Shimmying, Just What Exactly Is It?

[H. Houdini]

Ok, so I've read quite a bit today. Apparently it's just the shakes. Raise the temp, check the water quality and add salt. However..........

I've never seen this before, but I have this mollie. She's one of our own, raised from fry. We've lost a few fish from time to time, but never one of our own. This one...... it's like she has a screw loose! She will just lay on the bottom of the tank, then bang, she's off like lightening around the tank. One end to the other, up and down, swimming against the filter flow. However, in all of this she is, how can I say, banging her head from side to side like she hopes it'll fall off. Then she'll stop and swim backwards (all the time the same movements) and then fly off again until she is so knackered that she hits the bottom and "sleeps" for a good 30 mins.

I should also add that she is trying to bite any and all the mollies in the tank, and there are a few! She isn't interested in swords, danios, barbs or loaches, but the mollies......... I think she turned into Rose West.

So, I read about what to do, and here is the general "up" on the tank;

Last week or so I've been treating for ich. I think I caused this myself with a substrate change. Tank is now all clear and free of meds (sat). No more negative signs.

Temp 28c
PH 7.6-7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10 (ish) it's planted

Our water is very hard, so I've not added salt ( I have never done anything for the turtles and they grow their shells just fine, no deformities for the year we've had them). She has never experienced salt and none of the others has ever shown the same problems.
She is only about 3-4 months old and hasn't borne any fry as of yet. She is not as big as any of her siblings (the ones we kept), but she is kinda squaring off, though she doesn't look big enough and I can't see a gravid area. (The boys were chasing her like mental about 4-5 weeks ago and I haven't seen them doing that since) One last thing, she IS flicking. I daren't treat her for parasites so soon after the ich meds.

So what (yes salt) am I doing wrong? Surely most use the salt to harden the water, but in this case it won't make a blind bit of difference.

Harry

P.S. I know this could/should be on emergencies, but I'd also like to use it to learn more about the shimmies etc etc etc, hence this forum, though feel free to move it if I crossed a line mods.

 

[OldMan47]

The usual solution for a shimmy situation is to raise the Gh and KH along with pushing the pH to at least 7.5. It sounds like you are already at least that high so shimmy solutions won't really work. The flicking is bothering me because it means there is something irritating her and she wants to scratch where it itches. Are you certain you treated long enough after the ich was no longer showing symptoms to actually get rid of the parasites in the tank?

 

[H. Houdini]

The usual solution for a shimmy situation is to raise the Gh and KH along with pushing the pH to at least 7.5. It sounds like you are already at least that high so shimmy solutions won't really work. The flicking is bothering me because it means there is something irritating her and she wants to scratch where it itches. Are you certain you treated long enough after the ich was no longer showing symptoms to actually get rid of the parasites in the tank?

Thanks for the reply. It bothers me too. Despite the ich (she never appeared to have any spots at all) clearing up after 10 days treatment (even the clowns are fine with 2 full doses and no signs were present after day 2), I have to admit that I had noticed her flicking before and had dosed Sera tremazol a while back when we thought there may be internal problems, which wilder suggested. That seemed to kick the problem for a short while, but it started again. (Now she isn't the only one doing it, but she is the worst) I have also seen it in some of the other mollies, but it isn't as bad as it was.

Should I pull her out and give her the tremazol again this soon after the ich treatment?

Harry

P.S. It could be completely unrelated, but there is unusual behaviour with another mollie. She started, about a week ago, hanging out above the heater at a 45 degree angle. This was only for very short periods of time, but she would always return. This behaviour has got gradually worse. She is now almost at a tail up, nose down position in the same place, but for longer periods of time and VERY defensive of her position (above the heater). I initially took note but dismissed it as the 45 degree angle, either forwards or back, was indicative to me of a position prior to giving birth and also she is swimming normally whenever she moves. She should reach her 28th day tomorrow, but like I say, it's been for about a week. Maybe the males are stressing them?

 

[OldMan47]

I'm afraid that I can't really help with this one Harry. Have you updated your thread in the disease section? Those folks are much better at disease than people like me. I have a few small experiences with disease but work on more a preventive basis and fall apart if one of my fish gets sick, it happens so rarely.

 

[H. Houdini]

I'm afraid that I can't really help with this one Harry. Have you updated your thread in the disease section? Those folks are much better at disease than people like me. I have a few small experiences with disease but work on more a preventive basis and fall apart if one of my fish gets sick, it happens so rarely.

Ok, looks like I made the wrong call.

Any chance of moving this to tropical emergencies Mods?

Harry