# Some problems



## fishiefish (Sep 12, 2005)

I need advice!

There are several problems with my tank right now, and I don’t know what to do about them. First, I have a fairly new filter (installed on Christmas Eve) and I don’t think it has fully cycled. I have tested the water twice a week, and the ammonia has leveled out, but the nitrates are high (not to the “stressful” stage on my dip sticks). 

Another problem is that my neon tetras are acting aggressive towards each other. Three of them have little white spots that look a little like ick, but I haven’t added anything new except the new filter, so I don’t think it could be ick, could it? I had ick about three months ago. Another neon has a wart on its tail that looks like a big old whitehead. 

As if that’s not enough, I have a gold molly that is constipated; I cut back on feeding and tried feeding every other day, and that didn’t work… after every feeding it has a big trail of poop behind it.

Finally, since my bout with ick three months ago, I have had brown… and now it is all over the gravel. I know that it comes from/ is aggravated by poor water conditions and I have been changing some water every week until my filter died and I had to get a new one (as mentioned above, it has been running since Christmas eve).

SO… should I change the water? Should I treat the wart thing in any way? Should I isolate the molly when I feed the neons?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

50 Gallon tank w/ live plants, 11 neons, and one molly. Temp is 76 degrees.


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

Ammonia leveled out at what? should be zero. Your new filter may have cycled by now since you still had bacteria in the aquarium, but the problems you are having may be a result of the ammonia and nitrite during the new cycle. What is your ammonia and nitrite reading now?... If nitrates are high, change water. As a matter of fact, changing water is always good, no matter what the problem. Change water, change water and repeat. LOL. I'll let some of the "doctors" on here tell you about meds.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

I wonder why you think the molly is constipated. If she is all bloated up and has a long string of poop it is probably because she has been pigging out on algae in the tank. my platys look like that all the time. They never stop eating.
As far as the wart on the neon, I have had several neons get the same problem and sometimes a white bump comes up on the body. i had one did this for about 2 years and then his tail started to rot and he died.
I tried various treatments to no avail. i could never decide if it was something contagious or if it was aparasitic cyst. at times it would disappear and I put the fish back into the tank and then it would reoccur a few weeks later. it only ever affected the neons.
occasionally neons squabble. fish have a pecking order and they need to find out who is boss and then remember their places.
mouse


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## fishiefish (Sep 12, 2005)

*Molly...*

Thanks to those of you who replied. The wart thing on the Neon is smaller now, with no treatment, so I guess it'll go on its own. 

As for the Molly's poop, it's brown or white, or food-color. I thought it was constipated because I read on one of the disease sites that if the fish have trails of poop that it's a sign that they are constipated and overeating. Should I just not worry about it?
It seems otherwise fine... just ALWAYS pooping!


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## Jonno (May 22, 2005)

well i have been told that you don't always have to introduce new fish to get ich in your tank. I have been told your fish could be carrying it for several months without showing signs and that something thats new to a tank like new filter or being changed to a new tank could stress the fish doesn't has it normal defence barriers against disease. 

I might be wrong so don't quote me on this but this is what i have been told.


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