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Ok this is an odd question and I'm not sure where it fits in on the boards but thought I'd put it here. I and my next door neighbor both have 29 gallon tanks. Since we live next door our water can't be too different from each other. We both have tropical community aquariums with just a little salt( brackish), and we use the same amount of that. Anyways, my tank is thriving, my fish are breeding all over the place. On the other hand, she can't keep mollies alive in her tank at all. She's had some others die too but every single molly she's had keeps dying including many fry I've given her. My question is what could be so different that she can't keep many fish and mine are doing so well?

Kelly

How much and what times of food are you two feeding?
How long have the tanks been up and running?
Water changes? How much and often?

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

When adding salt does she add it to top off water? Salt does not evaporate so if you mix up salt in the water to just top off the tank the salinity will increase steadily. That's one thing alot of people adding salt to freshwater tanks miss. Mollies actually don't even need salt so you could both just be using freshwater.

Aside from that the most likely problem is that your maintenance routines are different. Do either of you have test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? Those are the first tests you should run when fish are dying.

Wings ~ I can't answer for what and how often she feeds. I do twice a day and I do tropical flakes, freeze dried blood worms, and shrimp pellets. Interesting question that I will have to ask her.

As far as how long they've been up and running. Mine has been running since Feb and hers was actually only a matter of weeks behind mine.

I bet the water changes might be the biggest factor. She admits she doesn't do them as often as I do. I try to do them regularly though I will admit there are a few times that my weekly changes have gone overdue.

Sham ~ Interesting point you make with the salt. I've heard that one both ways and am still confused on it though all my first mollies died and I was told by a petstore they needed salt. PetSmart actually has that on on the shelf by their mollies. I will have to ask my neighbor if she adds salt to the topoff water or not though.

As I mentioned above, I do more frequent water changes than she does. We both do test our water though. I use strips, she has a kit. She told me her water tests say she has no nitrates, nitrites or ammonia. So as far as that goes I'm stumped.

Thank you both for your responses so far, I think maybe the big difference might be the water changes. I guess it makes you realize just how important they are. You both gave me some ideas of other things to ask her.

Kelly

Just because you next do has basically nothing to with the problem other than that you both receive the same water but here it stops.

I will deal with all the possible differences.
From the water inlet to the tap where she gets the water could be totally different, (ype of pipes and there age)
Substrate, feeding program, filtration type and maintenance done, water changes percentages, how often and how it is done, any chemicals used, airation.
Compare all of the above and I gurantee it will be more than one of these. All I can suggest you write down for her exactly what and how you are doing all the things for your tank and then compare it to exactly what she is doing.

I hope this is not too confusing.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

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Hi,
I think she should get another test kit.. There is no
way I'm gonna believe that her nitrates are zero. Outta
curosity, have you two "swapped" kits to see what kind of
readings you get on your tanks with each other's kits?

When you add salt to the tank, it never evaporates.
Only the water evaporates and, as it evaporates, since
the salts never leave, they become more concentrated.
It is only with water CHANGES, that you should add
salt, and then only the amount necessary for the water
that you replace. For instance.. If you drain 5G of water
out of the tank, you should only put enough salt back
into the tank for 5 gallons, the amount you removed.

Frank


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