Black Molly with 1 bulging eye

[Kelly Preussner]

Good idea, thanks!

 

[Kelly Preussner]

Good idea, thanks!

So this morning I checked & now both her eyes are bulging but not as big so maybe transferred to the other eye??? No other fish are affected in the tank. So should I plan to dip her everyday until better? I will try to post pics

 

[eaglesaquarium]

If its both eyes, its likely disease related...


Or... its possible to be double wounds, but that's less likely.


That means its a possible bacterial infection and a QT would be recommended for this one fish. Check the water parameters, make sure the pH is steady, the ammonia is zero, the nitrite is zero and that the nitrates are low.


A QT doesn't need to be another tank. A large piece of tupperware (never washed) and a sponge filter can be used. Incidentally, this would be a reason to have a pre-filter sponge on the intake in the main tank, as it will provide you a cycled filter sponge ready to use if a QT situation is necessary. In a QT, a broad spectrum antibiotic medication can kill both gram-positive and gram-negative strands. A product like Furan-2 will work, but you'll need to follow the dosage on their package and be sure to know the volume of WATER, not the volume of the container for dosing. Follow those directions, and if bacterial, it will be gone at the end of the treatment. I don't believe this is a fungal or parasitic situation.


The salt baths can be continued during this time as well... but, replace the fish to the QT at the end... And be careful of the ammonia in the QT. A large container with just one fish and a bit of food (tiny bits, not much) won't produce a lot of ammonia, but you'll need to watch it closely anyway, so that the fish isn't dealing with two problems.

 

[Kelly Preussner]

If its both eyes, its likely disease related...


Or... its possible to be double wounds, but that's less likely.


That means its a possible bacterial infection and a QT would be recommended for this one fish. Check the water parameters, make sure the pH is steady, the ammonia is zero, the nitrite is zero and that the nitrates are low.


A QT doesn't need to be another tank. A large piece of tupperware (never washed) and a sponge filter can be used. Incidentally, this would be a reason to have a pre-filter sponge on the intake in the main tank, as it will provide you a cycled filter sponge ready to use if a QT situation is necessary. In a QT, a broad spectrum antibiotic medication can kill both gram-positive and gram-negative strands. A product like Furan-2 will work, but you'll need to follow the dosage on their package and be sure to know the volume of WATER, not the volume of the container for dosing. Follow those directions, and if bacterial, it will be gone at the end of the treatment. I don't believe this is a fungal or parasitic situation.


The salt baths can be continued during this time as well... but, replace the fish to the QT at the end... And be careful of the ammonia in the QT. A large container with just one fish and a bit of food (tiny bits, not much) won't produce a lot of ammonia, but you'll need to watch it closely anyway, so that the fish isn't dealing with two problems.

Ok, now I am really confused because this morning it is back to only the 1 eye still bulging. The eye that was originally good is now good again. I didn’t do the dip yesterday but she is in it right now. Also, I know you originally said 50% water change every other day which would be today but my water is really clean. Do I still do it??? I will try to post a picture of my tank. Everyone else still seems ok. She is still eating good & acting normally.

Just did another water check:
PH 8.1, Amonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 2.0

 

[Colin_T]

Baths and dips are bad for fish. Every time you chase the fish around to catch it, you stress the fish and make it sicker. When you lift the fish out of water you potentially rub mucous off its body and allow disease organisms easier access to the skin and body.

If you only have livebearers in the tank, add a heap of salt to the tank and leave the fish alone.

 

[Kelly Preussner]

I have livebearers, 1 betta, 6 nerite snails & live plants. I was not sure about salt for the other fish.

 

[Colin_T]

If you have Bettas in the tank, you can use 1 or 2 heaped tablespoons of rock salt, sea salt or swimming pool salt for every 20 litres of tank water. Leave the salt in the tank for 2 weeks then water change it out.

The salt level is fine for plants and filter bacteria.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Ok, now I am really confused because this morning it is back to only the 1 eye still bulging. The eye that was originally good is now good again. I didn’t do the dip yesterday but she is in it right now. Also, I know you originally said 50% water change every other day which would be today but my water is really clean. Do I still do it??? I will try to post a picture of my tank. Everyone else still seems ok. She is still eating good & acting normally.

Just did another water check:
PH 8.1, Amonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 2.0

Clean water is the best thing.... the cleaner the better.

If the one eye is looking better again, stick with the treatment we've already discussed. Yes, do the 50% water changes to keep the water as pristine as possible. The water can't be too clean for the fish.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Baths and dips are bad for fish. Every time you chase the fish around to catch it, you stress the fish and make it sicker. When you lift the fish out of water you potentially rub mucous off its body and allow disease organisms easier access to the skin and body.

If you only have livebearers in the tank, add a heap of salt to the tank and leave the fish alone.

I am going to disagree with you here, Colin. The bath and/or dip has a therapeutic effect. Agreed there is a bit of stress involved in the catching for the treatment.


As for the advice to just 'add a heap of salt to the tank', I'd suggest that that is some very poor advice for a new fishkeeper and won't lead to a helpful solution. No direction for how much salt, what type of salt, and should the salt be predissolved or just hap hazardly dropped in. I am glad to see that a subsequent post at least involved the concentration.

But, I've already addressed why I believe its a bad idea to add the salt, and why I am suggesting to go with the bath method. Its up to the OP to decide which to go with.

 

[Kelly Preussner]

I just looked at her again & she is acting completely normal & the original good eye is back to normal so I will assume it was an injury. I am planning to give her a salt bath (4t Epsom salt mixed with 1 gal water) for 30 min every day until the eye looks better. She seems to tolerate it well & I have made it as stress free as possible for her. I will not have time to do a water change today but will do another 50% water change tomorrow. My concern with the big water changes is that I heard it is not good to do that very often but maybe ok for a short time?? If you think the big water change won't affect the other fish I will do it. Thanks again for all the advice. I appreciate it!
Let's see what tomorrow holds...

 

[Essjay]

Big water changes are not a problem provided you remember to use dechlorinator, and have the new water at roughly the same temperature as the tank water. Most people who say big water changes are bad seem to believe that the 'filter' bacteria live in the water, and they think that doing big water changes removes too many bacteria. They don't because the bacteria live attached to surfaces.

 

[seangee]

I had a tetra a few months ago that looked exactly the same. Clean water and no other treatment. Didn't seem to do anything for the first few days and then one day she was completely back to normal.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I had a tetra a few months ago that looked exactly the same. Clean water and no other treatment. Didn't seem to do anything for the first few days and then one day she was completely back to normal.

Exactly. The clean water is like the band-aid, and the treatment is the 'healing ointment'... its not always necessary, but its something that mollies in particular can very easily handle.

Tetras are more sensitive to that sort of treatment.

 

[Kelly Preussner]

Thank you so much for all the advice! I will do the big water change tomorrow & hopefully she will heal quickly!

 

[Kelly Preussner]

Exactly. The clean water is like the band-aid, and the treatment is the 'healing ointment'... its not always necessary, but its something that mollies in particular can very easily handle.

Tetras are more sensitive to that sort of treatment.

Ok, now I am thinking something else might be going on... she has a white spot on top of her mouth & 1 underneath. Her lips look a little chapped. Ugh!! Help