Fao Oldman47

[fluffycabbage]

hey thought i'd ask your advice on my molly problem - have you seen this before?

 

[OldMan47]

Sorry, I have not seen anything like that since I started back into the hobby about 7 years ago. When I was in the hobby 20 years ago I had all kinds of troubles and don't doubt that things looking like that were present. At that time I really didn't understand the importance of regular water changes so I didn't do them. This time around I am enjoying far better results with my tanks.

 

[fluffycabbage]

thanks - its actually developed into whitespot (but theres also a bacterial infection rife too, so could be that ). either way treatment is being given now

 

[OldMan47]

If I was any good at diagnosis, I would say that your picture was one of a fish with a columnaris problem but I simply do not trust my own diagnosis. Have you tried posting in the tropical emergencies section where people more knowledgeable about fish diseases than I am hang out?

 

[fluffycabbage]

yep ive been discussing it with wilder. its assumed that ive had an outbreak of columnaris, as my betta, 2 tetras, and a panda cory have died recently. i have been treating both black mollies for an unknown infection, and after a month in the hospital tank they came out. but then mrs molly came out in these spots the day after transferring her, so she is now in the smaller tank with the tetras in brackish water with meds. (all 4 dead fish were from that tank)

see how it goes eh

 

[OldMan47]

Let me wish you and your fish all the best. Wilder is a very competent person with diseases and I am the first to admit that I simply am not.

 

[Bettawhisperer]

Looks like a very bad case of ich to me.

Symptoms:
Small white spots resembling sand

Fish scratch against rocks and gravel

In advanced stages fish become lethargic

Redness or bloody streaks in advanced stages

Infected fish are covered to various degrees with small white spots. Severe infestations are easy to spot, but small occurrences often go unnoticed. However, ich won't remain unnoticed for long. Like a bad penny, it will be back with a vengeance.


The adult parasite burrows into the skin of its victim, feeding on blood and dead epithelial cells. The irritation caused by the burrowing parasite causes the skin of the fish to swell and produce white cysts seen as a small spots.

This is one reason why I don't keep Black mollies in my community tanks. They are very suseptable to the ich.

 

[OldMan47]

The pictures are definitely not ich Bettawhisperer. I am not a diagnostician by my own admission but I know ich when I see it. This is not an ich infestation. It is either a columnaris problem or one that our disease experts are best suited to diagnose and deal with.

 

[fluffycabbage]

nope its not ich, or rather wasnt at the point of posting the above pic. the discolouration is blueish, and in the scales' colouring. its not a parasite on the scales. but yesterday ich spots did arrive