Silver Molly Swim Bladder disorder - little help?

[stew]

Hi all!

I have a adult silver molly that is getting over a swim bladder problem, I found her last week swimming round upside down and having a really hard time maneuvering (head down). I did some research and was recommended PimaFix by my LFS. Thinking it might be a constipation issue (I had fed them a new type of pellet food from nutrafin) I fed her peas and gave her a epsom salt bath. The next day she was upright again, which was a great relief, but now a week later she still looks like there something wrong.

It seems there is a buoyancy problem like there is an air pocket near her head that keeps her sort of hunched over, with her tail down. Its also almost like her tail is paralyzed because she maneuvers with her side fins and just drags her little tail.

Now, I should also mention there are some red spots on her, that seem to be well under the skin (she is silver so somewhat transparent). They might be sores inside the swim bladder as they are on her top half only.

I've continued the Pimafix (removed carbon filter) for a week and i'm not sure that it has helped, I'm wondering what else I should try at this point.

I have raised the temp this last week to 81 degrees. All vitals are as they should be (ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate .3) and I keep salt in the water.

Any ideas/suggestions would be apreciated!

Stew

 

[stew]

wow no replys.. this board has gotten slower since I was last here!

Just an update, she's doing much beter today, and beginning to use her tail a little. The red spots seem to be slowly subsiding also. I'm used up the whole bottle of PimaFix so I guess i'll put the carbon back in and see what happens.

 

[Menagerie]

Hey stew--many members aren't great with odd disorders. I wish more people could help. Personally, I was away for awhile. I am gad your fish is doing better. Since I am checking in on the board after 13 hrs in the car driving up from Western Washington, I am exhausted. I will check back tomorrow

 

[stew]

Thanks for the reply!

She seems to get a little better every day, and the red spot in still there but subsiding. She's still not using her tail much at all, but hopefully she will make a full recovery.. so far so good!

 

[Menagerie]

The red spots maybe a secondary infection of sorts.
Try looking through these sites:
http://www.aquatronicsonline.com/hobbyist/hobbyist3.htm
http://www.aqualink.com/disease/sdisease.html#ich
http://fish.mongabay.com/diseases.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubWebIndex/fishdisho.htm
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/health.htm

Even though the fish is getting better, the tail problem has me concerned.

 

[An t-iasg]

Hi Stew,
Ciamar a tha thu? Nice to see you again!

I'm sorry about your molly. It sounds like you're doing everything you can, and she's getting better! If it's not a sick betta, I really don't know what to say Good luck!

 

[stew]

Menagerie: Thanks for the links! I couldnt find anything remotly like the discription of these red spots. They are concerning me greatly and show no more real signs of reduction. They are definetly internal. Fortunatly the poor girl is still eating well and looks happy and attentive, and today it seemed she was using her tail a little bit, but she still has some trouble manuvering and seems kind of boyant. Hopefully time will return her back to normal, but I would really like to see these spots diagnosed and treated. I think if she wern't a pure white fish the spots would not by visible externally, so that makes if difficult to diagnose.

An t-iasg: chan eil gu dona, tha thu fhein gu mhath? Thanks for your well wishes!

 

[Menagerie]

Use a kanamycin based med to treat for a bacterial infection. That is what I would do.

 

[An t-iasg]

I agree -- I have used Kanacyn before many times. It has always worked a miracle!

stew -- Tha mi fhein gu math gu dearbh, tapadh leat! (agus na h-eisg agam cuideachd!)

Sorry to get carried away...I only have one person to practice with!