Molly Fish Picking At Substrate But Fast Gills

[AquaticalMonster84]

I have a male molly fish, who picks at substrate and decor, but he has rapid gill breathing. Is this normal or no? Whenever he is not picking at substrate or decor he stops, what is this!?

 

[ADFbreeder]

Are there any other symptoms, or are you basing your concerns on gill movement?

How big is the tank, what is your stocking list (fish in the tank), what are your parameters, and are there any other symptoms whatsoever?

The above questions might reveal a problem, but I’m 99% sure this is normal foraging behavior.

At this point, unless the tank is overstocked, is uncycled, and the fish has no other symptoms and is not being bullied, I can’t see any other “issues” that could cause what you’re describing.

Edit: Punctuation error corrections.