Molly breathing heavy...

[angelf]

It could be that since the Molly has used all her energy to give birth her body has no more energy to fight any infections she must of had before birth, try putting some aquarium salt for electrolytes to give the Molly energy. Other than that I don't know good luck!

 

[ae123]

Hey, thanks for your concern. They look healthy enough. They get very excited whenever I turn off the filter and open the tank lid. They know food may be coming.

They just look a little rough, especially around the gills. Looks like deterioration and perhaps an immune response where the inside is quite silver, and thick. I dunno enough about it.

I bought some things today. Parasite Guard, Rid Ich Plus. I think I'm going to use the Parasite Guard first, its an internal/external parasite clearer, being that the gills may be a breeding ground at this point & as the male and female seemed to have perished from the HIH. It is only two treatments & hopefully it will eliminate some things.

The Rid Ich is a bit more labor intensive but w/the Malachite and Formalin, I've read it is pretty good all around disease treatment--relatively safe and comprehensive--for parasites, fungal and bacterial issues.

Maybe I'm paranoid, but it will only take about a week to complete the treatment. Hopefully this will give them a better shot at continuing to grow with health.

Maybe, though, after the Parasite Guard, it would be better to use something a tad more bacteria specific than just the malachite and formalin. The mollies, I thought, might appreciate this as I've read they are a bit more sensitive/susceptible, especially bacterially, in strictly freshwater environment. I can only add so much salt w/my catfish & dunno how much the platys appreciate it either. Not near as much as the mollies do.

This is not a game but I feel like I'm playing one. I really should know a lot more than I do to be looking after these fish. But I don't.

 

[stingrays4]

Hi may i ask what catfish you have got? The platies are pretty strong fish and will be ok with the salt. Remember its a tonic salt and not a marine salt. One idea you could try, would be to give the mollies a salt bath,using full strength sea water? Personally i would go with the tonic salt. May i ask do you turn your filter off when you feed your fish? Also if treating with meds remember to take out any carbon.

 

[ae123]

Pterygoplichthys Paradalis, the Leopard Pleco or Cat.

Why to give 2 or 3 teaspoons per gallon bath? For their gill swell? Oh, wait, that is make parasites fall off doesn't it? Do you think the catfish could tolerate it? I could move him to my 10 gallon.

I turn the filter off when I feed, yes. I recommend. The fish have a much easier time getting at the food when it's not swirling around, you know? Specially the powder and crushed pellets I feed the fry.

By the way, the pleco has had these thin hairs on his back for a bit. Some a couple cm long, really thin though. I'm hoping its an algae or something else neutral & not a detriment. Could it be algae? Not to change the subject but he hasn't really been acting different and they don't look very harmful. Any thoughts.

Thanks for your correspondence thus far.

ae123

 

[stingrays4]

Hi, the cat should be ok with the salt,i have kept similar cats in brackish conditions,so should be OK. I would add only a third of the dosage of salt just to see how they react first,if all OK after 24 hours then add another third and then for the final third. Leave at least a week then carry on with your water changes as per usual. The thin hair like things are baffling not heard of it before,but if the cat is acting OK then assume all is OK.

 

[Sisserydoo]

Hello, I've been keeping some black mollies and noticed they are prone to develop fungus. Jungle fungus clear tablets seem to take care of the problem. The mollies seem to get sick when everyone elsein the tank is just fine. I also have one female that has the thickened silver gills, so I know what you are talking about, but not what causes it.