armadillo

Hello everyone. My molly problems continue. One of them has a severely swollen eye (just one). I read in one of my fish disease books that if it was only one eye, it had to be an injury, rather than a disease. Would you agree with that? My other molly has both eyes really swollen. My tank has been established for 3 months now. To be sure, I measured ammonia but it was 0. Nitrates were a little on the high side, but nothing outrageous (20). I tend to change 30% of the water every 2 days as my tank is so overcrowded.

Any thoughts?

armadillo

Oh, and I've just noticed. She has a bit of white fluff on the end of her nose. Could it be velvet? Oh nooooo. Any advice on that one too? Thanks guys.

Sabi

Uhh, the eye problem sound like pop-eye to me. My mollies had it once, dont know about the white fluff.

armadillo

I am so worried. Her eyes are really bulging. They're blood-shot. There's some fin rot on one of her side fins, and now starting on the other side. She's flashing then lethargic. She's still eating, but for how long? Am changing the water enough, am vaccuming, there's not a trace of nitrite/ammonia. What am I doing wrong and how can I help her?

Sabi

My sympathies!
I'd guess you could treat her for pop-eye? But i'm no expert, better wait for someone who is...

armadillo

Thanks

Don't know how she is as I've left her in my boyfriend's good hands while away on (another ) business trip. Am just not a good fish mom at the moment.

Tricky treating for pop eye as it can be caused by 2 or 3 different things, each requiring a different treatment. Boyfriend took a leap of faith and treated with antibiotic. We'll see.

Sabi

Hopefully it'll work! Hope she gets well!

armadillo

Well actually, it seems to have worked wonders. All my fish are way better, and started to get better pretty much immediately according to my boyfriend. There's hope yet.

uprightandlocked

Best of luck! Let us know what happens.

armadillo

2 weeks later, and one of them is poorly again. Again, that same female molly. Her left eye is swollen and covered in a white film. She's heavily pregnant too. I've added the meds again last night, seen as they really worked last time. No change as of this morning. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Poor lady, she's always ill.

armadillo

Oh nooo. I've just looked at her and she could have some of her scales sticking out (or could be me paranoid. Definitely not really obvious, but I think I see a change), and she may also have a bent spine. Again, could be me being paranoid but that's definitely how it seems. Please don't let it be TB!

armadillo

Back home a few hours later and I may have dreamt the sticky out scales, but she is definitely bent to one side. It seems her whole left side is swollen.

Oh nooo. I have no hospital tank ready (one is on its way and 2 weeks late, and the other is used by fry), and another one is in use waiting for a big tank to cycle.

None of the other fish in the tank (4 other mollies) seem affected. It's a 10G hex, for info. I've used the broad spectrum med I'd used first time she had pop eyes and that had worked so well.

Problem is pop eye could be many different causes, so perhaps it cured the first cause, and this is a different problem.

armadillo

OK, am getting my hospital tank tomorrow (2 weeks late, I ordered this 6 weeks ago. Grrr!).

What I've done so far: treated with broad spectrum meds that had worked so well first time round. Only this time she doesn't seem to be responding. You're only supposed to use it for 3 days and I've been using it going on 7 days. My biggest priority right now is that she doesn't contaminate the others.

So am thinking of putting her in the (uncycled!) hospital tank and treat with more targeted medicine as recommended by Dave (tetra cyclin or marycin 2). I'll treat the main tank with AC to get rid of all these meds. What I worry about is that we're going on holiday for a week from 7 July to 14 July, and then she'll need loads of water changes as she'll be right in the middle of hte worst part of the cycle.

Any suggestions?

Sabi

No advice i'm afraid, just hope she gets well....

armadillo

Thanks, Sabi.

I found her dead this morning in her little house. I was quite relieved because she obviously was suffering and she was a huge risk to the health of the other fish. I also know that we did our best of her in less than ideal circumstances (no hospital tank as it's 2 weeks late from promised delivery time). Am sure she had a good life when she was here before she got sick, so no regret. She was just weak I guess.

Sabi

I'm sorry abt the loss but as you say its foe the better...

Was she the molly as your avatar?

armadillo

Oh no, she's not the balloon one. I'd actually declare a week of national mourning if it was her. Gawd, just thinking of it... Brrrr. No, she was a dalmatian black/white female. She was huge actually. I was such a girl this morning. I thought it was too yukky so I asked my boyfriend to take her out. I don't mind when it's fish I didn't have a chance to get attached to, but it really grosses me out when it's a fish I 'know' better, as was the case here.

Sabi

Ah, i do just the same! I'm much like a tomboy but i cant take a dead fish outa the tank! i ask my sis to do it!

armadillo

Yeah, it's really gross. Am always scared that when the dead fish is moved to another angle, it'll be half eaten away. I think I'd puke!