Signs of Recovery

After yet another 50 percent water change yesterday (second change that day) the ammonia came in slightly above .50 ppm. That was very frustrating. The water quality is getting better but not fast enough for my patience, or Patrick’s for that matter. 

Ironically I think our molly was suffering from something in addition to ammonia poisoning. I hadn’t fed him yet. Oh, and I recently confirmed that it is a “he” thanks to some helpful aquatic forums. Anyway I suppose that with all this concern about ammonia I had forgotten about his food. So before went to sleep last night we sprinkled a very minute helping of tropical fish flakes. To avoid overfeeding is a top priority or another upsurge in ammonia will befall our fragile maritime habitat.

For a brief moment our molly seemed to regain a former strength at the sight of food. He began darting around, chasing every flake like it was manna from heaven. I panicked however when he suddenly went still and sank to the gravel bed. I thought he had exhausted the very last of his energy in a feeding frenzy. But then at the sight of a fish flake before his eyes, he sprang back to life to resume his banquet. I think and hope he just needed a short respite from the excitement.

This morning Patrick’s molly seemed slightly more active than usual. But his fins are still wilted. We tested the water and it came in at a solid .50 ppm. While that is still toxic to fish the fact that it didn’t change from last night is a hopeful sign that I we didn’t overfeed. 

So we did another 50 percent water change which resulted in what I think are fantastic results. After this change the ammonia level dropped to .25 ppm. If you remember, that was the same amount that is already in tap water. This is also the lowest reading above 0 ppm on our test kit. I feel that if we can stabilize the water here, we should see the ammonia level be completely eliminated by the bacteria very soon. And that will mean we can add more fish.

A question nagging me now is, “will our molly recover?” As I said, his fins are still wilted and haven’t yet shown any sign of perking up. I will do some research on the matter. At the same time I am thankful Patrick and I have reached the point of this fish’s well-being, when just a few days ago we were wondering if he would survive at all.

On another note…

So far Patrick and I have had about 150 views on our little blog. That’s pretty inspiring I think. I hope you guys are enjoying it. If you have any suggestions we are all ears.

I am going to research some other fish tank blogs and forums and possibly add a few links as well. Perhaps our trials and tribulations can be of some use to others in the field.

P.S. I’m feeling auspicious; I think if the water level truly has stabilized we may add another small fish to the tank tomorrow. But we’ll see. 

Stephen DiJulius

Current Fish Count: 1