Need help with ID of parasite? fungus? bacteria? on my fish

[Runningfanatic]

Background: 9 month old nano tank (being used as a qt tank, but like it to look nice as well). Live rock with mushrooms, and pair of black mollies in it from the beginning. Two months ago I added a firefish, yellow wrasse, turbo snail and astrea snail. The yellow wrasse and the astea snail did not survive a week. Not sure why. Was planning to hold firefish in this tank for at least another month or so before adding to my main tank. Everything seemed to be going well. Noticed a few days ago that my female black molly has one white "spot" on her side. Also seems like the area around her anus is also white. She seems to be acting and eating normally. I put her into a breeding net inside the tank so that the male would leave her alone for a bit, and she can rest. The male molly and the firefish appear to be fine.

I went through the Humble Fish listing of all possibilities. Nothing I've read seems to cover this. Does anyone have any idea what this could be and then how to treat?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Background: 9 month old nano tank (being used as a qt tank, but like it to look nice as well). Live rock with mushrooms, and pair of black mollies in it from the beginning. Two months ago I added a firefish, yellow wrasse, turbo snail and astrea snail. The yellow wrasse and the astea snail did not survive a week. Not sure why. Was planning to hold firefish in this tank for at least another month or so before adding to my main tank. Everything seemed to be going well. Noticed a few days ago that my female black molly has one white "spot" on her side. Also seems like the area around her anus is also white. She seems to be acting and eating normally. I put her into a breeding net inside the tank so that the male would leave her alone for a bit, and she can rest. The male molly and the firefish appear to be fine.

I went through the Humble Fish listing of all possibilities. Nothing I've read seems to cover this. Does anyone have any idea what this could be and then how to treat?

Looks like a very pregnant female with either injury or so bloated. You try either epsom salt at one teaspoon per 10 gallons or maracyn 2 to prevent bacterial issue or keep an eye on it to assure it doesnt worsen.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Background: 9 month old nano tank (being used as a qt tank, but like it to look nice as well). Live rock with mushrooms, and pair of black mollies in it from the beginning. Two months ago I added a firefish, yellow wrasse, turbo snail and astrea snail. The yellow wrasse and the astea snail did not survive a week. Not sure why. Was planning to hold firefish in this tank for at least another month or so before adding to my main tank. Everything seemed to be going well. Noticed a few days ago that my female black molly has one white "spot" on her side. Also seems like the area around her anus is also white. She seems to be acting and eating normally. I put her into a breeding net inside the tank so that the male would leave her alone for a bit, and she can rest. The male molly and the firefish appear to be fine.

I went through the Humble Fish listing of all possibilities. Nothing I've read seems to cover this. Does anyone have any idea what this could be and then how to treat?

Sorry, the Molly has severe ascites, either from kidney or liver failure, or possibly from dead babies that weren’t released. There isn’t any treatment for this. The fish is having difficulty moving, you should consider euthanasia.

Jay

 

[Runningfanatic]

Update... My firefish ventured out tonight. I took a quick look at him before he ran back to his cave. Looks like he has two spots on his tail. I'm assuming he must have brought something into the tank. I'm just not sure what.

I had wondered about the female Molly for a while. Just wasn't sure what to do about her. How do you recommend I euthanize her?

 

[Runningfanatic]

Sorry, the Molly has severe ascites, either from kidney or liver failure, or possibly from dead babies that weren’t released. There isn’t any treatment for this. The fish is having difficulty moving, you should consider euthanasia.

Jay

Thank you for your advice. Please see my updated post.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thank you for your advice. Please see my updated post.

Ah, yes, that can be an issue - fish have more than one issue at a time. I had thought perhaps the white spots on the molly were due to the belly issue, are the spots on the firefish the same?

I figure getting a picture of the spots on the firefish is going to be impossible - can you try describing them? Size, location, are they raised up?

In terms of euthanizing the molly, if it comes to that, here is some information I wrote on the topic:

Clove oil (eugenol)
One product that aquarists can buy that is approved by at least some veterinarians and research biologists is clove oil, also called eugenol. A dose of 50 mg/l is usually sufficient in euthanizing fish. This equates to about 0.20 ml of eugenol in one gallon of aquarium water.

Because eugenol does not mix well with water, and because larger volumes are easier for hobbyists to measure out, it can be dosed using the following method:

1) Add 2 ml of eugenol to 100 ml of tank water in a sealed container and shake it vigorously.

2) Add 10 ml of this suspended solution to each gallon of water needed to euthanize the fish.

3) Place the fish in this solution and keep it covered to prevent it from jumping out and to help keep it calm.

4) Wait at least twenty minutes after it stops breathing, and then remove the fish from the solution and freeze it for later disposal.

Other methods
A variety of other methods have been proposed for the euthanasia of fishes, but none are fully accepted by veterinary experts. Still, home aquarists need more common tools to use, so those methods are listed here in roughly descending order of suitability:

Ethanol
Regular alcohol at a dose of 25 ml per liter will cause respiratory collapse and death in fishes within 30 minutes. The trouble is that alcohol is not available in pure form unless it has been “denatured” by the addition of distasteful chemicals such as turpentine. Vodka is about 40% alcohol by volume, so using it 62 ml per liter will give an effective dose.

Decapitation/pithing
Cutting a fish’s spinal cord, right behind the head, is a quick method of euthanasia that is approved for use in food fishes (where the use of chemicals would otherwise make the flesh unfit to eat). The issue is really that the method is distasteful for most people to do, so it is rarely used by aquarists. However, it is quick and effective.

Freezing
Placing the affected fish in a small amount of aquarium water in a sealed container and then placing the container in a freezer is a euthanasia technique used by some people. However, it is slow to work, so it is not considered humane. Its appeal as a method is that the fish is “out of sight” so people feel more detached from the process.

An option of last resort
The animals in your aquariums are completely reliant on you for proper care. It is your responsibility to see to it that their lives in captivity are humane as possible and that all of their needs are met. If you cannot meet their needs, please find someone who is more able. Euthanasia should be considered only for health reasons, not because it is no longer convenient to care for an animal.


Jay

 

[Runningfanatic]

Ah, yes, that can be an issue - fish have more than one issue at a time. I had thought perhaps the white spots on the molly were due to the belly issue, are the spots on the firefish the same?

I figure getting a picture of the spots on the firefish is going to be impossible - can you try describing them? Size, location, are they raised up?

In terms of euthanizing the molly, if it comes to that, here is some information I wrote on the topic:

Clove oil (eugenol)
One product that aquarists can buy that is approved by at least some veterinarians and research biologists is clove oil, also called eugenol. A dose of 50 mg/l is usually sufficient in euthanizing fish. This equates to about 0.20 ml of eugenol in one gallon of aquarium water.

Because eugenol does not mix well with water, and because larger volumes are easier for hobbyists to measure out, it can be dosed using the following method:

1) Add 2 ml of eugenol to 100 ml of tank water in a sealed container and shake it vigorously.

2) Add 10 ml of this suspended solution to each gallon of water needed to euthanize the fish.

3) Place the fish in this solution and keep it covered to prevent it from jumping out and to help keep it calm.

4) Wait at least twenty minutes after it stops breathing, and then remove the fish from the solution and freeze it for later disposal.

Other methods
A variety of other methods have been proposed for the euthanasia of fishes, but none are fully accepted by veterinary experts. Still, home aquarists need more common tools to use, so those methods are listed here in roughly descending order of suitability:

Ethanol
Regular alcohol at a dose of 25 ml per liter will cause respiratory collapse and death in fishes within 30 minutes. The trouble is that alcohol is not available in pure form unless it has been “denatured” by the addition of distasteful chemicals such as turpentine. Vodka is about 40% alcohol by volume, so using it 62 ml per liter will give an effective dose.

Decapitation/pithing
Cutting a fish’s spinal cord, right behind the head, is a quick method of euthanasia that is approved for use in food fishes (where the use of chemicals would otherwise make the flesh unfit to eat). The issue is really that the method is distasteful for most people to do, so it is rarely used by aquarists. However, it is quick and effective.

Freezing
Placing the affected fish in a small amount of aquarium water in a sealed container and then placing the container in a freezer is a euthanasia technique used by some people. However, it is slow to work, so it is not considered humane. Its appeal as a method is that the fish is “out of sight” so people feel more detached from the process.

An option of last resort
The animals in your aquariums are completely reliant on you for proper care. It is your responsibility to see to it that their lives in captivity are humane as possible and that all of their needs are met. If you cannot meet their needs, please find someone who is more able. Euthanasia should be considered only for health reasons, not because it is no longer convenient to care for an animal.


Jay

Hi again. I was able to get a picture of my firefish. He seems to be ok after all. Must have been my eyes playing tricks on me earlier.

So going back to the molly, your recommendation is to go ahead and euthanize her? And should I be concerned about the white spot being something that could be contagious?
Thank you for all your advice.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hi again. I was able to get a picture of my firefish. He seems to be ok after all. Must have been my eyes playing tricks on me earlier.

So going back to the molly, your recommendation is to go ahead and euthanize her? And should I be concerned about the white spot being something that could be contagious?
Thank you for all your advice.

Is the Molly still eating? If so, then it may not be as sick as it looked. The male in the background above looks pretty good.
Jay

 

[Runningfanatic]

Is the Molly still eating? If so, then it may not be as sick as it looked. The male in the background above looks pretty good.
Jay

Yes, she eats everything I give her: pellets, brine shrimp, mysis, blood worms. She swims around fine too, esp when the male is after her...lol. I agree, she's extremely swollen. I assume she has fry that never were born, since she's been like this for months. Like I've mentioned before, I'm also concerned about the white spot on her side and if it could be considered contagious. There appears to be only one spot. I'm just not sure what, if anything, I should do.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yes, she eats everything I give her: pellets, brine shrimp, mysis, blood worms. She swims around fine too, esp when the male is after her...lol. I agree, she's extremely swollen. I assume she has fry that never were born, since she's been like this for months. Like I've mentioned before, I'm also concerned about the white spot on her side and if it could be considered contagious. There appears to be only one spot. I'm just not sure what, if anything, I should do.

There is a type of Molly called a balloon Molly that have deformed bellies, maybe this is one of those? As long as it’s eating good, I don’t think you need to euthanize it, the white spot could just be a missing scale,
Jay

 

[Runningfanatic]

There is a type of Molly called a balloon Molly that have deformed bellies, maybe this is one of those? As long as it’s eating good, I don’t think you need to euthanize it, the white spot could just be a missing scale,
Jay

Thank you for all your advice. I appreciate your time.

 

[MrGisonni]

 

[MrGisonni]

Looks like a pregnant balloon molly with nicked scale or slight fungal infection. Feed and monitor. Imho

 

[Runningfanatic]

This is helpful. Thank you!

 

[Runningfanatic]

Looks like a pregnant balloon molly with nicked scale or slight fungal infection. Feed and monitor. Imho

If it is a fungal infection, will it go away on its own?