MOLLY MALE HAS WHITE FLUFFY STUFF AROUND HIS EYES. VERY LETHARGIC.

[carligraceee]

My molly fish has a small amount of white fuzzy stuff under his eyes. I moved him into a hospital tank and was going to go to the pet store to grab some anti-fungal treatment. Is that what this is?


The camera won't pick up anything. But this is similar to what it is...

Not as swollen and more along the undereye. I can see SLIGHT bulging of the eye but not much. I got worried when he was sitting on the bottom of the tank and when I looked at him, there was stuff on his eye (white fuzzy stuff).

 

[carligraceee]

My molly fish has a small amount of white fuzzy stuff under his eyes. I moved him into a hospital tank and was going to go to the pet store to grab some anti-fungal treatment. Is that what this is?


The camera won't pick up anything. But this is similar to what it is...
View attachment 128339

Not as swollen and more along the undereye. I can see SLIGHT bulging of the eye but not much. I got worried when he was sitting on the bottom of the tank and when I looked at him, there was stuff on his eye (white fuzzy stuff).

okay i grabbed some pictures !

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Looks like a mixture of pop-eye and fungus.

Here are a few articles you can read on treatment: https://www.thesprucepets.com/pop-eye-symptoms-and-cure-1379917

Popeye Disease In Fish: Causes, Treatment & Prevention

Popeye is a fish disease you really want to avoid. Read this in-depth guide to find out about all the best treatment and prevention options.

www.aquariumsource.com

Betta Fish Popeye: How to Treat & Prevent Bulging Eyes

Is your betta fish's eye bulging? This could be a common affliction called popeye. The cause is not always clear, you first need to know...

japanesefightingfish.org

 

[carligraceee]

Looks like a mixture of pop-eye and fungus.

Here are a few articles you can read on treatment: https://www.thesprucepets.com/pop-eye-symptoms-and-cure-1379917

Popeye Disease In Fish: Causes, Treatment & Prevention

Popeye is a fish disease you really want to avoid. Read this in-depth guide to find out about all the best treatment and prevention options.

www.aquariumsource.com

Betta Fish Popeye: How to Treat & Prevent Bulging Eyes

Is your betta fish's eye bulging? This could be a common affliction called popeye. The cause is not always clear, you first need to know...

japanesefightingfish.org

Okay I read through them, do I treat for both pop-eye AND fungus? All my other fish are doing great and I tested my water awhile ago, the nitrites were pretty high and I was thinking it was because I changed my filter cartridge? I have a TopFin filter and it comes with the biological thing (the blue thing with holes in it that sits in front of the cartridge itself). Also, the chemical hardness is pretty low, is there anyway I can get that up and could that be apart of the problem?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I would treat for both, because it’s two different diseases.

All my other fish are doing great and I tested my water awhile ago, the nitrites were pretty high and I was thinking it was because I changed my filter cartridge?

That is a possibility... you shouldn’t need to replace your filter cartridge, unless it’s literally falling apart. The manufacturing tell you to replace it every month, so you keep buying, and they make more money.

If the cartridge is dirty, swish it in some old tank water. This gets rid of some of the gunk, but still keeps your beneficial bacteria alive.

Also, the chemical hardness is pretty low, is there anyway I can get that up and could that be apart of the problem?

By chemical hardness, I assume you mean water hardness?

Mollys are hard water fish, but this is not what’s causing the issue.

Pop-eye is caused by poor water quality and an infection underneath the eye. (Causing the “popped eye”)

Fungus is caused by (again) poor water quality, an injury getting infected, etc.

 

[carligraceee]

I would treat for both, because it’s two different diseases.



That is a possibility... you shouldn’t need to replace your filter cartridge, unless it’s literally falling apart. The manufacturing tell you to replace it every month, so you keep buying, and they make more money.

If the cartridge is dirty, swish it in some old tank water. This gets rid of some of the gunk, but still keeps your beneficial bacteria alive.



By chemical hardness, I assume you mean water hardness?

Mollys are hard water fish, but this is not what’s causing the issue.

Pop-eye is caused by poor water quality and an infection underneath the eye. (Causing the “popped eye”)

Fungus is caused by (again) poor water quality, an injury getting infected, etc.

okay- wow you are helping so much! now i know about the filter cartridges! what should i get at the store? i’m going today

 

[PheonixKingZ]

okay- wow you are helping so much! now i know about the filter cartridges! what should i get at the store? i’m going today

I would get a bag of epsom salt (although it most likely won’t be at a fish store. Check Walmart) and API Fungus Cure. The salt baths will help the pop-eye, and the Fungus Cure will get rid of that nasty fungus.

 

[carligraceee]

I would get a bag of epsom salt (although it most likely won’t be at a fish store. Check Walmart) and API Fungus Cure. The salt baths will help the pop-eye, and the Fungus Cure will get rid of that nasty fungus.

perfect! should i treat him in the other tank with all my other fish? will it hurt them if they aren’t sick? what can i do to fix the hardness of the water?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

perfect! should i treat him in the other tank with all my other fish? will it hurt them if they aren’t sick? what can i do to fix the hardness of the water?

Do not add him back into the other tank. Fungus may be contagious, although it hasn’t been proven to my knowledge. It’s best to just keep him in the QT tank, and get these diseases treated.

Is your water to hard? Or not hard enough?

 

[carligraceee]

Do not add him back into the other tank. Fungus may be contagious, although it hasn’t been proven to my knowledge. It’s best to just keep him in the QT tank, and get these diseases treated.

Is your water to hard? Or not hard enough?

Okay- i’ll get him a larger QT tank since i’m using the one i keep them in when i clean.

my water isn’t hard enough- it’s around me 150ppm and i was told 250ppm is best.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

You can make your water harder by adding crushed coral or cuttlebone to the tank.

 

[carligraceee]

You can make your water harder by adding crushed coral or cuttlebone to the tank.

what’s happening to him?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Is he still moving? Is he still breathing?

 

[carligraceee]

Is he still moving? Is he still breathing?

he moves around sometimes- but he kept moving in circles, the picture is one of him mid turning. he can swim a little but he can’t stay up for long and yes he’s breathing. i can see him trying to stay up and alive.

 

[FishGuest5123]

What did you put in the water? Reading the above posts, did you leave him in epsom salt. That should be done in a bath for only minutes. 1 tsp per gallon of tank water.