. I go to the tank and the one red male swordtail is dipin' and divin' and rollin' all over the tank. I netted him and put him in a container with an air line, he died in 3 minutes. There's no abnormal activity in the tank. Ammonia and Nitrites are 0, Nitrates are 2.5, PH is 6.8. I figured the ick meds had lowered my PH. I was going to do a water change the tomorrow.

As far as activity goes, the Angels are doing their normal thing, the black mollies are swimming like crazy all over the top of the tank, the red swordtails are always hiding.

I think I will just leave well enough alone. Keep what I have and leave it at that.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Maybe the swordtail was just overly stressed from the move to the new tank?

I'm sorry you're having such trouble with the new inhabitants. I totally understand how you feel. It's very frustrating when the fish you want don't work out for whatver reason. It makes you doubt (or at least, it made me doubt with my situation in my tank) your abilities in successfully keeping fish.

I hope things stabilize and work out for you.

Guess what! I was checking on the mollies today, and saw a little, itty, bitty, eye swim under the tree trunk! Then it was gone. I just did a water change, like 2 or 3 days ago. I hope I didn't suck up any other babies. I wanted at least the first batch to grow up in the tank.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

I lost 2 more mollies. One of the Black mollies that I thought was a male, blew up. We thought maybe, we were mistaken and it was pregnant. It looked just like the pregnant mollie photos in the profile. This morning it was dead. One of the female red swordtails was also found dead in the front of the tank. (we rarely saw them venture out of the plants and from behind the slate) I'm also wondering if my female angel harassed the red to death. (she laid eggs 2 days ago.) She's really mean when she has eggs about. My ph has risen since my water change to 7.2

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Sorry you lost two more

What are you feeding them? If it's a lot of frozen foods they can get constipated just like people can, try getting more veggies in their diets.

For water changes, I've found it's easier to spot fry in a white bucket if you don't have one you can usually pick them up in the paint section of hardware stores. Then just net out...OR even easier is to put a net under the outflow of your siphon and catch the fry as they get scooped up, then they can easily be put in a separate grow out tank or fry net.

I don't remember my ich meds ever raising the ph, whats the ph out of your tap?


^_^

Actually, whenever I medicate my tanks, the PH goes down. My Ph out the tap is 7.6, so the tanks usually rise after each water change until it plateaus at 7.6. That's one of the reasons I thought the ph wouldn't be much of a problem between the two fish. With the driftwood, the ph has been a little lower in the 40 gal. (give or take 7.0 to 7.4)

I've been looking at the diet of the 40 gal. It's mostly been flakes. Just before the last 2 died, we had started with the Tetramin in the morning, and the tetraveggie in the evening, but it was too late. The smallest mollie is the only survivor and it shows no signs of constipation. I see him dropping strings on a regular basis. (It's swimming about like there's no tomorrow.) I also think I will call the LFS and ask a few more questions. The black mollies where extremely friendly. They swam to my hand whenever I was snail picking or gardening. I also don't remember asking if they use PH UP in their mollie tanks. The store is not far from here so I assume their water ph is the same as mine. All of the suburbs surrounding the city, pull water from the same source. The sources don't change until you get far downriver.

I'm due for another water change tomorrow. Hope he makes it through his second WC.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}

Hi Kelly,
It's been quite a while so I don't remember the particulars
of your tank.

Have you drawn a clean glass of tap water, allowed it to
stand for 24 hours and then tested the pH? It is normal
for the pH to drop as the water degases.

The drift wood, depending upon the type and how fresh in
the tank it is will give off tannic acid which will also
lower the pH of the tank.

The build up of organics as they decay will cause an
increase in organic acids, which obviously will cause
the pH to drop.

To raise the pH and hold it there, skip the additives
and do it naturally... Use a carbonate such as coral,
dolomite, or limestone either as rocks or crushed as a
substrate or even crushed oyster shells mixed in with the
gravel. Most will use a substrate of 100% carbonate, and
others will mix crushed coral, crushed limestone or crushed
dolomite in with the gravel. This will hold the pH up
with only slight dips immediately following a large water
change.
Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I lost the last molly! Now I'm wondering if they were all diseased. My female angel is not looking good. Will post more detail in Hospital.

TTFN --->Ta-Ta-For-Now
Kelly ;o}