What's Wrong With My Molly?!

[CBTF]

Hello there. This is my first time posting, very nice community you people have. I posted about this on a nother forum and really couldn't get much help- I called the pet store, and they dont know either- so you're my last hope!

Here's the story. I purchased 7 mollies yesterday. 5 of them went into a well established tank that's been running about 4 years, and two went into a 10g tank that i'm running.

In the 10 gallon, I have a male and a female that get along quite well and are very docile (they do not nip at my bettas fins or anything, which some others have in the past.)

Now i'm having troubles with my male. The water levels are fine, and the tank is heated (usually between 71-76F). I'm positive it's not my water because the female is doing perfectly and none of the other tankmates seem to be showing any problems.

Now onto the problem- he was acting fine last night after being introduced until shortly after some activity within the tank that saw the 5 other mollies being removed. About 20 minutes he began to show what I think is a swim bladder issue (he had only been home for about 2 hours.)

Now, what he does is he'll float upwards, with his head 90 degrees straight towards the top of the tank and his tailfin facing down towards the gravel. This happens regularly until he pulls himself back down.

The odd thing is, he seems to be able to control his body when he wants to be able to. He swims normally and feeds like every other molly.

Is this a swimbladder thing? The floating is quite disturbing and id like to figure out what im doing- should he go back to the LFS or is it treatable?

Is it stress causing this? Perhaps if i wait a few days it'll settle down? Could he have been hit somewhere by the net causing swimbladder problems? Is he trying to impress the female?

This is really buggin me! Help!

 

[WILDER]

Well if you have just gotten him he wouldn't of been on a very good diet, try some shelled peas and frozen daphnia, what does it look like when he goes to the toilet, does he look bloated.

Welcome to the board.

 

[CBTF]

Thanks for the prompt reply and welcome.

He doesn't appear bloated- if anything he appears a little more thin than the female (who was kept in the same tank at the store.) All of the other mollies are fine, so could it just be a diet thing with this one, perhaps he's more vulnerable?

His floating is getting worse, he seems to be unable to control it a bit now.

I'll attempt to go buy some peas- im very sick, so I may not be able to get out tonight.

edit: just saw him fall on his side,,

 

[WILDER]

Sorry that you are not well too, how thin is he, plus do you have any other green veg in the house like a sproat.
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.

 

[CBTF]

He is not abnormally thin, nothing out the ordinary. He appears to be fed decently.

I had romaine lettuce in the tank overnight because I feed it to my snails on occasion. I'm not sure if he ate any of this. He just ate quite a few flakes but from what I understand in the article posted, that won't do him any good. I'll throw some carrots and stuff in the tank to see if he'll eat those- may also have some sprouts.

I doubt he'll pay them any attention though, as he didnt even glance at the lettuce (to my knowledge).

Thanks for the advice, i'll try. Do you know how long it would take to see a change, if he eats the veggies? If he doesn't eat the veggies, what would my next plan of action be?

 

[WILDER]

Boil the sproat, let cool chop of the end and take its first layer off, then chop into fine peices, mine love it.

 

[CBTF]

Ok. The carrots were a no go. At first they showed interest but the pieces were too big. So i chopped them down into tiny little things.. which were tasted but then spat out

Now I have a tank full of carrots, haha. Go apple snails!

I'll try the sprout thing. Are we sure this is the problem, and his swim bladder isnt just injured/infected?

 

[WILDER]

Grated carrot best then i think you soften it down in boiling water.

 

[CBTF]

I will try to boil them later- maybe they were being spat out because they're too hard

 

[WILDER]

Been there done that, yes you have to soften them.

 

[CBTF]

ive heard that fasting may correct this issue, any truth to that?

 

[CBTF]

He refuses to eat boiled veggies in the home tank or a hospital tank.

Suggestions anyone? I dont wanna return him to the lfs- the other fish will kill him, im positive

 

[tttnjfttt]

Try daphnia or peas. Never done daphnia but peas are a favorite of every fish of mine

 

[CBTF]

He won't eat anything.

He has, however been using producing a lot of poop today- is this a good sign? My god ive never seen a fish make so much waste in a day. He's still swimming terribly and floating around beyond his will.. but is this a good sign, or does it just mean he's stressed?

 

[tttnjfttt]

that can be a good sign. Was he bloated before? Also, was the poop white? That can be the sign of an internal parasite infection. Keep trying food, but remove it when it isn't eaten