Sick molly, help !!

[mteverett]

My molly has been increasingly sick the past week and i’m not sure what it is (suspected popeye from injury) and i’m not sure what to do next as he is getting worse.

Here are the details:

Started with a bulging left eye he would still eat and swim normally, after a few days he became less active and sat at the bottom of the tank and didn’t want to eat, he then began to swim frantically and bump into things. currently his eye is swollen, he won’t eat and is swimming in a small circle clockwise all day long.

I started treating with aquarium salt and then when that did not help i started using melafix. He is still deteriorating and is constantly swimming in a small circle. I was planning on using pimafix if nothing improves. I also heard that epsom salt baths may help?

Any advice would be appreciated to help save my fish.

 

[foxgirl158]

We need a few more details before we can recommend anything, along with photos if possible.

Size of tank?
Parameters?(I.E Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate...)
Water changes? How often?
Is your tank cycled?
How long have you had your fish?
(I'm probably missing some questions, maybe @Essjay can help with more?)

 

[mteverett]

We need a few more details before we can recommend anything, along with photos if possible.

Size of tank?
Parameters?(I.E Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate...)
Water changes? How often?
Is your tank cycled?
How long have you had your fish?
(I'm probably missing some questions, maybe @Essjay can help with more?)

10 gallon tank,
Ammonia and nitrite 0 and nitrate 5ppm
Water changed once a week about 40% of the tank volume
The tank is cycled and i’ve had my fish for 5 months

 

[Essjay]

How hard is the water?

Mollies are big fish which need a tank bigger than 10 gallons, I'm afraid. They are also hard water fish which don't do well in soft water.

A bulging eye on just one side does suggest injury rather than some internal problem which often causes both eyes to bulge. Daily waer changes and salt are the first things to try. Are there any other fish in the tank, and if so what are they? Mollies are OK in higher salt levels but we need to consider tank mates, if any.

 

[mteverett]

How hard is the water?

Mollies are big fish which need a tank bigger than 10 gallons, I'm afraid. They are also hard water fish which don't do well in soft water.

A bulging eye on just one side does suggest injury rather than some internal problem which often causes both eyes to bulge. Daily waer changes and salt are the first things to try. Are there any other fish in the tank, and if so what are they? Mollies are OK in higher salt levels but we need to consider tank mates, if any.

I tried aquarium salt for a few days and melafix. He is deteriorating fast. He is constantly spinning in a small circle won’t eat, it seems to be beyond an injury at this point or the injury causing further illness.

To address the tank size, I just had the three mollies in a 10 gallon while they were young and that’s why I moved two mollies into a 29 gallon and this is a quarantine tank.

The hardness is appropriate for mollies, I can’t remember the exact measure but I tested and did my research before putting them in .

 

[Essjay]

If the molly is in a quarantine tank, that's fine.

It sounds as though the molly does have an infection of some sort. But identifying what type of infection is difficult - it could be bacterial, viral or even protozoan - so working out which treatment to use is not easy. Melafix is more like an antiseptic that we would use to clean a cut, it doesn't cure infections which have taken hold. If you are in a country where you can buy antibiotics, they may work if the cause is bacterial but not if it's viral or protozoan. There are no treatments for viral infections, and I don't know of any for protozoan infections (except for intestinal infections but this isn't intestinal).

I'm sorry I can't be more help

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Neither aquarium salt, nor Melafix, would fix anything quickly.
Whilst the Jury is still out on the efficacy of Melafix, I'd go with @Essjay 's appraisal and skip it.
The aquarium salt, however, is tried and tested and, given your Molly is in a hospital tank, you could increase the dose.
NOTE that you need to dissolve the salt before you add it to the tank.

For a 3 gallon tank, you'd normally start off with 1tbsp.
Observe the fish. If distress is shown, do a 75% water change.

Given that you've already started salt treatment, you can go up to 1tbsp a gallon.
Again, observe the fish. If distress is shown, do a 75% water change.

 

[mteverett]

Unfortunately my fish passed away yesterday, thanks everyone. Still not sure what it was.

 

[foxgirl158]

Unfortunately my fish passed away yesterday, thanks everyone. Still not sure what it was.

So sorry to hear that hugs to you friend, I know how much it sucks to lose a fish

 

[mteverett]

does anyone know if this looks like normal fish poo? it floats as well