I Don't Know What It Can Be

[Sam Takel]

I'm still a bit new to the tropical fish keeping but I need to pick your brains and see if you know what this is?? I bought two sailfin mollies on Thursday, 1 male 1 female and he female who is a white and yellow looks like her scale are flaking on the back of her neck. I have just got home and the male is rubbing himself against the filter. What do you think this can be??? What treatment shall I use??

 

[GRJ]

It could be whitespot/ich. If you look closely at the fish, do they have what looks like salt grains on the fins and body? If so, that will explain the flicking and rubbing. You then need to get some whitespot treatment, such as Interpet No6, crank your heater up to around 80 degrees and follow the treatment instructions. Remember to take out any carbon media in your filter as this will affect the medication. When i had an outbreak in my tank, i did 3 full cycles of treatment as this parasite can get into your substrate and continue to infect your fish. The reason forthe higher temp is to speed up the life cycle of the parasite, so that it gets into its free swimming stage which is where it can be treated, as while it is attached to the fish, it is very resistant. You may also ned to increase the oxygen in the tank by the use of an air pump as medication tends to affect the oxygen uptake. GRJ

 

[rabbut]

looks like her scale are flaking on the back of her neck. I have just got home and the male is rubbing himself against the filter.

Are the scales on the fish raised? Other than the flaking scales and flicking, are their any other symptoms. Also, could you give water stats? The flicking or rubbing may be poor water quality or paracites. The scale problem may be droppsy, but I cannot tell for shure without mare information. If it is droppsy, poor water quality could again be an influencing factor. Do you know if the tank is cycled? The water stats would help to eliminate or confirm water quailty as an issue. Please can you post the stats as numbers, rather than just, "they are ok" as different peoples of OK vvary greatly.

Kind Regards
rabbut

EDIT: I forgot to say hello and welcome How rude of me So anywhay....... to TFF, hope you find use useful!! Happy browsing

 

[Sam Takel]

Thanks for your quick replies, the scales aren't raised or red and they have no white spots anywhere on the thier bodies. I will get the stats for you, but I think I will no a water change and also treat the tank for white spot. Do you guys know any white spot treatments that don't turn everything blue, as I don't really want to take any of their hiding places out as I think this will upset them all.

 

[GRJ]

Thanks for your quick replies, the scales aren't raised or red and they have no white spots anywhere on the thier bodies. I will get the stats for you, but I think I will no a water change and also treat the tank for white spot. Do you guys know any white spot treatments that don't turn everything blue, as I don't really want to take any of their hiding places out as I think this will upset them all.

The Interpet No6 treatment will turn the water blue for around an hour but doesnt stain anything in the tank, well it didnt in mine. You really do need to know what your water stats are, as Rabbut said, poor water quality can lead to all sorts of problems with infections ect due to the fish having a suppressed immune systems. Saying this, i dont recommend treating the fish for whitespot unless you are positive that is what it is. You may be better off trying something called Melafix or Interpet do something called Liquisil, which is like a bacterial treatment. GRJ