Molly strange behaviour

jj17 · Apr 2, 2020

Hi all, me again i’ve mentioned this little molly in previous posts and i’m still worried about him.

these patches have appeared on his sides that are pale, i wondered if could be fungus but they are not white or fluffy, just pale. has taken to sitting on the bottom of the tank very still. he can swim as has showed this but often will look in the tank and he will just be sat on the bottom, sometimes looks like he is losing balance and his tail curls like he’s using all his strength to stay upright. i’d say his eyes look quite dull as well. he is supposed to be a balloon molly but doesn’t look it as he’s very small and thin. any ideas guys?

thanks in advance from a fretty fish ma

jj17 · Apr 2, 2020

jj17 said:
Hi all, me again i’ve mentioned this little molly in previous posts and i’m still worried about him.

these patches have appeared on his sides that are pale, i wondered if could be fungus but they are not white or fluffy, just pale. has taken to sitting on the bottom of the tank very still. he can swim as has showed this but often will look in the tank and he will just be sat on the bottom, sometimes looks like he is losing balance and his tail curls like he’s using all his strength to stay upright. i’d say his eyes look quite dull as well. he is supposed to be a balloon molly but doesn’t look it as he’s very small and thin. any ideas guys?

thanks in advance from a fretty fish ma

Byron · Apr 2, 2020

This wasn't asked in the older thread on the molly problem...what is the GH (general hardness) and pH of your water?

And have you tested ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and if so, what were the numbers?

jj17 · Apr 2, 2020

we only have the wee sticks for testing and they all come up the right colours when tested have managed to have a better look at him, his eyes are cloudy and his mouth is weird. best way i can describe is he cant open his lips so his breathing is staggered and where his top lip comes away from his face is white and stringy inside. every so often he’ll move his lips to what i assume is too far out and then he sort of coughs. was going to take him back to store he came from but they’re shut and i honestly dunno if he’ll make it to the morning

Byron · Apr 2, 2020

jj17 said:
we only have the wee sticks for testing and they all come up the right colours when tested have managed to have a better look at him, his eyes are cloudy and his mouth is weird. best way i can describe is he cant open his lips so his breathing is staggered and where his top lip comes away from his face is white and stringy inside. every so often he’ll move his lips to what i assume is too far out and then he sort of coughs. was going to take him back to store he came from but they’re shut and i honestly dunno if he’ll make it to the morning

Can you give us the numbers for the tests..."come up the right colours" tells us nothing, and we do need this data to help.

As for GH which is crucial here with mollies, you may be able to get this from the website of your water authority. What I am seeing in the photos suggests a problem with GH and pH, but we can't sort that out without the numbers.

Essjay · Apr 2, 2020

The OP gives his location as Scotland, and the majority, if not all, of Scotland has very soft water. But I agree, we do need definite numbers.

@jj17, if your water company is Scottish Water, can you look at this page https

/www.scottishwater.co.uk/en/help and resources/document hub/key publications/water quality then at the table under "water hardness table 2019". We need the number in the German degrees column for your town.

jj17 · Apr 2, 2020

i cant find my town or actually anywhere near it on that list given, closest town i can see on the list is perth which is like 45 minutes from me. the gh is coming up between 30-60 and the ph between 6.0 - 7.0. hard to get a definitive reading on the colour sticks. the ph is low for a change, its usually between like 6.5 -8.0

Byron · Apr 2, 2020

jj17 said:
i cant find my town or actually anywhere near it on that list given, closest town i can see on the list is perth which is like 45 minutes from me. the gh is coming up between 30-60 and the ph between 6.0 - 7.0. hard to get a definitive reading on the colour sticks. the ph is low for a change, its usually between like 6.5 -8.0

The underlying problem with your mo;lly is the low GH and acidic pH. Mollies have evolved over thousands of years to function in moderately hard water; they need the calcium and magnesium in the water (which their kidneys remove as the water passes through) in order to function physiologically, and the metabolism is connected too. They also cannot function well in an acidic pH.

Fish weakened by inappropriate parameters like these have not long to live. It may be a few months, but usually along the way something else impacts them more than it would otherwise, due to their now weakened state, and that may be the direct cause of their early death. So the indirect or underlying cause is the GH and pH.

The pH 6.5 - 8.0, can you explain this? Do you mean the tank can be 6.5 one day and 8 another?

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