Molly With Red Gills

[nic1977]

Hi could someone please have a look at this picture it my female orange molly i thought at first she was pregnant but now i'm not so sure maybe she is just bloated she has started to go red around her gills and i have noticed that her tail looks thinner than when i got her also sometime when i look close up it looks like her scales are peeling off also her top fin (sorry not sure of the correct name) always seems to be flat against her back where as my other molly's the fin goes up sometimes. Any advice will be gratefully recieved

 

[Athena]

Clamped fins and bloating are usually a sign of a bacterial infection. If the scales are NOT protruding off the body (pineconing) then it's not dropsy. Bacterial infections can cause fin/body rot, which may result in some loss of scales in patches.

What are your water stats in this tank? Inflammed gills can be a sign of high ammonia/nitrite present, so if you have a test kit (preferably liquid kit) could you do a test of the full range and post the results here, thanks.

If you're unable to test the water today, don't worry, do a 50% water change asap and a gravel vac (if your stats are high this will help bring the levels down and help prevent other fish becoming ill). Increase the aeration if possible (e.g. if you have an airstone running in the tank, turn it up full).

If you are in the UK you can treat with Myxazin or something similar (anti-bacterial) from your LFS. I've always used Myxazin in the past so I can only recommend what I've used and had success with.

Not sure if you've left it too late to rescue this fish but it's worth a try - and even if this fish cannot be cured, you will at least be taking measures to prevent your other fish going the same way...

Regards - Athena

 

[nic1977]

So is this fish definatley not pregnant all the other fish in the tank seem ok would you still treat i only have test strips at the moment it says nitrite 0 nitrate 25 ph 6.8 not sure if thats enough. I feel really bad now as i thought she was pregnant i have carbon in my filter do i need to take that out if i add meds

 

[Devorax]

When using meds remove any carbon filtration and any zeolite as well, as they interfere with some meds and remove others. I also wouldn't rely on test strips as they are generally pretty inaccurate, an API Master Test Kit is a great tool to have and seems to last for ages.
As a general rule of thumb, it is better to treat the whole tank when you have one sick fish, as then you stop it spreading to others. If you isolate a sick fish to a hospital tank and treat it individually, there is always the chance the the disease is still in the original tank posing a threat to other fish. At least, that's the principleI work to, others may have different ideas.

 

[Athena]

I agree with Devorax.

As this is bacterial, I would treat the whole tank - and follow those steps I mentioned above to ensure your tank is in tip-top condition. Using test strips won't give such an accurate reading as liquid tests - and you really need the ammonia reading, too.

Your molly is in total clampdown (even her tailfin is clamped straight) - that's a sure sign she is suffering. Any time you see any of your fish clamping fins like that, it means they are stressed/sick. When that happens, the sooner you are able to get a diagnosis and begin treatment the better the outcome.

Regards - Athena

 

[nic1977]

Hi thanks for the advice do you think its too late for the orange molly if so should i put her out of her misery i don't like to think of her suffering and then still treat the tank incase the problem is in there.

 

[Devorax]

Personally I wouldn't yet euthanase, as our mollie female has been spending hours at a time clamped whilst we get on top of our problem, only for her to appear normal again some time later. Unless it becomes pretty damned obvious that she will not get well again or will have a greatly reduced quality of life if she did, there is always a chance of a full recovery.
And yes, please get some meds in there as soon as possible, using the guidance from Athena et al.

 

[WILDER]

Size of tank in gallons or litres.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

Red gills can be bad water quality, bacterial gill rot. or gill flukes.
Peeling skin can be bad water quality, bacterial, parasites.

Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
Any excess mucas or body or gills of the fish.
What does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.
Any red pierce marks on the fish body.
Does the fish swim in a jerky movement.

If you don't have liquid test kits I would advise taking a sample of your water to the lfs for testing. Also ask them if they wouldn't mind writing the results down for you.