Sick Balloon Belly Molly

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TheKraken

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Apr 18, 2011
Messages
19
Location
Pennsylvania
Hi guys,

Still very new to this hobby and I am hoping you can give me some advice. I have a 10 gallon top fin aquarium which includes a balloon belly molly a red wag platy and 3 cories. (Yeah i may be pushing it, but i was planning on getting a new tank awhile ago, but due to money situations had to put it off.)

Over the past couple of weeks my molly has begun to show signs of what looks like some kind of mold developing on the top of his head and is now moving up his back (At first I thought I was imagining things but then it got worse). The coloring of it is kind of grey and almost looks like ash. Shortly before he developed this moldy looking substance, i had been away for a week and placed one of those food pattys in the tank. I was kind of concerned that maybe it was too much food disolving in the tank while i was gone and perhaps that had something to do with it. I have the API Master test kit and have been taking water samples. All my readings seem safe (i dont have the readings on hand since i am on travel, but i think they were

pH 7.8
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate around 40ppm

Im not really sure what it is after having read various descriptions on different fish ailments. Its not protrusive or cotton looking, so I dont think its a fungus. Anyway, Im hoping someone may have seen something similar and can give me some advice on how to deal with it. It may be too late for the little guy. I have also noticed that the platy has begun to chase the molly ALOT lately when they had used to get along fine for the most part. This may be contributed to the addition of the cories and now they have less space to themselves?

Anyway, i have added pictures of the molly, you can see the moldy looking substance on his head in the pictures so hopefully that will help.

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If the spot is not swollen, or it does not appear to be fuzzy - then the spot may just be an injury that the fish sustained that is now healing. Areas on fish that are regrowing are usually characterized by white or grey (just like we get scabs) so I would do more frequent water changes and make sure the area doesn't continue to spread.

If it spreads or starts to grow fuzzy - then it is probably fungus that needs medication.
 
I should add that I have kept Black Mollies in the past - and they are especially prone to scrapes on their head when they are romping around or nuzzling for food. The area usually regrows into new colored scales in about 2-3 weeks.
 
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