molly with internal parasite, velvet, and fungus

[Mollyforever]

Hi
So I bought a black “gold dust” molly from petco a month ago and ever since I introduced her (name is Eva) to the tank I’ve been thinking that she may not be a gold dust molly but a black one with velvet.

When I first saw her she was in the tank with a bunch of gold panda mollies ALL MALE!!! Still she was not pregnant and I wanted to bring her to my tank with 4 mollies (1 male three female) so she wont be as harassed.

She has damanaged fins ( looks like they were nipped by other fish)
She hides from my other mollies but not all the time.
She eats but spits out food.
She has gold dust on our head and fins.
She is super skinny
Recently she lost a scale on one side of her head. That spot looks like it has a fungal infection. It looks white and fluffy.

I treated the whole tank with levamisole hcl and all the fish were pooping out dead callamanus worms (red) and some white clear stringy ones that wont fall off easily from the fish bums…

I did three sessions, and they seem to be better and healthier.

My concern is Eva. What to treat her first??

my water parameters are good except that gh and kg arent as high as theyre supposed to be. I clean out the tank every other day. temps around 82-84 with airstones

Help!

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

So we're probably talking a tank treatment here.
Sounds like you might've addressed any internal parasite.

Looking towards the possible velvet, although any fungus would also likely respond well to the same treatment.

Can you please provide the following info?
How big is the tank? What are the water parameters? ('Good' is a little vague).
What else is in the tank?
Do you use aquarium salt?

Thinking of medications as only a last resort, velvet can be treated by dimming the lighting and increasing the temperature.
Aquarium salt is a good cure-all and tonic and will restore lost electrolytes, helping fish heal and strengthening the immune system..

Good aeration is also invaluable.

 

[Mollyforever]

So we're probably talking a tank treatment here.
Sounds like you might've addressed any internal parasite.

Looking towards the possible velvet, although any fungus would also likely respond well to the same treatment.

Can you please provide the following info?
How big is the tank? What are the water parameters? ('Good' is a little vague).
What else is in the tank?
Do you use aquarium salt?

Thinking of medications as only a last resort, velvet can be treated by dimming the lighting and increasing the temperature.
Aquarium salt is a good cure-all and tonic and will restore lost electrolytes, helping fish heal and strengthening the immune system..

Good aeration is also invaluable.

My tank is currently 10 gallons but im cycling a 20 gallon tank so i could move them,
I just started using aquarium salt 1tbsp for three gallons. (Should i add salt to the 20g tank that im cycling? ) Im guessing fishless cycling will be done in 2 weeks, ive been using dr tim’s ammonia for cycling.

My 10 gallon tank is in blackout with more heat (84) and currently on second day of seachem paraguard. And i have aeration for the lack of oxygen due to increased heat and medication. I feed them once a day since the paraguard treatment.

Water parameters:
GH: 100mg/l
Nitrate and Nitrite level: 0
Cl2 is 0
KH is 80mg/l
Ph 7.2

I bought seachem alkaline buffer but im waiting until the treatment is done because i have no idea how raising ph would affect the fish during treatment.

 

[Mollyforever]

This is the only photo i got of her now but it only shows the white fluffy spot not the gold dust part

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

My tank is currently 10 gallons but im cycling a 20 gallon tank so i could move them,

I wouldn't move anything until treatment is complete, or you'll be moving the problems with the fish.

I just started using aquarium salt 1tbsp for three gallons. (Should i add salt to the 20g tank that im cycling? )

A minority will suggest that salt isn't a standard requirement and should only be used to treat illnesses and wounds, etc..
I beg to differ and see salt as a prevention that is better than a cure.
For some pro-salt videos;
Aquarium Coop
KGTropicals

My 10 gallon tank is in blackout with more heat (84) and currently on second day of seachem paraguard. And i have aeration for the lack of oxygen due to increased heat and medication. I feed them once a day since the paraguard treatment.

All good.
You can keep on increasing the temperature to 86-88℉.
Just do not take it to 90℉.

Don't be afraid to fast your fish for a couple of days.

 

[itiwhetu]

Please don't use pH buffering agents. They will just give you a headache

 

[Mollyforever]

Please don't use pH buffering agents. They will just give you a headache

Do you have personal experience using pH buffers? What happened??

 

[Mollyforever]

I wouldn't move anything until treatment is complete, or you'll be moving the problems with the fish.

A minority will suggest that salt isn't a standard requirement and should only be used to treat illnesses and wounds, etc..
I beg to differ and see salt as a prevention that is better than a cure.
For some pro-salt videos;
Aquarium Coop
KGTropicals

All good.
You can keep on increasing the temperature to 86-88℉.
Just do not take it to 90℉.

Don't be afraid to fast your fish for a couple of days.

Thank you! One more question… Should I give them breaks between different treatment? For example, when im done with paraguard, should i do a major water change and treat the tank with fungal infections? I have seen some fluffy white stuff in my tank sometimes…

 

[Mollyforever]

I beg to differ and see salt as a prevention that is better than a cure.

I have java moss and anubias nana in my 20 gallon tank. Should the salt affect my plants?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Can you get some clearer photos of the fish please?

It's not wise to be recommending different medications if we're literally taking shots in the dark. Need to be able to see the problem(s) and know for sure what you're attempting to treat.

Bear in mind that every medication does increase stress for the fish, so throwing in one after another, especially if you're not sure what you're treating, might make things worse rather than better. Increased stress = increased vulnerability to illness.

 

[Byron]

There is a major issue here that is most likely the source of the molly's state. The water is much too soft for mollies. A GH of 100 ppm (= 5 dH) is soft, almost very soft, water. Molliues must have harder water, no less than 12 dH (= 214 ppm). All liveberars need moderately hard to hard water, above 10 dH, but mollies need it harder, 12 dH or higher. In soft water they do not last long, and white fungus, closed or torn fins, shimmying, lying still are all symptoms.

There is no point in treating for any of these things unless you can provide hard water. I know you will say the other mollies re fine, but I can assure you they are not, and will end up like this one before long. No point in beating about the bush.

 

[Mollyforever]

There is no point in treating for any of these things unless you can provide hard water. I

Thank you so much for your comment!
I added crushed coral and wondershells but still i cant get the kh and gh up… Any ideas??

 

[Byron]

Thank you so much for your comment!
I added crushed coral and wondershells but still i cant get the kh and gh up… Any ideas??

The starting point is the GH, KH and pH of your source water, tap water presumably. You need to ascertain these numbers, then we will know how to proceed. Check the website of your water authority, it may give these numbers. Or call them and ask. The degree to which you would increase GH (and pH will follow) depends upon the starting point.

And are thre other fish besides the mollies, and if so, which species? Soft water fish will not do well in too hard water, it all depends upon the species.

 

[Mollyforever]

Can you get some clearer photos of the fish please?

So this is Eva…
Since i had to lure her out to take pics i fed them and thats what the white things are. I dont see any white spots looking like ich when I observe her closely for a long time

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

View attachment 143526View attachment 143528

So this is Eva…
Since i had to lure her out to take pics i fed them and thats what the white things are. I dont see any white spots looking like ich when I observe her closely for a long time

Doesn't look like velvet to me, looks like a gold dust molly colouration, just not a particularly prettily marked one (sorry! I don't mean that badly!)

But she does look ragged and emaciated, probably carrying a load of worms or something - not a healthy fish... Levamisole is great for treating roundworms like camallanus, but she may still have flatworms, or something else is causing the emaciated appearance. What have you been feeding?

Not to rag on you, I promise, but this is why we bang on about quarantining new fish! Not much point quarantining her now, since you'll need to treat the whole tank. But this fish is very thin and not likely to be very strong... In future, always quarantine! Especially livebearers. They're so often exposed to disease and carrying worms, and it's much easier to treat the new one(s) in quarantine rather than the whole tank.

Why is the tank on blackout with increased heat?

@emeraldking is our livebearer expert, hopefully he can offer more advice.

ETA: Sorry if any of this sounds harsh! Not meant to be, I'm bummed out about losing my dog, and I realise it's coming across in my posting, but genuinely trying to help! And no judgement either, I learned about quarantining the hard way too