Wiggles

Question
I have a 29 gallon high tank. I have 14 mollys the ph is 7.5.Never checked ammonia and nitrite levels. Tank set up about 5 weeks. Put in 6 tablespoons salt. Keep temp.at 82 degrees.Some of the mollys have the wiggles.Driveing me crazy what could be the problem. THANKS, Vinnie

Answer
Hi Vinnie;

It's probably from high ammonia and/or nitrite. Mollies require very, very good quality water and your tank is still in the break-in period. It causes toxins to rise, and are especially high when you have so many fish as starters. There really should only be about 3 fish in there for the first 6 weeks. After the first 6 weeks, you add one or two fish every week so the biological balance can adjust for the new population each time.

To get the fish feeling better, make a 25% water change every day for the next 4 days. This will lower the toxins without disrupting the break-in. After that, change 25% every week and vacuum the gravel every 2 weeks. A once a week 25% water change is a proper maintenance schedule for any tank.

Here is a good article on mollies to help you know more about what they need;

http://www.aqualink.com/columns/k-livebearer3.html

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins