Sick Molly

[Night61]

i bought a white molly fish last week. it is very skinny fish, it looks sickly. i can see the spine on the fish and very little body fat i have isolated the fish so he can eat in peace in a breeding net, but i fear something else might be going on. yesterday his poo was white and stringy, but today it seemed to normalize. the only spare tank i have to treat if i need is a half gallon, since one gallon is going for baby raising. should i isolate and treat for and internal thing.

this is the fish i am concerned with.

 

[LauraFrog]

I can't see the photo but the symptoms you describe sound very much like internal parasites. He needs to be treated with an internal parasite med: trichlorforon, praziquantel, pyrantel or levimasole. 1/2 gal is far too small for him for treatment. Try a 2-5 gallon plastic container. There is no law that says 'thou shalt only keep fish in glass tanks'. You could even move the fry into a large plastic tub while you treat the adult.

It's best not to rescue fish with parasites as they are contagious - it's probably best to treat the whole tank because even if he's in a breeding net they will have spread. The medication will not wipe out your filter. If he is very thin there is probably some internal damage and even if you kill the parasites he may not survive. It will depend largely on whether there is too much damage for his organs to support him or not.

 

[Night61]

I can't see the photo but the symptoms you describe sound very much like internal parasites. He needs to be treated with an internal parasite med: trichlorforon, praziquantel, pyrantel or levimasole. 1/2 gal is far too small for him for treatment. Try a 2-5 gallon plastic container. There is no law that says 'thou shalt only keep fish in glass tanks'. You could even move the fry into a large plastic tub while you treat the adult.

It's best not to rescue fish with parasites as they are contagious - it's probably best to treat the whole tank because even if he's in a breeding net they will have spread. The medication will not wipe out your filter. If he is very thin there is probably some internal damage and even if you kill the parasites he may not survive. It will depend largely on whether there is too much damage for his organs to support him or not.

i didn't relize he was sick when i bought him, it was my first time buying molly fish i just wanted a white one to balance out the black one. i have isolted him in a spare one gallon my brother had, poor little thing, at least he is eating. i am thinking almost if it would be better to euthernize him and watch his tank mates, i think i will treat the whole tank with melafix for a few days and hope for the best.

 

[5teady_2012]

Just to let you know, HE is acutally a SHE