The Puffer Forum

Hey...

did a water test today: ph 7.5; amm&nitrite 0, nitrate below 20. temp 27 (celcius)... (110L tank long with 1 goby and 1 f8 & was 4 mollies now 3 and possibly be 2)

This is my story:

I had 4 mollies (they are the small balloon type mollies - not sailfins) and I came home from work last week to find one of the females stuck between the filter and glass on one of the vents. She was dead
2 days ago I found the other female in the same position, except she was still alive. I saved her, and she swam away, but she's just a little bit more wobbly now. Then yesterday I found one of the males in the same place! Why are they always squeezing behind the filter against the glass and getting stuck on the part where water is sucked in!? It's pretty much right up against the glass. Enough space for the suction cups that stick it on, so a cm or less...

Since I saved the male and female, they have both been swimming weirdly. Kinda like a zombie if a molly could be a zombie. The male kept squishing into the tightest spots (like almost right under the rocks and breathing very heavily) So I removed the male and put him in my small snail tank (for the night) where he looked like he had a bubble in his tail and was being lifted up vertically and then fighting to get back. He would rest on the substrate and was still breathing very heavily. In the morning, he was fine! Swimming around properly (maybe a little wobbly now) but he's swimming! The female is also swimming around wobbly like, and isn't going near the filter now, but what can I put there to stop them from squeezing in there? Stockings? I don't want to block the vents. But I don't want to keep rescuing silly fish that are acting weird.

The heater is nowhere near the filter. So I'm not sure why they keep going there.
This is the filter I got from my bro-in-law with the tank: (Astro 1000F, Liquid Filter, AC220V-240V, 50Hz, 13W)


Not sure if the female or male..or both will survive. How can I stop the mollies from going to the place of doom!

They're probably trying to hide from the puffer.

+1

u really think so? They never had a problem with her for a couple of weeks, and she's never shown an interest in any of them. The other Molly doesn't worry about her at all. In fact he gives her kisses all the time.

Well, anyway, is there something I can use to block the gap behind the filter to stop them from going there? I have plenty of hiding places for them if they really are trying to get away from her.

Kisses?

If you don't have enough females per male, the male(s) will harass the females into hiding or even to the point of weakness/death.

They are getting to them at night. Mine always just wound up missing...

I think you would know best how to redo the tank to prevent that, since it's in your possession.

Yea, the one male swims up to everything, living or not and smooches them....hence the name Smooch.
Tsuki (the f8) just darts away from him, she doesn't even retaliate.

I had 2 males and 2 females, but the one female was the first to die the filter-death

and with regards to redoing the tank...I am not sure what I can do to block the gap between filter and glass without blocking filtration flow... that's why i came here. I was hoping someone had a suggestion like plastic coated wire, or stockings or something that the water can still flow through but block the space.

Normally a healthy and comfortable fish won't get caught in such places. It would be best to solve the the problem instead of Bandaid it.

Do you buy chance have a dog or cat that may be harassing the fish...Or some other activity or noise around the outside tank?

I was hoping someone had a suggestion like plastic coated wire, or stockings or something that the water can still flow through but block the space.

Prefilter sponge cut to fit.

Or stocking.

+1. they are scared poopless and trying to hide

You need 2-3 females for every male. Mollies are like rabbits when it comes to breeding. You're going to do best with no males. The babies they have will just get eaten by your puffer and cause it to be fat. They probably will stop dying filter deaths if they don't feel like they have to hide from the guy. I had seven female mollies, and one male and the girls were constantly stressed, until I got rid of him.

Ok, thanks guys.

I have 2 dogs, but they are outdoor dogs ONLY, and the tank is in my bedroom, and since my boyfriend and I work all the time, nothing and no-one goes in there. The second male died last night, and the female is looking really wobbly. I saved her again from the filter for the fourth time and I don't think she's going to make it It's a bit sad

I don't think I want to get more females a) I have been told my tank is not big enough and b) I really get sad finding dead fish.

Are mollies happy enough if it's just one male?

With the puffers, don't expect him to last long.