Help please

[fishdad34]

I had a fish that had trouble swimming. When she passed it seem like my other fish got what she had.
both of their symptoms are trouble keeping afloat and breathing fast. She is not eating much. I think it's a parasite that passed on when the other fish died.

I don't know what i should do. Any help would be appreciated. i try to keep nitrates below 20 so water is good.
it's a dalmatian molly about 3 inches.

 

[Reefer Matt]

#fishmedic

 

[SlugSnorter]

I had a fish that had trouble swimming. When she passed it seem like my other fish got what she had.
both of their symptoms are trouble keeping afloat and breathing fast. She is not eating much. I think it's a parasite that passed on when the other fish died.

I don't know what i should do. Any help would be appreciated. i try to keep nitrates below 20 so water is good.
it's a dalmatian molly about 3 inches.

Params? salinity? tank age? pics?

 

[Sharkbait19]

Welcome to the forum - sorry it’s under these circumstances.
Try to post pictures - it would help to diagnose better.
Did anything look off with the fish, or was it only behavioral symptoms that you noticed? Any white stringy poop? White spots?
What are your other param readings (specifically ammonia and salinity)?
You mentioned it’s a molly, is this in fresh or saltwater? If salt, how was it acclimated?

 

[fishdad34]

Welcome to the forum - sorry it’s under these circumstances.
Try to post pictures - it would help to diagnose better.
Did anything look off with the fish, or was it only behavioral symptoms that you noticed? Any white stringy poop? White spots?
What are your other param readings (specifically ammonia and salinity)?
You mentioned it’s a molly, is this in fresh or saltwater? If salt, how was it acclimated?

no ammonia, is this for salt water tanks only? i didn't know if so. it's fresh. i added salt about 1 tablespoon for every 5 gallons, it's a sick tank 10 gallons. i tried general cure and that didnt help.

if this is the wrong forum, do you know one for freshwater.

 

[fishdad34]

Params? salinity? tank age? pics?

0 ammonia, don't know salinity, 3 years

 

[Sharkbait19]

Don’t worry about salinity - that’s more important for saltwater tanks (freshwater just needs to be kept at 0 unless treating for certain diseases like ich).
Do you happen to know the pH of the tank? Mollies naturally come from high pH conditions (many even live in saltwater), and though captive breeding increases their tolerance, too far off the mark can be a problem.
Surface agitation is also important, as it provides oxygen for the fish to breathe. Lying on the bottom gasping could be due to low O2, which can be corrected by adding an airstone (connected to an air pump).
I’ve also found Dalmatian mollies to be rather sickly IME, slowly wasting away in tanks. Lots of inbreeding to create the fancy colors does that to a lot of livebearers.
Is this issue affecting various species or just the mollies?
General cure should knock out most parasites, but there are a few that it won’t take care of. Keep an eye out for white stringy poop and worms protruding out the anus. If the fish dies, watch for a worm exiting like so:

 

[fishdad34]

Don’t worry about salinity - that’s more important for saltwater tanks (freshwater just needs to be kept at 0 unless treating for certain diseases like ich).
Do you happen to know the pH of the tank? Mollies naturally come from high pH conditions (many even live in saltwater), and though captive breeding increases their tolerance, too far off the mark can be a problem.
Surface agitation is also important, as it provides oxygen for the fish to breathe. Lying on the bottom gasping could be due to low O2, which can be corrected by adding an airstone (connected to an air pump).
I’ve also found Dalmatian mollies to be rather sickly IME, slowly wasting away in tanks. Lots of inbreeding to create the fancy colors does that to a lot of livebearers.
Is this issue affecting various species or just the mollies?
General cure should knock out most parasites, but there are a few that it won’t take care of. Keep an eye out for white stringy poop and worms protruding out the anus. If the fish dies, watch for a worm exiting like so:

ph is about 7.8 to 8 i think, i'll add a airstone. i havent seen her poop so can't say on that.

 

[Sharkbait19]

pH is good for them.
Tbh, I’d guess it’s due to either mollies just not being very hardy, or potentially mycobacterium (which isn’t super common but does frequently affect livebearers).

 

[fishdad34]

pH is good for them.
Tbh, I’d guess it’s due to either mollies just not being very hardy, or potentially mycobacterium (which isn’t super common but does frequently affect livebearers).

what kind of action should i do if it's mycobacterium?

 

[Sharkbait19]

The problem with myco is that there really isn’t anything that can be done about it. There is no cure to the disease, so the easiest way to end it is euthanizing all fish and bleaching everything. Pretty much the worst case scenario with fish. I don’t think that is currently what is wrong with the molly, just something to be aware of.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I had a fish that had trouble swimming. When she passed it seem like my other fish got what she had.
both of their symptoms are trouble keeping afloat and breathing fast. She is not eating much. I think it's a parasite that passed on when the other fish died.

I don't know what i should do. Any help would be appreciated. i try to keep nitrates below 20 so water is good.
it's a dalmatian molly about 3 inches.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

In this case, a short video might also help us diagnose things (linking to You Tube works well).

Jay

 

[fishdad34]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

In this case, a short video might also help us diagnose things (linking to You Tube works well).

Jay

i try to get a video of her when she is moving. right now she is just laying at the bottom. it's hard for her to swim seems like she's too heavy and sinks.

 

[fishdad34]

The problem with myco is that there really isn’t anything that can be done about it. There is no cure to the disease, so the easiest way to end it is euthanizing all fish and bleaching everything. Pretty much the worst case scenario with fish. I don’t think that is currently what is wrong with the molly, just something to be aware of.

alright, hopefully it isn't that then. i just don't know what to do. i want to know what meds i should try. i don't have a fish vet near me either or i would go that route.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sounds like a bouyancy issue or fish going moribund but as requested pics and videos under white light will best determine what is going on

 

[MnFish1]

I wish there was a way to totally ask people to answer the questions. 1. Sorry about your fish. 2. No clue. Please click the link - and answer the questions if you would. HOW TO ASK FOR DISEASE DIAGNOSIS HELP LINK

 

[fishdad34]

sry new to this.
It's a Quarantine tank
10 gallons
AquaClear HOB Power Filter, 5 to 20 gallons
led flood light 40w (temporary)
tank has been setup about 4 months

temp: 77-78 degrees
pH: 7.8
Salinity / specific gravity: n/a
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 15
Phosphorus: n/a
Copper: n/a
I lost one fish to this problem. fish is not eating at this time.
I've tried 1 tablespoon salt per 2 gallons for 10 gallons and i also tried general cure.

trying to attach video but i think file is too big.

 

[Sharkbait19]

The forum is finicky with videos. It works best when linked as a YouTube video.

 

[fishdad34]

hope this helps. let me know if u need a longer video or something

 

[Jay Hemdal]

hope this helps. let me know if u need a longer video or something

It looks like it has end stage freshwater ick. That is VERY difficult to ID on Dalmatian mollies due to their black and white color, but I think that's what it is.

Sorry, but I don't think you will be able to start a cure fast enough to save it. If you want to try, you need to bring the salt level up to 4 parts per thousand. The amount to add is 0.39 pounds per ten gallons. Do this is two additions, a few hours apart. You need to know exactly how much water your tank holds. At the same time, you need to start a freshwater ich medication. There are a lot of junk products out there, so see if your pet store has any good ones they recommend. Ich Guard is one that works.

Jay