Lockjaw? I don't think she will be with us in the morning :(

[cheeky_monkey]

One of my sons mollies has tonight suddenly become a bottom dweller and cannot close her mouth She's breathing heavy and floating in the current from the filter in the QT/Hospital tank. (Which I guess is good as it's keeping the water flowing through her gills?) It happened so suddenly! I was watching her then went away for no longer than 5 minutes and returned to turn their light off for the night and found her like this. I don't think there's been any fighting, they're all pretty peaceful.

I've inspected her mouth and there's nothing stuck in there, I've done as suggested by various websites and gently tried to push her jaw back together and stretch it out a little wider then back together. It will close but pops straight back open.

She's our favourite and my son and I will be absolutely devastated if she passes. I know mollies aren't very special to most fish keepers but they are to us!

I'm going to bed now and I just know I won't sleep, I'm so worried for her. I'm especially worried to tell my son his favourite fish has passed if she doesn't make it. He talks to each fish individually several times a day and races to the tank to say good morning and good night.

 

[Sisserydoo]

I'm very sorry for your situation, it's sad to lose any pet. I love mollies too. I have 9 black mollies and think they're beautiful, so you're not alone in liking them.

 

[cheeky_monkey]

Well I thought I was going to wake up to a dead fish this morning, but she's alive.

Her jaw/mouth is now closed and she is swimming a little more than before BUT now her bottom fins are clamped (not her top) and she has a section of her tail that looks to be melting away. I'm not sure if she got it caught in the filter being that she couldn't swim properly, or is it fungus or fin rot? It's hard to get a photo and because she's white I cannot tell if it has the white bits around the "melted" section.

I've given her a 50% water change, should I add some aquarium salt?

 

[cheeky_monkey]

Should also add that she's pregnant, will any treatments have an effect on her pregnancy?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I sent you a PM. How is she going?

 

[cheeky_monkey]

She's slowly beginning to swim a lot more. I have the hospital tank flush against the large tank and the male has been swimming against the glass which has got her moving more as she is following him along the glass in the hospital tank.

Her tail isn't getting any worse but not any better either. If it doesn't get worse can I assume it was caught in the filter perhaps?

Will 50% water changes every day be ok for her?

 

[Sisserydoo]

I wouldn't use any medication on a pregnant fish myself.

If she's pregnant, I don't think a little salt will hurt her, but I would definitely add it slowly so she can adjust. Mollies like a little salt in their water anyway, but since she's not used to it...and injured...and pregnant (poor thing!) just take it slow.

If she's in a 10 gallon quarantine tank you could add about two teaspoons a day for five days. If you have marine salt that would be great, but aquarium salt will work too. It's very beneficial to help injured fish heal. Maybe she can even have the babies in the quarantine tank. If you end up doing this, and then transferring the babies back to freshwater, make that a slow transition too.

Here's a link about molly care if your interested. I hope she gets better
The truth about mollies:*Among the most popular aquarium fish, they?re also among the most misunderstood

 

[cheeky_monkey]

That's a great link, thank-you Sisserydoo.

 

[cheeky_monkey]

Well she got a little cranky at me when I added the first bit of salt.
I'm adding it slowly over the afternoon/night.
For an hour or two she had clamped fins and sat under the filter. But a few hours later and 3/4 of the salt mixture in, she's happy and out swimming again.

The tail isn't getting any worse, so I guess that's a good sign in itself.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

How's she going today?

 

[cheeky_monkey]

Much much better. She's really active again this morning. Still sulks under the filter every so often but I think that's more loneliness than sick.

Her tail actually looks to be improving which is fantastic. I did a 50% PWC and filled with pre-salted water and I will do it again today.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Much much better. She's really active again this morning. Still sulks under the filter every so often but I think that's more loneliness than sick.

Her tail actually looks to be improving which is fantastic. I did a 50% PWC and filled with pre-salted water and I will do it again today.

That's great news!

 

[Sisserydoo]

I'm glad she's doing better!!! Do you know when she'll have her babies?

 

[cheeky_monkey]

I've just checked her over again and her tail is almost completely healed. Half of the damaged section is already back to normal. Is that fast!?

She had her last batch Christmas eve night, and wasn't introduced back to the male again for a few days so roughly the end of next week (or early following week) she's due. I was thinking I would just leave her in the QT tank until she has them and slowly wean her back down to fresh water in the next week or so. I didn't plan on her recovering so fast so I figure she can stay there for a bit.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I've just checked her over again and her tail is almost completely healed. Half of the damaged section is already back to normal. Is that fast!?

She had her last batch Christmas eve night, and wasn't introduced back to the male again for a few days so roughly the end of next week (or early following week) she's due. I was thinking I would just leave her in the QT tank until she has them and slowly wean her back down to fresh water in the next week or so. I didn't plan on her recovering so fast so I figure she can stay there for a bit.

That is fast!

 

[cheeky_monkey]

I thought so too! I will try to get an updated photo of her tail and post the two different ones for you to see.

 

[Sisserydoo]

I'm glad she's doing so much better. I had a goldfish come back from the brink of death once, it's amazing what they can recover from!