911 Please help!! Molly with possible itch and a gummy fin!

[stew]

Please help ASAP!

1st some background: New tank (28gal) 11 days old, 5 neon tetras, 2 gold dust mollies. PH is 7.3 Ammonia is about 0.5 and Nitrites are about 0.3 tank seems to be cycling nicely.

Couple days after getting them home I noticed 1 tetra had a closed or deformed dorsal fin.. I didnt know what I was looking at at the time but I supose it must have been some kind of infection. It seemed fine, day before yesterday the poor thing was hanging out in the plants and the next morning I woke up to a grewsome siite of it dead and stuck to the filter inlet.

Same day I noticed some white spots on my smallest molleys dorsal and one pectoral fin. Shes seemed fine, not rubbing at all.. I read up on Ick and not being sure if it was or not I waited until today.

Today all the spots on her seem to be gone but her pectoral fin on one side is all scrunched up like a boat ore and I just noticed some discoloration underneath it on her body. Just now I also noticed one more small spot on her anal fin.

What do I do?!?

Do I look for meds for ick and hope they cure this other thing (maybe fungal?) do I add salt, crank the temp.. isolate this molly in a hospital tank and just add meds to that?

I need help! this is my favorite fish and I want to save her!

Thanks.

Stew

 

[Allivymar]

Its possible the levels of ammonia and nitrites are stressing the fish enough to let disease take hold. Hard to say what was wrong with the tetra. As I think I mentioned in another post, keep water changing to reduce and dilute those levels.

Some folks isolate for ich; personally I treat the entire tank as it can remain subclinical in the others not showing signs, and once they get stressed they can break out with it. Better to eradicate from the tank once and for all.

Take a look here; it will explain what ich is and give you some treatment options: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=32

 

[juliemichelle]

For the ich infestation I recently went through (in my tank, not me personally) I used CopperSafe by Mardel because you don't have to remove the filter media (carbon) and it wasn't harmful to loaches and plecos. Also you only have to treat once!! I also cranked the heat up to 80 degrees and within 2 days all of the white spots disappeared. I also used Melafix to repair any damage so that they wouldn't get sick with something else. With Melafix the directions recommend removing the carbon and it smells wonderful...better than a smelly candle! Good luck! Also...a good vaccuuming is helpful as soon as the spots disappear because that means the ich is heading to the gravel to lay eggs!

 

[juliemichelle]

I forgot to also say that salt is good for preventing disease and helps get rid of disease faster so definately add salt no matter what you do! Be sure to dissolve it in a pitcher of water before adding it to your tank or you might burn you fish! Ouch!

 

[stew]

Ive been reading non-stop on ich... I got some meds last night and added them to the tank, and i'm going to attempt my 1st water change in a few minutes.

My real concern now is this little molly. Behind her pectoral fin there is a pink bump and the fin is all scrunched up. Its not ick and doesnt apear to be fungal... shes acting normal but it doesnt look good at all... any thoughts?

I'll be adding salt now too.

When shoudl I put the carbon back in?

 

[Allivymar]

Don't put the carbon in until the medications regimen is completely finished. Do be sure to continue treating until 3 days AFTER you see the last ich spot; if you read the link above you'll understand why.

Don't add salt; neons can be tetchy about salt and they are probably already stressed by the ammonia, ich meds and the ich itself. Salt is only really effective for disease when used for ich, and at much higher levels then you will be using. Adding salt to a tank to help keep fish "healthy" is another old wives tale that is really not valid. For some fish, salt can even cause probs.

Ugh, that poor molly. Its quite possible she has picked up a bacterial infection from the open ich wounds and needs an antibiotic like Maracyn/Maracyn2 or Kanacyn. Mixing meds can be dangerous tho; I'm thinking you may need to isolate her and treat her for both. If its too much, at least antibiotics won't be too much for the others as well.

Lastly, if you are doing water changes, you'll need to dose accordingly as you will be removing meds along with the ammonia and nitrites.

Whoa..lookit all those don'ts LOL sorry.

 

[stew]

Do I need to worry about having no carbon in a tank that still cycling? Will I have to change the water again this week to keep the amonia down?

I picked up a quarantine tank but no one at the LFS new enuf about antibiotics to recomend me somthing so I will go down tomorrow and talk to the more knowligable staff.

 

[Allivymar]

Naw, carbon doesn't do a thing for ammonia; doesn't reduce it at all. Ammo carb (that zeolite/activated carbon mix) will reduce ammonia, but straight AC won't. Either way, theres carbon in them and carbon absorbs the meds, leaving them in the carbon and not in your tank where they are needed. Do make sure you leave the filter in there tho. If the filter comes with the carbon built in, make a slit in it and get the carbon out.

And if ammonia shows up you'll need to do something about it; most meds will kill off the bacterial colony so theres a good chance you'll need to do some.