Molly with droopy tail. Tb??

[Avictory2896]

My Molly has been sick for awhile the water has been fine till today. Did a 50% water change to make it better used prime also more than normal. It started with a droopy tail now it has white fungus looking stuff around it's eyes and not acting normal at all not eating as much and tail is very thin. It is scratching really bad though so maybe not tb.. I'm just nervous I have a 2yo daughter..

 

[Byron]

It is likely something other than fish TB. Mollies are very sensitive and delicate fish, requiring specific water parameters and conditions. From what you say, I am more inclined to suspect the water may not be hard enough, or it might have been ammonia/nitrite.

Can you give us the hardness (GH = general or total hardness) and the pH of your tap water?

And, do you have a test for ammonia and nitrite and nitrate, and if yes, what are the numbers?

Is this a new tank set-up, or established and cycled?

 

[Avictory2896]

They're high I know that much but even before it was it was doing this. We have hard water in ohio. It's also very alkaline. My levels are in the danger zone getting brought down slowly I've been doing water changes etc. Using prime by seachem. But that does not explain why it's been doing this even when the water was good. I don't have exact number but can say it's not good I can't seem to bring it down..It's at the end of the cycle I think that's what it means.

 

[Byron]

They're high I know that much but even before it was it was doing this. We have hard water in ohio. It's also very alkaline. My levels are in the danger zone getting brought down slowly I've been doing water changes etc. Using prime by seachem. But that does not explain why it's been doing this even when the water was good. I don't have exact number but can say it's not good I can't seem to bring it down..It's at the end of the cycle I think that's what it means.

Can you please explain what you mean by numbers being in the danger zone? Ammonia, nitrite or nitrate perhaps? And we must have the actual number from your test (if it has one...are you using strips or a liquid test?

I still think this is a water issue. I will assume the GH is in the moderate hard or harder range--though it really would help to know exactly what, these things are critical to fish; check your water authority's website, many will post this data, or you can call them. We need the number and their unit of measurement (mg/l. ppm, dH or whatever) so we can understand it. If you have a pH test, what is it showing?

Ammonia or nitrite or both seem likely here, if those "danger zone" referred to either of these. And mollies simply cannot tolerate ammonia or nitrite, much more than some other fish that might live through it. But regardless, these toxins are poisonous and the damage is still with the fish whether they live through it or not.

 

[Colin_T]

If the water is hard and alkaline and there is ammonia in the water, the fish will be very unhappy and producing excess mucous (creamy to white patching) to try and reduce the damage the ammonia is doing to its skin. Alternatively the fish has a protozoan infection and is producing excess mucous (cloudy white patches) to try to heal the infection.

Scratching/ rubbing on objects can be caused by a parasitic infection (protozoans) or skin irritation, (ammonia in alkaline water).

The quickest way to dilute ammonia, nitrite or nitrate levels in the tank is to do 50-90% water changes, and gravel clean the tank at the same time. Just make sure any new water going into the tank is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the aquarium. Make the water up in a clean fish only bucket, add dechlorinator and aerate well for at least a couple of minutes (preferably 24hours or longer) before you add the water to the tank.

What other fish are in the tank?

You can add 1 heaped tablespoon or rock or swimming pool salt for every 20litres of aquarium water. Mollies love salt and this level will not affect the fish but will kill many parasites in the water.

to work out the volume of water,
measure length x width x height in cm,
divide by 1000,
= volume in litres.

When you measure the height, measure from the top of the gravel/ substrate, to the top of the water level.

 

[Avictory2896]

I've had salt in my tank for the Molly. I did a 75 percent change last night water clearing up have airstone etc. Water very hard and alkaline. I'm using strips for now. The last one read in between 5 and 10 for nitrites and around 80 to 160 nitrate these strips are crap but at least give me a good estimate till i can get the liquid. But i haven't checked since doing the water change as I have a baby to care for and a job. But the fish are starting to perk up the cloudiness on eyes looks like it's starting to come off. I'll get a more accurate new reading when i get home. Alkalinity also is usually in between 180 to 300. hardness around 150. Ph usually 7.8 to 8.4. Sorry for seeming like I'm rambling...

 

[Avictory2896]

Also this tank is no longer my tank it's the quarantine tank for now. Just a molly, bristle nose pleco, and tiny bala shark, they were the fish seeming to be stressed so I put them in the tank alone it's a 29 gallon. With no gravel right now because I didn't want ich hiding in gravel. My tank they will go in have my other fish in it already it's a 120 gallon.

 

[Avictory2896]

Also I use extra prime by seachem to fight the chemicals and the ammonia and nitrites.

 

[Colin_T]

don't worry too much about the nitrate reading because nitrate test kits also pick up nitrite and read it as nitrate

 

[Avictory2896]

Okay I cycled with fish and I've heard when things start to spike it means it's almost cycled. Is that true?

 

[Colin_T]

as fish food and waste breaks down in the water it produces ammonia. Over time you get different bacteria that eat the ammonia and convert it into nitrite. A few weeks after that you get more bacteria that eats the nitrite and converts it into nitrate.

If you have a nitrite reading then it means the first group of bacteria is building up and living in the filter and tank.

When there is no ammonia at all but you do have a nitrite reading, that means the first lot of bacteria have fully established, and generally within 2 weeks of that the filters will be ready (cycled).

When the nitrite levels go up and then start to come down without water changes, then the second group of bacteria are developing and the filter is nearly ready.

 

[Avictory2896]

Thank you very much. Still learning this is my first time taking care of these alone. I've had a big tank before but always had help. Since its a smaller tank it get dirty easy. But my big tank is doing well still cycling. Starting to get nitrites doing a water change later today.

 

[Byron]

Salt has been mentioned. While this will not harm mollies, it will negatively affect other freshwater fish to varying degrees when used long-term. Salt used as a short-term medication for ich is a very different matter. You mention a pleco and bala shark...salt can burn and kill these fish, not to mention the internal problems it causes first.

 

[Avictory2896]

Was used to treat ich. Monday will be 2 weeks. Spots are gone. But I've already done a 75 percent water change and got the salt out. Also went and bought a water test kit. Had this tank a month now and results are Nitrite: 0ppm Nitrate: 5ppm ammonia: .25ppm

 

[Avictory2896]

Is that good? The strips told me everything was at a dangerous level after a water change etc I just got this kit and that's the results does that mean the tank is cycled ?