Black Molly Looking More Like A Hot Air Balloon, Am Concerned.

Hi,

I bought a pair of Black Mollies about 3 months ago and they have been fine, Male very aggressive LOL but the female is concerning me.

Obviously these fish are live bearers and I initially thought she was heavily pregnant a few weeks after I got them, this Black Molly has Baloooooooooooned since then.....she has gotten so big it's unnatural and I mean BIG!

I have put her in a breeding trap before for a couple of days...nothing, repeated this process a few times now and still nothing.

She is feding well , but is wobbling around now rather than swimming which she has been doing for quite a while. I've heard they can get 'eggbound' but I have also noticed that although she is solid black, she is now bluey green scales around the most bulbous part of her abdomen......she is fine in herself but obviously the size of her is worrying me!

I have attached some pics, they're not great best i could do with a moby!

another one

and another

last 1

also I have to add that where her anus is, it has been slightly enlarged and white in colour

she looks pregnaut because her belly is squared off does she stay near the bottom or do the males keep chasing her please post more info on her behavour k

eddy6 said:

she looks pregnaut because her belly is squared off does she stay near the bottom or do the males keep chasing her please post more info on her behavour k

Click to expand...

She has been this size for a couple of months now and every time I put her in the breeding trap for a few days nothing, the male guppies/platies/swordtails tend to leave her alone, her 'boyfriend' my very aggressive male black only follows her every so often as he's too busy chasing all the other smaller males!

She does sit on the bottom of the tank and shakes her big belly a lot, but keep watching for fry ......but nothing....I am totally perplexed!

Thats far to large to just be pregnant. Sorry

As to what it is it's difficualt, cancer most likely.

Looks like a balloon molly to me!

No, she is a Black Molly, definatly not a balloon.....she was the same size as my male black when I got her, very slim compared to this! I am going to try her in the breeder trap again tonight, this is confusing the hell outta me!

Any luck yet? She looks huge, too big to be pregnant.
Also, I'm no expert, but someone like LauraFrog or OldMan47 might be able to help you.

I once had a guppy balloon out similarly, and it turned out to be dropsy (very nasty fish disease). I observed his sides spreading out very far to the side, and he wobbled around instead of swimming easily. He still ate, and I first thought it was constipation, but it continued for weeks until he finally deflated and echibited classic "pinecone scales" so I finally put him down. If you can, I would recommend separating your molly from the other fish. It's also possible that your agressive male needs a few more females to spread out his attention and lessen the stress on your current female. Also, if it does turn out to be an illness of some kind, it will prevent the other fish from getting it. I've used this website to assist in diagnosis before, you might want to take a look. Good luck!

Any ideas on how I can help her if it is Dropsy?

have added a small amount of tonic salts 2 days ago, can't put recommended amount in as I have a Plec and Clown Loach.

Treated for internal parasites and almost everything else imaginable! x

Dropsy can be really hard to treat. I would recommend an immediate water change, probably 50%. Dropsy is usually caused by an internal bacterial infection and poor water quality, although that is not always the case. There are others here on the forums who know more about treatment than I do. Again, good luck.

Have just finished a 4hr overhaul and water change of tank........she is fine in herself.....wobbling about and she can motor too.....very hard trying to ctach her earlier! So lets wait and see x