Sick Molly

[hayz]

We've had many mollies, but they've all died over time, apart from the white one in this picture:

Yesterday, I found him (not sure if it's male or female, so I'll stick to male) sideways in a plant and I thought maybe he was stuck, so I helped him out. He swam around for a bit but was floating on his side and upside down just as the others had done before they died.
Before I went to bed last night, he was in another plant upside down so I thought I had better leave him to die before taking him out.

When I went to feed the fish this morning, he wasn't in the plant but was swimming around quite happily. I've been watching him over the day and he seems to have been ok, and hasn't been floating around like he was. One of the gouramis was bullying him a bit but this seemed to have stopped.

Do you think he'll be ok? I'll definately be keeping an eye on him...

 

[WILDER]

It could of been constipation as that can show the same sign as swim bladder, but if the other fish did that before they died they had a bacterial infection swim bladder desease, what do you feed your fish, and what are your water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.

Not the writer of this information below.
Swim Bladder Disorder



The Swim bladder is a gas-filled sac located inside the fish’s body cavity just above most of the other internal organs. This sac is what gives the fish buoyancy and controls equilibrium. The amount of gas in this sac changes as the fish rises and sinks in the water, enabling it to swim, hover and move in the water. Without the use of the Swim-bladder organ a fish is unable to control it's own movements.



Symptoms:

Fish with a swim bladder disorder appear to have an abnormal swimming pattern, usually with their tail end up. They also appear to have difficulty maintaining equilibrium. They may even float upside down or appear to be stuck at the surface of the water, being unable to swim down, or they may lie on the bottom, unable to rise. Fish with a swim bladder disorder will continue to try and feed, showing a normal appetite.



Cause:

The most common cause of swim bladder disorders is improper diet. An improper diet can lead to intestinal gas or intestinal blockages. Intestinal blockages can irritate the bowel, giving bacteria or other parasites an entry point where they can then cause damage to the swim bladder. Swim bladder disorders are most common in the larger, deep-bodied varieties of Goldfish. Fish also fed a lot of dried foods, especially pellets, are most susceptible. This condition is frequently observed in the later stages of Malawi Bloat, which is primarily due to an improper diet as well and intestinal irritation.



Treatment:

Because this disorder is due principally to an improper diet, a change in their feeding needs to be made. Dried foods with lots of protein should be kept to a minimum. Pellets and other dense foods should be soaked prior to feeding or completely eliminated from their diet. Foods with lots of fiber should be introduced, such as zucchini, squash, spinach, romaine lettuce, peas, and grated carrots. If you suspect that the fish is victim to a bacterial infection, treat the fish with a medicated food.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

How many gallons is the tank and how many and what types of fish do you have in it? Do you know if the mollys your local fish store sells you are brackish or freshwater bred? Sailfin mollys can be bred in either brackish or freshwater, but depending on which decides how well they'll do in either one.
Sounds like to me your mollys are having issues adjusting to the freshwater over time, depending on what types of fish you have in with them, it would be beneficial to add some aquarium salt to the tank and liquid multi -mineral/vitamini supliments to the water to help take some of the stress of their bodys .