Can you help my little Molly?

[Pleasetrythefish]

I have this little Molly since 2 months now. There's some weird spots on top of her head and around the eyes since the beginning. I am wondering if I should do something. She's really active, eats well, but I feel there's something... Other fishes are ok.

Nitrate: 10
Nitrite: 1
Cl2: 0
Hardness: 25
Alkalinity: 40
Carbonate: between 0-40
pH: between 6.4-6.8

Any help is welcome :)

[Max W.]

I don’t know, it may be your nitrites. Nitrites should be below 1ppm at all times or risk health issues. 

[Whitecloud09]

Before anything, get that nitrite out of the tank, any at all can cause quick diseases to a fish, a 30-50% water change with seachem prime added after. Also any way to test ammonia in the tank? Very important to test that.  @Pleasetrythefish

On 4/9/2024 at 6:27 PM, Max W. said:

I don’t know, it may be your nitrites. Nitrites should be below 1ppm at all times or risk health issues. 

Yep, I say under .25 even but definitely should be the nitrites

[Max W.]

It does look like a fungal infection. I would try 25% water changes weakly. That would lower your nitrites and help a little with the fungal infection.

It might also be an injury, it looks like you have artificial plants in your tank. Those sometimes scratch my fish.

Also, what fish do you have in the tank?

[Whitecloud09]

On 4/9/2024 at 6:29 PM, Max W. said:

It does look like a fungal infection. I would try 25% water changes weakly. That would lower your nitrites and help a little with the fungal infection.

It might also be an injury, it looks like you have artificial plants in your tank. Those sometimes scratch my fish.

Also, what fish do you have in the tank?

Yes, agreed, artificial plants can be dangerous and can hurt the fish, and the tank mates might be an issue if they are aggressive to this fish. Fungal or bacterial, but I am going with the fungal like @Max W. mentioned.

I see a Mickey Mouse platy in the picture but what else if I may ask @Pleasetrythefish?

[macdaddy36]

Other than nitrites, the pH and hardness should be higher for mollies. With low pH and soft water mollies are prone to diseases.

[Pleasetrythefish]

Thanks for your input...
I have 1 Molly, 1 Mickey Mouse Platty and 3 Neon Tetras.
I don't see any aggressivity between any fishes. The Molly is super duper friendly with the Mickey Mouse Platty. Always together.

Should I use any medication? Or just water changes? It's a new world for me. Thanks for you help. Huummm I will see if I can get real plants instead but I don't have lots of substrate and don't plan do add more. Any plants in mind?

I do have some API pH up, but I am so afraid to use that, any guidelines? And for the hardness, each time I do a water change, it goes down again. It seems impossible to reach a higher level... Or I just don't know how to do it properly?

[Pleasetrythefish]

@Whitecloud09 Ok sure, I'll go get something to test the ammonia. I am probably learning all this the hard way hahaha. I do have Nutrafin Plus and Nutrafin Cycle is this the same thing as the Seachem prime conditionner?

Edited April 9 by Pleasetrythefish

[Whitecloud09]

On 4/9/2024 at 7:11 PM, Pleasetrythefish said:

@Whitecloud09 Ok sure, I'll go get something to test the ammonia. I am probably learning all this the hard way hahaha. I do have Nutrafin Plus and Nutrafin Cycle is this the same thing as the Seachem prime conditionner?

Seachem prime is a decholranater for water, detoxifys ammonia and nitrite. I would get that.

[Pleasetrythefish]

On 4/9/2024 at 8:27 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

Seachem prime is a decholranater for water, detoxifys ammonia and nitrite. I would get that.

Ok, done. Will keep you posted. Thanks a bunch everyone.

[Colu]

 if your seeing  nitrite you more than likely have ammonia your pH should 7.5 for mollies your KH is to low what I would do is daily water changes and add a double dose of prime to help detoxify any ammonia and nitrite till your nitrite constantly stays at zero I would add crushed coral to your substrate or a media bag to raise your KH and pH you will need to add one pound of crushed coral per 10 gallons i would Also add  a small amount of aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 5 gallons just remember to only put back in what you take out so if you do a 5 gallon water change put 1 table spoon of  aquarium salt back in as salt only removed though water changes @Pleasetrythefish

[Pleasetrythefish]

On 4/9/2024 at 8:42 PM, Colu said:

 if your seeing  nitrite you more than likely have ammonia your pH should 7.5 for mollies your KH is to low what I would do is daily water changes and add a double dose of prime to help detoxify any ammonia and nitrite till your nitrite constantly stays at zero I would add crushed coral to your substrate or a media bag to raise your KH and pH you will need to add one pound of crushed coral per 10 gallons i would Also add  a small amount of aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 5 gallons just remember to only put back in what you take out so if you do a 5 gallon water change put 1 table spoon of  aquarium salt back in as salt only removed though water changes @Pleasetrythefish

Thanks for all that info. Those are for Mollies right? If I raise the pH is it going to be a problem for the Platty and the Tetras?

[Colu]

Platys  like the same water parameters as mollies  neon tetra will be fine with those water parameters as they have been captive breed for a very long time they can adapt to a wide range of parameters @Pleasetrythefish