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My Male silver lyretail sailfin molly looks like hes going to die!!! please help him!!! he is just lying almost flat on the bottom of the tank, Is there any way i can help him? is he going to die? is he sick!??!? PLEASE HELP!

What came first? the chicken or the egg? No really.....

Hi there,
Unfortunately, you have not given us much information to work with here.
Please post for us the following information:

Tank Size:
Filtration:
Water Change Schedule, percentage:
Ph:
Ammonia:
NitrItes:
NitrAtes:
Inhabitants of tank:
Symptoms (breathing, wounds, etc):
How Long has the tank been set up and running:
Temperature:
Tank Additives (salt, medicines, etc):

If you answer these questions in full, we may be able to help you find out what is wrong with your molly.


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PLEASE READ THIS FIRST

As SVS replied it is essential that we have as much info as possible before we can help you and fish. Please get back as soon as possible.

Also add any thing that you have done to you tank in the last two week.

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Keith

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sorry, ok, right now i moved him to my 10 gallon in a breeding net so i could easily get him out if he dies, but i just looked at him and it looked like there was a film of mold that was peeling off of his skin...

What came first? the chicken or the egg? No really.....

Thats skin slime layer reacting to bacterial infection. Generally doesnt react like that to fungus. Melafix might be a bit mild to help him, id go for furan, or oxytetracyline, maybe enrofloaxazin in quarantine away from the filter and other fish, and treat the main tank with a dose of melafix.

If that 10 gallon is uninhabited id release him from that breeding net, a lot of sick fish dont take that kind of confinement too well. Sailfin mollies are a bit big for a breeding net.

Thankfully with a sailfin molly their brackish ancestry means you can add salt with little fear of it causing him any damage until better meds can be found. It may well be a reasonable gentle alternative med during a period where he may actually need picking up a little before he has the strength to endure full strength meds. It also causes no problems when adding other treatments as most fish meds are designed not to react with salt.

I wouldnt usually recommend salt as a treatment for sick fish, as any bacteria impacting the renal system may make a true freshwater species even more vulnerable to renal,osmotic, and metabolic collapse, but for this species it may be of real positive benefit.

I think the main cause of this problem is bacterial, but adding salt is handy because saprolegnia and fungi positively loathe salt, and its a neat way of hedging your bets a little.

That certainly sounds like a bacterial problem personally I dont like your chances of surviving him if he is in a net especially if it is at the top and under the light. This will certainly cause extra unwanted stress.

I would also be concerned how he got the bacteria infection. There is a very good chance the tank he was in has problems.

What are the peramiters and details of that tank if it is not correct there is a good chance the rest of the fish will be having the same problem?

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

I have seen mollies do that before in the presence of nitrite spikes, and angels do it too. They seem to react to high nitrite spikes worse than ammonia spikes for some reason. The bacteria is probably just ambient bacteria taking advantage, its probably the nitrite damaging the skin to begin with that allows the invasion of bacteria, nitrite also tends to hit fish breathing pretty hard, and a low oxygen intake in the fish tends to lower the immune system. Also the absence of salt in a species that for whatever reason, being area of collection or genetic throwback, actually needs it, can mean nitrite has a more ounced effect.

Wouldnt be surprised if the bacterial filter colony just got overloaded or recently took some media change or chemical damage. Sometimes happens when a filter has a high level of media bypass too.

Guess we'll see if we get test results.

I think we need water perameters, tanksize, stocking level, and filter model details. Might have an intrinsic problem with the setup. More than one fish could be at risk.

ok, ill check later, but i have to go soon. also, i never turn the light on for the 10 gallon, and the net is very big. the only other fish in there are 5 guppies

What came first? the chicken or the egg? No really.....

Well, again, no post on tank info.
You need to post this info before we can tell you anything. Otherwise its only extreme guess work on our part.
Sailfin Mollies are really too big for a 10g tank, and I would aggree, sick or no, let him out of the net. Being netted will cause more stress and more likelihood of the fish dying.
So please post the info I requested on the top page.
Also, why do you never turn the light on? Fish, just like mammals, require a light cycle for healthy living.


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no, i mean i dont have it on when he is there. also, he came from my 20 gallon, but it would be too hard to see him because of the plants, so i moved him. im sorry, im really busy now, i will try to get u tank info laterSorry!

What came first? the chicken or the egg? No really.....

Please HorseGal, post the parameters so we can help your Molly.

My best guess is either

a. She is too young to drive, doesn't have a test kit, and therefore not immediately able to get to a place where she could purchase one.

or

b. She has (perhaps wrongly) felt attacked by the last few posts since hers and taken to hiding...

Either way, the best way to help the molly is to provide as much information as possible to those here who will try their best to help - whether it is to suggest medications or better husbandry practices to keep your fish healthy.

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