Fat Molly.

[lrwells]

My Marble Molly has been in a tank with only female Mollies for over a year, so I know she's not pregnant. Less than a week ago her sister Molly died with no apparent signs of prior distress or disease. I think she may have died of natural causes. Anyway, a few days later I bought a new Black Molly so my two remaining Mollies wouldn't feel so lonely. Recently, my remaining Marble was acting distressed (clamped fins and partial rolling) but the other Mollies, including the new one, brushed up against her and kept her from rolling. They didn't harrass her or nip at her, as I've seen Mollies in the past do. These two actually helped keep her from going into that dormant state where the result is usually death. Anyway, she pulled through and seems to be doing fine. No more rolling and fins are flared out nice and proud. Her scales look clean and her color is good. However, today she's quite a bit fatter than usual, as if she's eaten allot. It's been twenty four hours since I fed her, so she should be slimmed down like the other Mollies. She actually looks the way a pregnant Molly does. I have seen her poop, but only after I upset her when I put her in a quarentine tank, and what was in the poop looked green, like algea. I know fish can get constipated so I tried to feed her some pea mush. She's not interested. She's not interested in regular food either. I hope this is just constipation she's working through, but does anyone know of anything else that might be wrong with her? I don't want to lose another Molly because of ignorance.
PS. I think she's about a year old.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

The obvious question, ( & I think you know it) are the scales flared??

 

[lrwells]

I had to take a very close look. They seem to be a little flared near her tail, but not over her bulging body.

 

[WILDER]

Size of tank in gallons or litres.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Wonder if she been eating algae as livebearers love it.
All you can do really is epson salt baths to help draw the fluid out.
Issolate and try a bacterial med.
I would introduce some frozen foods like daphnia which helps the fish digest its food, brimstrimp and some veg.

 

[lrwells]

It's a ten gallon tank. Six fish. Three Mollies, one female betta, one corycat, and a placo. No tensions between the female betta and the Mollies. The Mollies do eat the algea. I've definitely seen them having a slimey salad from the tank furniture.
Ammonia-0. Nitrite-0. Nirate-between 0-20. I use the strips to test for nitrite and nitrate but I use the kit for Ammonia.
Your advice is very appreciated. I will try what you recommended. I hope she's just constipated.
Oh, I do use Sea Salt in the ten gallon. I add the recommended amount on the API Aquarium Salt box. Is it the same as the Epsom salt? Should I add a little more salt than the recommmended amount to my quarentine tank? It's a one gallon so I have 1/2 teaspoon of API Sea Salt salt in it.

 

[WILDER]

You can only use abit of salt with corys and plecs.
I would go to the chemist and buy some epson salts.
If you can issolate try a bacterial med.
Once fish stop eating not good news.

I would do some water changes to dilute the salt down with having corys and plec.

 

[lrwells]

Thank you so much for your help and advice. I very much appreciate it.

 

[WILDER]

Good Luck.
Keep Us all updated on the fish progress.