Sick black mollie (male)

[mike47517]

hey everyone,

I have 2 black mollies. I have noticed a lightbrown line on the top his top fin. I know its not ICK my fish were just cured from ICK a week or so ago and it looks a differnt color than Ick. Does an
yone know what this could be maybe some type of fin fungus or something can anyone help me here? Thanks.

 

[Zagz]

The line, is it cottony or feathery at all? It may be a natural colorization or it may be the beginning of a fungal infection. Can you get a picture of it?

 

[mike47517]

sorry no pic. The brownish stuff is right on the points of the top fin. i doubt its normal cause he didnt have it when i bought him. its not real thick its just on the points and is about a milimeter or so thick, but it goes across the top of his whole fin.

 

[Alaris]

What are your water parameters (in numbers please)? Do your other fish look ok? What is the sick molly's behaviour like? Are both of your mollies sick, or just one? What did you do to cure the ick?

 

[mike47517]

What are your water parameters (in numbers please)?

Average 10 gallon tank.

Do your other fish look ok?

yes

What is the sick molly's behaviour like?

normal he is all over the female alot but thats normal.

What did you do to cure the ick?

i put salt in the tank. i put Wardleys ICK away in the tank. oh and i cant raise the temp my heater wont go up or down it just keeps my tank set at 78 degrees F.

 

[gzeiger]

By water parameters, he means chemical concentrations, not tank dimensions. Specifically, test results for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. In your situation, it might also be useful to know if the Ick Away and salt is still in the water. Water chemistry is important to fish since they're exposed to it through skin and breathing all the time. Recently changed charcoal filtration will remove most medications, and water changes obviously remove a percentage of both medication and salt. It may not be advisable to remove large amounts of the salt at once. I'm not sure, but in general it's best to change things slowly.

Unfortunately I don't know anything about your disease specifically.

 

[mike47517]

oh ok thanks gzeiger.

sorry alaris but i dont have any thing to test the water, but i will give you an estimate of some of it. the salt is about 1 teaspoon for about 3 gallons of water. the ick away is 0.5 teaspoons in the whole tank. the tank is at 78 degrees F. i hope this helps.

 

[Alaris]

You must have a test kit. I recommend API Freshwater Master Test kit. How did you know your tank was cycled if you didn't test for ammonia, nitrItes, and nitrAtes? You don't know what's going on with your tank water without a test kit. It's key in the survival (and happiness) of your fish.

 

[smn723]

Alaris is dead on in stating you need a master test kit. It's essential to have water parameters in order to possibly diagnose an issue with your tank. Ammonia, nitrates, nitrites all can help determine an issue. The first thing almost anyone on here will ask for when someone has a problem is the water parameters.

Freshwater Master test kit:
Aquarium Water Testing: Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit

$16 can keep your fish alive and healthy and your tank stable

 

[mike47517]

ok ok i will get one but im 13 and dont have the money right now. so can you help me or not.

 

[gzeiger]

Fair enough. I recommend showing your parents this post. Perhaps some help might be available.

The experts here probably can help. The problem is that they just don't have enough information yet. In particular, water quality is most likely to be the cause of the illness, and without chemical testing of the water it's too hard to tell.

It can be hard to appreciate what the fish go through since your house has indoor plumbing, but you have to remember that your fish live in that water day and night. They pee in it, they eat out of it, and then they have to breathe it. If there isn't something removing those waste products from the water, the fish can get very sick, and it isn't always a real disease but just extreme stress from breathing their own pee. Normally bacteria in your filter process those chemicals into harmless nitrate, but many Ich medications will kill most or all of the bacteria and drastically reduce the tank's ability to process chemical wastes. The test kit lets you know if that has happened, and if so it can let you know how frequently water needs to be changed until the bacterial colonies are restored.

 

[mike47517]

well i cant get any tester yet, and for the water quality i change about 30% of the water a week.

 

[Alaris]

well i cant get any tester yet, and for the water quality i change about 30% of the water a week.

You need to do more since you don't know your parameters. And I agree that you should tell your parents that you need a test kit to aid in the health of your fish. I suggest you get the test kit before you get any more fish or another tank.

 

[mike47517]

alright thanks guys.

 

[mike47517]

Hey everyone. The line is still on the top of my mollie's fin, and about 3 days ago it started getting worse. it looks like it is shredding his fin from the back of his top towards the front of his top fin. does anyone know what this is? has anyone ever had this happen to their fish? Is it curable?

 

[Zagz]

As long as you have no betta's or gourami's in the tank, try adding some melafix and pimafix if you have it. If not what meds do you have besides ich meds?

 

[mike47517]

I know this sounds bad but i dont have any meds currently but i can go buy some.

 

[mike47517]

Well i'm pretty sure it was just an injury because his fin has completly grown back but the line is still at thhe top of his fin. but it has een there ever since i got him so i think he will be fine. thanks for the info guys if anything happens to him i will update you on it. thanks.