mollie ?disease

Question
I have a 28 gal tank set up for 2 weeks.  We started with a silver molly (male)
then added a black molly (female) a week later.  We have yet to have an
ammonia spike (no nitrite or nitrate either).  The black molly looks very
healthy and is vigorous.  The silver molly wouldn't ever leave the bottom and I
fear a problem with the swim bladder but after several water changes (25%)
due to cloudy water he swims at all levels.  However a few days after coming
home the black molly had long strings come out by the anal fin.  At first we
thought babies but didn't look like fry.  These strings are as long or longer
than the fish.  This has happened twice in 2 days.  She eats well and swims
well.  Right before this happened we got a pleco that died soon after coming
home.  The pH is 7.4 but only if I treat daily to raise it.  The water is soft
which I can't figure out how to change.  I add salt (originally and with water
changes).  Is this just normal waste product or a parasite?  If ill why does she
act so well?

Answer
Hi Elizabeth;

It's probably feces. It sounds like your molly is simply constipated. A very long fecal string indicates a lack of fiber in the diet. In all fish it should disintegrate at less than 1/2 inch. Mollies really need greens and other veggies in their diet. They like live plants such as elodea, also bits of romaine, cucumber slices, cooked peeled peas, cooked green beans, whole spirulina algae, and cooked shredded carrots. Just rinse and drop in or get a little gadget called a "veggie clip" from your local fish store. They have a suction cup so you can attach it to the side of the tank.

The pH is desireable in a range of 6.5 to 8.5, but it must remain stable in there somewhere. Trying to change it causes fluctuations that can be very stressful and sometimes deadly to the fish. If it doesn't drop below 6.5 without alterations and remains there, it is best to leave it alone. A stable pH, not a certain reading, is what's important to the health of our fish. PH normally rises a little over the daytime and drops a little at night too. Test it in the evening and the morning and see if there is any difference.

If it does go below 6.5 and keeps dropping, your tank water may be lacking buffers to keep it higher. Some homes have water softeners attached to their tap systems. They usually have a bypass valve so you can get untreated water when you want it so try using that first if you have a softener. If you don't have a softener, you may just have to add more minerals to your tank water. You can add limestone, marble or dolomite rocks to the tank. They leach minerals into the water that help raise the pH.

Let me know if you need more help...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins