Shimmies

[Bex]

One of my mollies seems to have shimmies, he is staying in 1 spot and just wiggling from side to side. ALl ater stats fine - ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates 10, pH 7.2. temp 80.

Can't add salt as have plecs. Just done a big water change.

Would a salt bath help?

 

[WILDER]

No salt in the tank with a plec it will burn and irratate his skin.
http/www.waterlife.co.uk/waterlife/treat16.htm

http/www.fishtanksandponds.info/care-mai...h/shimmying.htm

 

[Bex]

Hi Wilder

Can't get a hospital tank until the weekend and I know salt is bad for plecs. The link suggests using protozyn and then myxazin, could I do this on the whole tank? Have had to use quite a lot of meds recently and a bit worried about over doing it?

 

[Annastasia]

Salt is definitely the best way to cure it. Is there anything else you could put him in? Do you have an extra heater/filter?

 

[Bex]

We don't have anything we could have put him in so tried a salt bath to see if it would help until we could get something, but unfortunately he died this morning. I think it was fairly advanced. Also, he was one of the fish that went through the original cycle (didn't know about fishless cycling at the time).

Is shimmies contagious? Only found him this morning but he hadn't been nibbled on by anyone, but no time to do any water changes or tests before having to go to work.

I feel bad as it's our fault really. Didn't know mollies needed salt until well after we'd bought them and LFS didn't say so, and wouldn't take them back. Now realise the benefits of a hospital tank which we are getting this weekend.

 

[millym]

sorry to hear about your fish. you can get really cheap little tanks from big pet shops like pets@home. we got a little 1ftX1/2 ft acrylic one from there & im sure it was only about £10. we run an airline with airstone from our big airpump when needed in the hosp tank & the rest of the time i just put the extra airstone in our big tank.

 

[Bex]

sorry to hear about your fish. you can get really cheap little tanks from big pet shops like pets@home. we got a little 1ftX1/2 ft acrylic one from there & im sure it was only about £10. we run an airline with airstone from our big airpump when needed in the hosp tank & the rest of the time i just put the extra airstone in our big tank.

What about a heater and filter? Did you get those separately or did they come with it?

 

[WILDER]

Bex i think you can buy them with heaters and filters in them, good luck.

 

[Bex]

Bex i think you can buy them with heaters and filters in them, good luck.

Thanks Wilder, definitely going to get one this weekend as don't want to lose anyone else because I can't isolate. Thanks for all your advice again!

 

[WILDER]

Good luck, bex.