# R.I.P. Starlight and Equinox...what happened?



## Lucky_072508 (Apr 4, 2012)

I started out with 2 balloon mollies named Starlight (girl) and Starbright (boy). About a week later I added a plecostomus named Esteban. Then 2 days ago I got a new tank plus a creamsicle lyretail molly named Solstice (girl, i think) and a dalmation lyretail molly named Equinox (girl, i think). I had a 3 gallon tank and I just had all of them in there long enough to get my 10 gallon set up (I thought they would be fine 24-48 hours so I wasn't busting my butt getting it set up. I also like to let the filter run for at least a day before adding fish). But yesterday morning when I got up Starlight was dead, and then when I got home at 5 yesterday evening Equinox was dead. I'm pretty sure Starlight was pregnant. Right after getting home I got them set up in the 10 gallon. The remaining fish seem to be doing alright. I'm planning on replacing Starlight and Equinox soon. 
Any ideas on what happened?? I definitely want to prevent it from happening again!


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

well considering you tank was only 3 gallons, you probably over loaded it. 3 gallons is wayyyyyy to small for mollies. A 10 will do but don't add too many. The pleco (assuming hes a common pleco will soon out grow the tank. They can get as big as a foot, sometimes bigger. There are smaller kinds of plecos but they still get big. 
Also it is very important to cycle a tank before adding fish... During the cycle ammonia levels can get high and kill your fish...Your fish may survive but you'll be putting them through a lot.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

5 fish is 3 gallons. One heavy feeding or too long between water changes can mean a killer ammonia or nitrite spike.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

"New tank syndrome" has been a problem since the dawn of fishkeeping. That's what happened. Google it.


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