# Mollies may have ick, shaking all the time, acting weird



## artfclsweetnr (Mar 20, 2009)

So I have a 5 gallon hex 5 tank with 4 mollies, 2 black, 2 gold. I have no idea what gender they are because I have been unable to locate a picture so that I can tell them apart. I also have one algea eater.

I have had the 2 black mollies for about 2 weeks and about a week after I found 5 babies in the tank. By the time I found another tank, I managed to save 3 of them. They are doing fine.

About 3 days after I discovered the babies, my fatter black molly started to get white spots (I'm assuming this one is the female because she's fat). The spots are now getting worse and it is now shaking all the time. It is still eating and swim a bit. The white fungus stuff is now attacking her one eye 

The other black molly is now getting 1-2 small spots and is not eating and at the top of the tank. I noticed today that part of its tail is missing and the gold mollies are harassing it.

I was reading on some random sites about ick and I'm assuming this is what is happening to my fishys. I'm just now getting into this whole aquarium thing since I have babies now!!

So here is what I did today.....did a 50% water change, added stress zyme (which I use every week), raised the temp to 82, and added a tablespoon of aquarium salt (which I never used before). I am going to make a trip to Walmart tomorrow to get ick medicine. 

Anyone have any suggestions/advice/comments/help?? I'm trying to learn the ins and outs of this, but it is soooo overwhelming and very sad when I fish dies 

Also, any good books that I could buy?

Thanks so so much!!


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## woodyg3 (Mar 24, 2009)

Heat and salt are the right first steps, as is a good water change. Malachite Green is a good ick medication, but it will stain the silicone in your tank. 

Your tank is overpopulated, for sure. Mollies, in my opinion, need a 20 gallon tank or larger to really prosper. 1 or 2 can probably survive in a 5 gallon tank, but they will never really be at their best.

By the way, mollies do best with some salt added to their water on a routine basis. Their natural waters are hard and have some salt content.

Most start out with too small of a tank and too many fish. I know I did some 30-plus years ago.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Haven't we all started out that way. I would just keep the temp up and salt in the tank. It should take about 10 days to get rid of the ich totally. But agreed you need a bigger tank. With that small of a tank the mollies are stressed which make them more likely to get ich or most anything else.


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## Fishboydanny1 (Jun 13, 2008)

The only tanks I've ever kept mollies in are a 20 gallon, 29 gallon, and a 55 gallon (and have had many mollies in each) and the mollies did best outside in the 55 gallon. didn't like the 76 degree water of my 29, did okay in the outside 20, but thrived in the 55 outside....


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## bettafreak9200 (May 1, 2009)

Your tank is very overcrowded. That could be why your fish aren't doing so well. However, the white spots definitely sound like ich. I would start treating for that and see if it gets any better. If the ich gets better and your fish still aren't doing well I would try to cut down on the numbers of fish in your tank.


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## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

The salt is fine for the Mollies but the algae eater is not going to appreciate it as they are scaleless mostly. The ich can be taken care of easily by just raising the temperature. 

Rose

Brackish fish and scaleless fish really should not be kept together for the reason that the scaleless fish really cannot tolerate the same water conditions very easily. Sorry but that is just the way they work. The osmosis caused by adding to a salt to the water dehydrates them.


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