Help - Weird Molly Behaviour?

[celticfan]

I have a white Molly who is attempting to breed with a Black Molly and after it chases and does it for a while, it floats straight up and down as if its dead for about 5-10 seconds before it flaps its fins then starts chasing it again?

Is this usual behaviour from mollies? to float with its head straight up and tail straight down?

Or could it be a problem the fish has where its falling asleep or going unconcious?

 

[PolyptRus]

I have a white Molly who is attempting to breed with a Black Molly and after it chases and does it for a while, it floats straight up and down as if its dead for about 5-10 seconds before it flaps its fins then starts chasing it again?

Is this usual behaviour from mollies? to float with its head straight up and tail straight down?

Or could it be a problem the fish has where its falling asleep or going unconcious?

That's pretty strange Ive never heard of or seen this before. Does he look normal and completely healthy eats well etc....

 

[celticfan]

That's pretty strange Ive never heard of or seen this before. Does he look normal and completely healthy eats well etc....

Yes, it swims about fine as if everything is normal, it eats shows no signs of injury, illness or nothing, acts like the others and then all of a sudden just starts floating straight up and down and then like it comes back to life and is normal again a couple of seconds later. I just noticed it today, ive only had the fish for about 1 week. Could it be tiring its self from chasing the other one or mating?

It seems like narcolepsy the way it happens.

 

[celticfan]

Can you see that picture? its doing that all the time, that time it happened near the other molly but it happens randomly.

What is normal Molly mating behaviour too? it is relentlessly trying to mate with that one in the picture and the other black one. Everytime it "switches on" from floating like that it just starts chasing them again even though it is actually mating with them again and again.

 

[PolyptRus]

Can you see that picture? its doing that all the time, that time it happened near the other molly but it happens randomly.

What is normal Molly mating behaviour too? it is relentlessly trying to mate with that one in the picture and the other black one. Everytime it "switches on" from floating like that it just starts chasing them again even though it is actually mating with them again and again.

The picture is not showing for me sorry but this is pretty strange i really don't know what it would be if its completely fine otherwise than maybe its just strange defect. I could only maybe suggest to remove him from the others just to see if the behaviour continues.

 

[celticfan]

Ive been watching it doing it for a while now and its happened about 10 times in that time. When it does it it can still flap its side fins but its like its tail cant move, then once it flaps the tail its ok again. Like the tail become paralysed for a couple of seconds which may be why it still floats but it "falls" with the head up and tail down?

 

[PolyptRus]

Ok i see it now i still have no idea why its doing this maybe nothing is wrong with it perhaps it just does this? I really can't say

 

[celticfan]

It doesnt seem to be in any danger or ill anyway, i'll just watch it from now on and see if it keeps happening or what.

I have just noticed it happening today, when I looked in my tank today I seen it floating like that and my first thought was it was dead but I was watching soccer on TV and forgot for a couple of minutes then looked again to see it when I remembered and it was fine and then as I was watching I seen it happening again.

As im typing and watching it it just happened again there, quite long this time about 10 seconds but now its swimming fine again.

If I had a decent camera I would video it for a while but my phone camera is rubbish.

 

[PolyptRus]

It doesnt seem to be in any danger or ill anyway, i'll just watch it from now on and see if it keeps happening or what.

I have just noticed it happening today, when I looked in my tank today I seen it floating like that and my first thought was it was dead but I was watching soccer on TV and forgot for a couple of minutes then looked again to see it when I remembered and it was fine and then as I was watching I seen it happening again.

As im typing and watching it it just happened again there, quite long this time about 10 seconds but now its swimming fine again.

If I had a decent camera I would video it for a while but my phone camera is rubbish.

Im guessing he just has some kind of rare neurological condition causing this that may be

 

[meegosh]

You said you've had them a week now? How long has the tank been setup? What are your water parameters?

 

[Anthym]

A video would help but I lost one of mine within 3 days of doing something similar. Nothing I did helped so I am assuming it is neurological. Didn't affect any of my other fish.

 

[celticfan]

I have had the tank set up for like 2 and a half years and all the other fish are fine. Its still doing it today and still otherwise fine. Definetly seems to be something wrong with its brain.

 

[meegosh]

I'm thinking swim bladder is mostly likely the culprit. Like humans, neurological issues are rare. Sure, it is easy to chalk it up to a "brain disorder" but in reality it is something else. It sure can be hard to "troubleshoot" sometimes.