Sailfin Molly sick

[Arizonagrace]

I have a sailfin molly with the following symptoms: Her fins are clamped tightly and while she does swim around some, she usually stays in one place and kind of waggles. In this tank, (30 gallon long) I have 4 sailfin mollies, 3 catfish and 2 baby sailfin mollies. Oh, and 1 clown pleco. Parameters are all good. I keep it salted at 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of water. Temp at 78.

I fed her some anitparasite medicated food, which she did eat, and it hasn't helped. I also dosed with parasite guard, but it did not help so far either.

One of the males is starting to act a little funny like her and staying in one place. Although he does not looked as clamped, he is waggling a bit now too.

Any suggestions? I hate to lose her as they are extremely rare to get around my area.

 

[Lupin]

Grace, could you please post exactly what the water parameters are and what test kit you used? It is not all the time people who help here, are convinced the water quality is okay. Even with ammonia and nitrite at undetectable levels and nitrate less than 40 ppm, test kits have very limited scopes which is why it is also important to mention the pH, KH and GH (if kits for these are within your reach), tank maintenance regimen, feeding schedule, menu and many other variables. To be honest, I would prefer a longer informative post than a shorter explanation with still many vague details. This makes for a quicker diagnosis than to ask repetitive questions.

Regarding your situation, does the fish appear to secrete heavy slime coat as well? Does it seem to breathe at the surface? Has it scratched on any decoration at all? I am guessing at the moment costia or bacterial infection would be the culprit although I will not discount the possibility of water quality deteriorating being another cause which is why I mentioned earlier we need more details to be sure of what is happening here.

What salt did you use and why did you feel it necessary to add it? How long have you kept the fish? Did the source add salt in their tank full of mollies at all? If so, what kind of salt did they use? What are the ingredients of the antiparasite food? Does it have garlic as one of the ingredients? You are adding the treatments unnecessarily and this will harm your fish more than help them at all. Be careful with what you are treating for. Most treatments can kill a fish faster than any health issues can.

I'll monitor this thread as much as possible. It does not hurt however to post this in Aquariacentral's Disease section where more people are well educated with health issues for community fish, not just monster fish.

 

[Alexxxxsv14]

maybe increase temp to 80's

 

[Lupin]

maybe increase temp to 80's

This does not help anything. If the case involves bacterial infection, then you are only trying to help the Aeromonas or Pseudomonas bacteria progress further as these genera thrive in warm water quite well.

 

[Arizonagrace]

The tank is a 30 gallon long. In it, I have 4 sailfin mollies, 3 catfish, 1 clown pleco and a few baby mollies. The temp is 78 degrees, I have had the sailfins since May 14th.

0 ammonia, 0 nitritre, 20 nitrate using both API test kits and Jungle quick test strips (to double check parameters). I am using strips to test ph/kh and I think they are: 7.8-8.4 ph 80 kh.

I have been doing daily 10% water changes for the last 2 weeks since the babies appeared in the tank. I add salt at 1 tablespoon per 5 gallon, as this is what they told me to do when I purchased the fish at the store. Twice a week, I gravel 1/2 of the tank, alternating sides.

The medication I fed one time, adding garlic to the food and soaking it for awhile. I did this when we thought it might be internal parasites. Two days later, I added some garlic directly to the tank to stimulate her appetite (and it did work). I did medicate with parasite guard (1 dose) on the 27th. I also have shimmy blocks (2) in the tank.

She doesn't appear to have any excessive slime coat, isn't scratching on anything, but does appear to breathe at the top of the tank, mostly when she is feeding. It seems she has some difficulty eating, but does get food. Otherwise, she just stays in one spot and moves back/forth. All of today, she is spending most of the time on the bottom of the tank. She is looking thin, and it appears her back is not proper, but I think this is from not being well for awhile. Only 1 of the other 4 are showing any signs/symptoms of illness and he is starting to rock back/forth in place now. The other 2 look fine.

I use Topfin aquarium salt, feed once a night with a variety of foods (spirulina, veggie flakes, tetramenu select a meal, and 1 or 2 times a week I feed some frozen brine shrimp/mysis or rod's food. Also occasionally feed bloodworms, but not often. Nets/gravel cleaner or buckets are not shared with the other tanks. (They each have their own.)

I hope this is all the info you need.

 

[Lupin]

Okay, I read all your details here. Your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are fine as well as the pH. Your KH however is very soft for the mollies. Mollies are not used to this in comparison with guppies which is why most mollies begin to suffer clamped fins when the carbonate hardness is extremely low. You need to add calcium carbonate. Crushed corals, crushed oyster shells, aragonite, beach sand, limestones and marble chips can help solve your issue.

Here's the hardness level chart for you.
0 - 4 dH, 0 - 70 ppm : very soft
4 - 8 dH, 70 - 140 ppm : soft
8 - 12 dH, 140 - 210 ppm : medium hard
12 - 18 dH, 210 - 320 ppm : fairly hard
18 - 30 dH, 320 - 530 ppm : hard
higher : liquid rock (Lake Malawi and Los Angeles, CA)

If you were hoping to replicate brackish ro saltwater environment, you need a hydrometer and marine salt for that, not aquarium salt so keep the aquarium salt in your cabinet until for later use. Check this for more details. Although sailfin mollies can thrive in hard alkaline waters, these ones specifically will do better with brackish conditions but make necessary adjustments with your KH and GH first before you start dosing salt.

None of your details indicate internal parasites. Overall, I can see that your mollies never exactly have health issues but the environmental conditions not in their favor which explains why they appear listless.

I'm glad your post has offered enough information I needed.

 

[TwistedPenguin]

I'd attempt to add something but Lupin's last post just added everything I would've said. Everyone just adds 'salt' to Mollies when they need marine salt measured with a hydrometer. Marine salt is also what adds hardness to the water. In your tank with the Catfish and Plec I wouldn't add salt though, I'd get them out of there 1st.

 

[Lupin]

I'd attempt to add something but Lupin's last post just added everything I would've said. Everyone just adds 'salt' to Mollies when they need marine salt measured with a hydrometer. Marine salt is also what adds hardness to the water. In your tank with the Catfish and Plec I wouldn't add salt though, I'd get them out of there 1st.

Thanks for the correction, TP. I completely forgot marine salt's buffering properties. It is so easy to overlook the obvious especially when your mind is gearing on one issue to another.

 

[TwistedPenguin]

Oh hey, Lupin-I'm pretty impressed with how much you know. Do you realize you know more about fish that any 20 random Fish "Q & A" on the net? Never underestimate yourself

 

[Arizonagrace]

I have added some crushed coral to the tank. Fortunately had some because I have my saltwater tanks I don't think the molly is going to make it, but with any luck, I can avoid losing any of the others. I might get lucky and she might pull through, but she is pretty much laying on the bottom and doesn't move.