Help on a Molly Fish

Question
Hi Chris, my family has a freshwater aquarium which we got a couple of weeks back for our first ever time of keeping fish. We do the 25% water change every week but we have noticed that recently that one of our molly fish is practically swimming on it's head with it's tail upwards in the fish tank. As we are first timers with looking after fish we do not have a clue what to do although i have done a lot of research of what it could be but i wanted to double check with somebody of whom has alot of experience such as yourself. Could you please help us with information that will help us rectify the problem. I look forward to hearing from you and Thank you for your help, I will contact you again after i have received you e-mail. Kind Regards Daniel Vass

Answer
Hi Daniel;

It could be a symptom of "New Tank Syndrome" or could be a digestive problem compounded by NTS. Your new tank hasn't had enough time to fully balance. It takes 6 weeks or so. In that period of time, toxins rise. Sometimes to lethal levels. Test the water for the presence of ammonia (NH3) and nitrite (NO2). (Not nitrAte, it's different) It would be normal for ammonia to be elevated at this stage and nitrite to begin to be elevated. But, if they get into the "danger zone" you will want to make a 25% water change to lower it and make it safer for the fish. Here is a link to my article on new tanks to help you know more about the whole crazy process;

http://www.xanga.com/Expert_Fish_Help

Mollies need a lot of fiber in their diet to avoid digestive trouble, mainly constipation. Provide little bits of romaine lettuce, cooked green beans, slices of cucumber and squash. Just rinse them and drop them in 3 times a week. Spirulina algae is very good too. Most fish stores have it either whole frozen or whole dried. Avoid the dried flakes, as it is usually mixed with other constipating ingredients.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins