HELP!! Balloon Molly is sick

[spoilt324]

OK, so I just went to feed my fish and I found one of my Balloon Mollies in the corner, head down in the gravel. It wasnt moving, so I got ready to fish it out. But once I touched it...she started squirming around like crazy! Its like shes trying so hard to move, but she cant. Last time I checked on them, was feeding time this morning and they were fine. What do I do?????

[Dave66]

What are your water parameters, please? Mollies need brackish water and algae to thrive, thus need hard and alkaline water. Their lives are shortened by keeping them in pure freshwater.

Dave

[spoilt324]

pH is 7.1, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate are all at 0. Should I seperate her? Or leave her alone?

[spoilt324]

nevermine...she died ...

[teach]

Im sorry to hear about fish dieing. but i have been keeping balloons for a few years now and I have noticed that if i put a few table spoons of water in the tank they seem to be much happier and less sickness. but i have to respectfully disagree that mollies dont "have" to be in brackish water to survive but a little salt helps.

[Commodore 64]

Your tank should have some nitrates in it. They are a byproduct of the nitrogen cycle.

And I would suggest 1T salt per 10 gallons if you keep mollies.