Very sick molly...

[noglet]

Hi, please help!

I've just got home to find that one of my mollies is really huge and is being taunted by the other tankmates - she almost looks like a balloon molly. I've never seen her looking this big even when she's been pregnant before. Any ideas what's up with her? She has got a black spot but she's had it since we've had her - for 5 months!

 

[Sasha]

Are her scales popping out, like a pine cone?

 

[noglet]

Yep!

 

[poohbear]

sounds like dropsy to me which is a bacterial infection.
Seperate her from your other fish as it can be contagious

 

[Sasha]

If the molly is bloated and scales are popping out, then the problem is dropsy. I've had this problem several times and treated it successfully with Jungle Fungus Clear.

Good luck!

 

[noglet]

Thanks for your advice but I've had fish with dropsy before and I'm not convinced whether she's got it. She is bloated and her scales are out a bit - but more like she's just stressed rather than a sympton of dropsy. Her vent(?) has enlarged a lot tonight so she maybe about to give birth?

 

[appleblossom]

I would seperate her if you can just in case, if it does turn out that she's just pregnant then at least if she's seperated she wont get herassed by the males once she has had the fry....

 

[noglet]

thanks for your advice - I put her in a breeder (I know they don't always like that but I didn't have anywhere else to put her). She was dead by yesterday morning A couple of babes she had in the week have died too - they are quite weak, there are two left now. I've treated the tank with a tonic to be on the safe side but everyone seems fine.