Problem with Black Molly

[auntiebuttons]

Just come home this evening and there seems to be some white fur like substance coming out of it's gill. Any suggestions what this might be and how it can be treated

 

[Naughtygirlrlw]

I don't know much about mollies but I'll try...Is the white stuff cottony looking? If it is it is probably fungus. Something like Jungle Fungus Eliminator will work.

 

[auntiebuttons]

Yes its the cotton wool looking stuff. Is there anything that can be done tonight as obviously the shops are shut now? Is it deadly?

 

[tttnjfttt]

Because fish often get sick when they are stressed, can you please check the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, and pH? Also, how big is the tank, what other tank mates are in there?

Also, do you have a hospital tank avaliable?

 

[WILDER]

Just make sure it isn't a parasite,once the gills are affected you will have to act fast.

Not the writer of this information below,



Columnaris (a.k.a. Mouth Fungus)



Symptoms:

An infected fish will have off-white to gray cotton-like patches on the head, fins, gills, body and particularly the mouth. In time, these areas will develop into open sores. Gill swelling may occur, gill filaments may stick together and excessive mucus may develop in the gill area. Rapid breathing can be seen. Fins may deteriorate to the point of leaving the fin rays bare. Muscles may be inflamed and capillaries may rupture. Fish, particularly livebearers, may exhibit "shimmying". Infection may be acute (killing an infected fish within hours), or chronic (lingering for several days before eventually killing the fish). As with most diseases, not all symptoms need be present.



Cause:

The bacterium Flexibacter columnaris.



Treatment:

Ensure that your water conditions (e.g., Ammonia, Nitrite, pH, Nitrate levels, and water temp.) are within their proper ranges. If not, perform a water change and/or treat the water accordingly. Recommended medications include: Furanace, Fungus Eliminator, Fungus Cure, Furacyn, Furan-2, Triple Sulfa, E.M. Tablets, Tetracycline, or Potassium Permanganate. Medicated foods are also recommended. Columnaris can be highly infectious and may quickly kill all aquarium inhabitants; therefore, early treatment is essential. All fish, including those not yet showing visible symptoms, as well as the aquarium they inhabit should be treated.

 

[auntiebuttons]

We have had the tank a while now and every so often we were getting water tests done by our LFS and they were telling us how much of particular chemicals to put into the tank. We decided that it was time consuming to do this and so we bought a water test kit. We got it home and did the tests but had no clue on what to put into the tank as the numbers from the results didn't mean anything to us.

We have:

2 black mollies
3 balloon mollies
1 common plec
6 cardinals
3 sailfin mollies
4 black widows
2 rosy barbs

We have no hospital tank. Is that something we should have?

 

[tttnjfttt]

Do you have any antibiotic meds on hand? If not, you will need to get some. I agree with wilder that it is most likely columnaris. Begin to slowly lower the temperature to around 74 F, because it will slow the spread of this disease, making it more treatable.

How big of a tank do you have?
If you want, post the test results, and myself or someone else will tell you what they mean?

 

[Hels]

if its not fuffy then it could be what my mollies have had before....

it just looked like white bits/blotches on the body... i guess its prbably very similar to whats been said already.... i think i was told that its something black mollies can be prone to... to do with their slime coating...


the couple of times it happen to me... i isolated them, added salt (tonic salt from lfs, increased it per instruction everyday) and added 'disease clear' by King British, its helps provent infections, gets rid of external bacteria infections and aids regeneration of tissue

they started to look better pretty quickly

EDIT (sorry you beat me to answering, my infos probably not much help!)

 

[auntiebuttons]

We don't have any antibiotic meds on hand.

How do I lower the temperature?

We have a Juwel 70 tank.

Test results are:

pH 6
gH 6.5
kH 4
nH4 0
nO2 <0.1

These readings were taken 2 weeks ago just before we changed 10% of the tank water.

Is there an easy way of telling what the results from the tests mean rather than bugging you guys?

 

[auntiebuttons]

Also, the stuff coming out of the gills is fluffy...

 

[WILDER]

You are from the uk then, just turn the heater nob anti clockwise for turning the heat down, do you have an issolation tank as you will need two med, anti internal bacteria med and anti fungus and finrot med by interpet, do a salt bath now.
http/ukdiscus.com/ken_thomson_salt.htm

 

[auntiebuttons]

We have no isolation tank and no medications etc.

I hate myself for saying this but....will it be best to remove the fish altogether?

 

[WILDER]

Does it look like it suffering, also do some water changes on the main tank.

 

[auntiebuttons]

Well it ate its food tonight but I don't want to wake up in the morning and all the fish are dead!

 

[tttnjfttt]

Answering the question about how to read the test results, there are three you should worry about. Ammonia and nitrIte should always be zero. If there is a reading, then there is a problem within your tank, and you need to begin daily water changes until they are at zero. pH is something that is good to moniter, but not alter. The key with the pH is consistancy. If the pH suddenly changes, it will stress your fish. It is also important to know when aclimating new fish.

The hospital tank is useful to be able to isolate a sick fish, so the disease won't spread to other fish. My hosital tank is a 10 gal tank, that I bought for $30 from walmart (tank, heater, hood, filter and light (which doesn't get used)).