Molly acting like a ballerina in front of tiger barbs

[guppypups]

So I have a new group of mollies and they are a pretty sad and sickly bunch (see my post in fish emergencies)

One of them has an odd habit none of the others exhibit.
He/she spins like a ballerina whenever a tiger barb is close. When I say that I mean, tail straight down, nose straight up, and spin like a pirouette!
At first I thought he/she may be acting that way because tiger barbs can be nippers and this way they can't catch his fins, but he/she seems to actively seek out the tiger barb sometimes before pirouetting, swimming up and hovering close by until the tiger barb turns towards him/her.

It's very odd, I don't think its a disease because he/she only ever does it occasionally and always in views of a tiger barb.

Any ideas of what is going on???

 

[Byron]

I commented on this inappropriate combination of fish in your other thread on the molly problem. This behaviour is not good, it is the sign of an internal problem, but I would only be fguessing at what it might be. Several diseases can cause this whirling out of control. See more in the earlier thread.

 

[Colin_T]

He/she spins like a ballerina whenever a tiger barb is close. When I say that I mean, tail straight down, nose straight up, and spin like a pirouette!

This is usually caused by a bacterial or protozoan infection in the brain. Adding salt can sometimes help.

Add 2 heaped tablespoons of rock salt, sea salt, or swimming pool salt for every 20 litres of tank water. Keep the salt in the tank for 2 weeks and see if it helps.
If you do water changes while using salt, add salt to the new water before adding it to the tank so the salinity (salt level) in the tank remains constant.

 

[Salty&Onion]

This is usually caused by a bacterial or protozoan infection in the brain. Adding salt can sometimes help.

I thought this was shimmies... My mollies do that and rocking from side to side (shimmies).

 

[Colin_T]

Shimmies is where the fish looks like it is swimming but it doesn't go anywhere.

Fish that spin or spiral through the water have something bad in the brain.

 

[Salty&Onion]

Fish that spin or spiral through the water have something bad in the brain.

I did not know that for sure. My mollies usually stand up and don't spin and they just shake a little.