# Fish hiding after a week?



## Es345 (Jan 27, 2015)

I know I ask a lot of questions on here, but I'm really trying to do things right! Anyway, I got a black molly about a week ago, and although it's eating and pooping fine, it hides all the time under the rocks, only coming out for food when I turn off the filter and power head, and usually the lights; she really hates the lighting (which is just t8). She has fattened up since she arrived which is good but she is also breathing really hard, and when I turn off the water flow she will come out and hang out by the heater, sometimes curling her tail, and still breathing hard. No white spots or anything, eating fine, just hates water flow, the lighting, and she can't seem to breathe. Any possibilities?
Ammonia 0 (using API)
Nitrite 0 (using API)
Nitrate 0-.5 (using API)
Phosphate 0.03 (using Hanna checker)
Salinity 1.025 (using refractometer)
Temp 80-81°F (she will only come out if it is at least this warm)
Calcium 440 (using API)
Magnesium 1100+ (using Elos)

Additives in the water are calcium, magnesium, prime, stress coat, and nite out (tank has cycled and has been for over a month but I like to seed it)
Tank is about 3 months old and cycled a month ago

I really want to have a clownfish, but all of the ones I have had have died, and now I am worried there must be something wrong because the molly is acting this way
I use GE dual filtration for my filtered water and I also run carbon

Clean up crew and macro algae is doing fine


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## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

Was the fish transitioned extremely slowly to the higher salinity you are running?


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## Es345 (Jan 27, 2015)

Yes, when she arrived the salinity in the bag was the same as it was in my tank and the seller had acclimated her to saltwater the day before. She also seems more active at night; normally I acclimate mollies to saltwater overnight and I haven't had problems with that, so I would think that a few days in saltwater during shipping and being acclimated for a day before wouldn't have any ill effects


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## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

Did you only get the one molly? All the times you have brought mollies up in salinity before had no ill effects? When I have converted mollies to full salt they would still exhibit standard foraging behavior and would come out as a normal moly would. but I would acclimate them in another QT tank like any other fish,or even a bucket with a sponge filter. Sounds to me there is something wrong with the fish. How long hhas the tank been without fish, a tank that has had issues such as protozoa needs to run fallow for some time before it is safe for more fish,at least 2 weeks but many people will wait 4. Or it could be the molly itself is ill, doesn't sound like standard molly behavior. They do not like high flow so you can turn that down but the breathing problem leads me to believe there os either something in the the water,but that would effect the invertebrates too, or the fishes gills are compromised.


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## Es345 (Jan 27, 2015)

If something were in the water I would expect the delicate inverts to go first, like the hermit crabs, they've been growing like crazy and changing shells like healthy crabs do; then the snails had been growing like crazy, and so has the macro algae, and even coralline; coralline won't grow in a toxic tank, and the fish comes out when the flow is off, so I'm guessing she's weak from her trip, she is the first fish in the tank but I used some water from my other fowlr to start this ones cycle as well as the live rock; but then the tank had been fallow for three months. Hmm. Yes I've done it's before without ill effects with a molly that actually survived a few tank crashes without being too affected, and I've had mollies for years, this just doesn't seem normal


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## badxgillen (Aug 20, 2010)

I actually said I was leaning away from toxin in the water, in fact I made a comment that I did not think it was, since your snails and crabs were fine, when I said that it would effect you inverts too so it may be an issue with the gills.I also made the comment that it is not normal molly behavior so it very well could just be the molly itself. I have many mollies myself and have had them in salt several times so that is my diagnosis.Now that you mention that it has been fallow for 3 months that eliminates the fact that there could be a illness in the tank but it does not rule out the new fish itself,just saying...Sounds like we are in agreement to an extent as in the original post you asked about any possibilities, these are possibilities


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## Es345 (Jan 27, 2015)

Sorry yes thanks for your help


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