Mollies with puffy eyes?

[CaptainMako]

Hey everybody, I just noticed a problem with my mollies a few minutes ago while feeding them.
I have a 29 gallon freshwater aquarium with six dalmatian mollies. I need to do a PWC soon.

Usually they all rush to the designated feeding area when I approach the tank, but this time one of them missed it altogether. I looked at him, and noticed one of his eyes was almost larger than the other, a little puffy. he does have some gunk around his eye, maybe fungus. I checked the rest, and only one other one had the same problem, at least that I saw. That fish was much worse, the eye was very puffy but there was no fungus.

What is this? I don't know where it came from, other than the usual possible contaminants like dust or something.
Worried, because I don't want permanently blind fish, plus I was going to get some more on Friday.
I have API aquarium salt and API pimafix (fungal treatment) at my disposal. They are also due for a PWC.
Please help!
-Shaun


EDIT:
Noticed an old similar thread with a link to a pop-eye article, one paragraph caught my eye.

"If this disease is not detected soon after it is caught the fish can lose one or both of its eyes and its eye sight. Any impact the eye might be subjected to generally as a result of fighting, can cause this. If its one eye chances are it's injury, if its both then it is possibly a bacterial infection. Bad water quality is a common reason enough to be the cause. High nitrAtes/nitrItes, ammonia, metal or plastic poisoning can be the reason too. Unsuitable salinity can also be the cause. "

My problem is probably because of my inconsistent PWC's. If that's the case, I've learned my lesson about not slacking on them. Also, I have about a tablespoon of that API aquarium salt in the tank because I see everywhere that brackish water is good for mollies. I'm not using the right salt I don't think, the salt I have is probably just for treating problems like this. I will stop using it and leave the mollies freshwater.

 

[CaptainMako]

I'm gonna take the free time while I have it and begin what treatment I think will help.
I'll do a PWC and exclude the salt, at least for a while or until tomorrow. Somebody give an opinion on that please.

Then I will look at each of the fish and see if I think pimafix is necessary just yet. If so, I will begin the regiment.

 

[Homedog98]

Ok, for popeye, you use Maracyn and Maracyn two, along with aquarium salt. QT if you have one, but it should reside in about a week if using the above meds. The Maracyn and Maracyn two stop the infection, and the salt helps keep him from getting worse, and helps heal the infection.

 

[CaptainMako]

I did have a post that was going to go in here last night, but I put it in the wrong place. Keep in mind that this was last night.

"Did a water test about an hour ago. Read between 0.25 and 0.50 ppm.
Did a 50 percent water change, did not add salt or pimafix
Noticing fungal spots on the tail fin, just how the fungal attack I had before started.
If anyone is going to reply, should I consider starting on pimafix? It worked great last time."

So right now the tank has clean water with no salt in it. Again, I was using the wrong salt in an attempt to make the water brackish, I didn't know this salt was mainly for treatments like this. More questions.

1. Because I was using the treatment salt regularly before, will it still have an effect now as a part of treatment?

2. I'm starting to notice tiny white spots on the fins of some of the mollies. Some have neither spots nor puffy eyes, some have just fungus, and the two pop-eye fish both have slight fungus on them.
I've gone through this problem before, minus the pop eye. Sudden fungal attack sprung up, and the first visible signs were little spots on the fins. API Pimafix, a fungal treatment, cured it in about a week. Should I begin using Pimafix?

3. Should I bump the tank temperature up? I'm not sure I should start treatment with a bunch of things suddenly.

4. Can this be fixed without any blind fish?

I may go to Petco tonight and look for those chemicals you mentioned. I was going to look at those fish I was going to get Friday as well. Which reminds me...

5. If and when this problem does get resolved, how long should I wait before adding new fish to the tank? Is this going to require the tank to be emptied and cleaned?

Thanks again,
-Shaun

P.S. If you are interested, here is my other thread on what fish I was hoping to get. http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/adding-to-the-tank-questions-151214.html

 

[CaptainMako]

Just an update. Fungus is starting to take off like fire, just like before. I expect sizable growths by morning.

I'm highly considering the use of pimafix, I don't know how much time I have left. Anyone think I should go ahead with it?

If I do go with pimafix, it would be pointless to continue the daily 50% water changes that I have been recommended because the treatment has to stay in the water. Thoughts?

Please look at the questions in the above post as well.

Please help, thanks

-Shaun

 

[Homedog98]

Just an update. Fungus is starting to take off like fire, just like before. I expect sizable growths by morning.

I'm highly considering the use of pimafix, I don't know how much time I have left. Anyone think I should go ahead with it?

If I do go with pimafix, it would be pointless to continue the daily 50% water changes that I have been recommended because the treatment has to stay in the water. Thoughts?

Please look at the questions in the above post as well.

Please help, thanks

-Shaun

Go with the primafix. Use melafix and aquarium salt too if you have them on hand.

 

[CaptainMako]

I've pretty much come to the conclusion that their treatment will be heavily limited by outside factors such as time and money. I was doing so well too. :\
The mollies probably have a weakness to ammonia being as how they were in horrific conditions when I received them. There's only so much I can do in my position. Parents don't understand the hobby, and I have neither a car nor money.
I have pimafix, a heater, aquarium salt (that for all I know they could be used to by now and will have no effect) and an ammonia testing kit that I could use for this. There's only so much I can do but I will try.
Going to put the appropriate amount of salt in little by little, add some stress coat and begin the pimafix regiment. For all I know these fish are goners, but oh well. Thought I could beat the notion that your first tank never goes perfectly!
I'll keep you posted if it's relevant, thanks again.
-Shaun

 

[zfarrias1]

if you are pretty sure the fish is a goner and the fungus is really bad then instead of using all of your primafix and melafix and aquarium salt, you might want to use my brand of permafix with 5 easy steps:

1. get a pan, let the stove warm up
2. fill up the pan with water, wait until it starts to boil
3. put the pieces together and see what i'm getting at
4. buy a new one (fish, not pan)
5. pray it doesnt happen again
   
   
   if you just follow those steps, you will save countless hours and a few $$$ worth of meds and such. boiling it might seem a little..u know...blegh.. but i've heard it's one of the most humaine ways to do it. that or freezing it.

 

[CaptainMako]

I'm going to add the first dose of pimafix tonight.
Tomorrow I will do a smaller water change after the pimafix has had time to work. I'm going to try and reduce stress on the fish, so I will try dimming their light for them to rest and anything else that might help, I'm a newbie so I don't know.
After the water change I will add salt for treatment, then continue with the pimafix regiment as instructed. finally at the end i will do another water change and go from there.

I'm keeping euthanization in mind, but only if this doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
Boiling doesn't seem very humane, you'd think just cutting or smashing would be an instant, painless demise. I doubt I can muster up the will to do it though.
Ugh. Well that's a whole other topic in of itself.

 

[CaptainMako]

Just gets worse and worse, several of the mollies have torn up tail fins now.

 

[napow]

one of my Molly have the same one eye puff problem too... it's was so big and purple (she's white). I so wonna pop it but I know I can't so I just leave it as it is... Few days later, it shrink and went back to it's normal size...