Molly’s Caudal Fin Seems Paralyzed and Body in S-Shape

[Emfeb]

I have a male creamsicle Molly who has been swimming very weirdly for the past 3 weeks or so. His body seems to always be in an S-shape and he seems to not be able to use his caudal fin. His pectoral fins have been working fine. He also eats as I find him defecating on a daily basis. His energy overall seems good to as he is still swimming despite the abnormality. My other 4 mollies seem unaffected, so I feel as though it is safe to rule out TB. I have also withheld food for a day and only fed peas, so I feel that I can rule out swim bladder disease as well even though he sometimes swims vertically. Does anyone have any ideas of what could be wrong and how to fix it? I am thinking about treating the tank with an OTC General Cure for parasites.

 

[FranciscoB]

Sorry to say, there is no cure for that. Best is eutanasia. An easy way is to place the fish in a cup and put in the freezer. After a little while, it can be dispose of. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Essjay]

place the fish in a cup and put in the freezer

Please do not do this.

From this article

Painful fish deaths? You might be guilty!

Painful fish deaths? You might be guilty!

www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

I want it on the record that you’re not okay to take an awake, alert fish and throw it in the freezer.

 

[GaryE]

Things like this can be neurological, if your water is low in minerals, a need for mollies. But your others are okay.

A cyst can partly paralyze a fish. Often they are the result of a deadly and communicable internal infection., Mycobacteriosis, so I euthanize fish with those symptoms to save the rest of the tank. I hate it, but it can be necessary.

It could be a tumour, an injury, a stroke or a host of untreatable issues as well.

 

[Emfeb]

Things like this can be neurological, if your water is low in minerals, a need for mollies. But your others are okay.

A cyst can partly paralyze a fish. Often they are the result of a deadly and communicable internal infection., Mycobacteriosis, so I euthanize fish with those symptoms to save the rest of the tank. I hate it, but it can be necessary.

It could be a tumour, an injury, a stroke or a host of untreatable issues as well.

Thank you for this information. Humane euthanasia may be the best and only option for him based on what you are saying unfortunately. Makes me sad, but I don’t want him suffering if it is something that can not be treated.

 

[FranciscoB]

Please do not do this.

From this article

Painful fish deaths? You might be guilty!

Painful fish deaths? You might be guilty!

www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

Did you suggest a better method. Most of the text in the article you quoted agrees it is a comparably quick and lesser suffering methods. All ears for your better method.

 

[Emfeb]

Did you suggest a better method. Most of the text in the article you quoted agrees it is a comparably quick and lesser suffering methods. All ears for your better method.

After reading the article, they suggest anesthetic overdose as the most humane with concussion and brain destruction following. Making sure to pith is important, not just decapitate.

 

[Essjay]

I use clove oil (anaesthetic overdose) when it's necessary.

 

[FranciscoB]

Low temperature IS an anesthetic. Small volume of water, just to cover fish, freezer, just a few minutes. Radishes may suffer too. But it is all good.

 

[Naughts]

Low temperature IS an anesthetic. Small volume of water, just to cover fish, freezer, just a few minutes. Radishes may suffer too. But it is all good.

No. Ice crystals form inside their body causing pain. They are sentient animals so this is unethical. There are methods that cause less pain (clove oil) or are quicker (blunt force brain trauma) so why not use them.

 

[FranciscoB]

All good. Poor radishes.

 

[Back in the fold]

It’s hard to watch sometimes but I let my fish perish in their own way when their time comes. Sometimes it’s quite a while but every living creature deserves that last bit of dignity. Euthanasia is just a fancy way of mispronouncing murder.