mollie in distress

[ambba]

Urgent! Can anyone help, my one year old mollie fish is in distress. She has suddenly started swimming nose down and on her side, curling her tail. Her eyes are also bulging. She looks in much pain but I do not know what is wrong. . I think her swim blaader may have extended as she is constantly floating belly up and fighting to come down again. Water quality is excellent and all other fish in tank are fine, any suggestions for treatment would be most welcome, thanks ambba

 

[Angel Lady]

could she by any chance be constipated? That wouldnt cause her eyes to be bulged out that is usually caused by bad water conditions. If she is headstanding I doubt if they are much you can do. Do you have this mollie in salt ? I would recommend giving a salt dip. It usually does wonders for mollies also if she is constipated it should help with that, you should put the mollie in a hospital tank. I hope she gets better for you.

 

[ambba]

Thanks for help, I have put mollie in hospital tank with some melafix, though now she is no longer struggling but simply lying afloat and still on her side, she is breathing and looking about but no movement. thanks anyway.

 

[justupgraded15]

This can be caused by a variety of problems. First, let me ask some questions.
Are her scales portuding out?
Does the body look swollen?
Is she eating?

I do not believe this is a swimbladder disorder because that only causes the fish to swim in an abnormal fashion. It does not cause the eyes to portrude.
J.R.

 

[ambba]

Thanks for your reply J.R. in answer to your questions

Are her scales portuding out? No
Does the body look swollen? No
Is she eating? Yes

She is very still at the moment, has been for two days now, floating near the pump at the top of the tank and her eyes are still bulging, she trys occasionally to swim but has no control and floats back to the top.

Any ideas?

thanks
ambba

 

[justupgraded15]

Well, I am stumped here. It could be a combination of pop-eye and a swimbladder disorder. It is not dropsy (that is good). Continue to treat the fish with melafix. You can also bring the water level down in the hospital tank, if your filter and heater permit, to a level that is only a little deeper than the fish's height. This may help cure the problem if it is due to swimbladder. I can't help much from there. I have even consulted my Manual of Fish Health and can't find the exact problem you have or a cure.
J.R.

 

[juwel]

The swollen eyes (pop-eye) as it is known is an internal bacterial infection this would also account for the swimming disorder, as it affects the fishes balance/position in the water an anti-internal bacteria meds is required along with good airation and salt. Pop eye is usally caused by foul water quality nothing else causes the symptoms you have discribed as far as the swollen eyes are concerned.