Female Dalmation Molly Acting Weird......

[carach]

Good day all. I have just been lurking on your board for a few days and decided this is the place to ask a question about my female dalmation molly.

First, she is about 2 inches long and was pregnant when I bought her. Yesterday she just had babies and so I went out and bought a breeding trap to house the babies and her.

However, I noticed that after she gave birth she was acting really weird. It is like her equalibrium is off. Her tail end is always up in the air while her head is towards the bottom. Almost as if she is doing a head stand. I kept her in the breeding cage all night, hoping that when I woke up I wouldn't find her dead. Fortunately she lasted through the night as well as the babies. However, she is still in the same head stand position.

I fed her a little flakes in hopes that she would eat and she isn't eating. I am wondering if this is normal after giving birth or if you all can give me your advise as to what is happening and what I can do to help her out.

She is in a 55 gallon fish tank and the temp is set to 78 - 80 degrees. Although she is in a breeding cage at this moment she does have about 9 other fish in the 55 gallon tank. 1 male dalmation, two swordtails (male and female), two female black mollies, one algea eater, and three zebra fish.

I would like to take this time to thank you in advance for any and all posts. I really hope to save her.

[Bettachris]

often i found that female livebearers will sometimes die after giving birth, the only thing i can think of is add some aquarium salt. In the wild mollies are brackish water fishes so just like the other livebearers in your tank, they can handle and acutally do better with alot of aquarium salt.


just some notes on aquarium salt---
- aquarium salt is very good for fresh water fish, however their are some fishes that can't handle salt. fishes like clown loaches etc.. with no scales, salt will hurt them, but for most other fishes it is a good idea after water changes.

-and like i stated b4, the big 4 livebearers(swords,platy,guppies,molly) can handle salt in their water.

so i would try some aquarium salt, and raise the water temp to 81-83 * F

[carach]

Bettachris,

Thank you for your response. The tank does have aquarium salt and each time I do a water change I add more using the recommended dose on the back of the box.

:( It saddens me to think she may die. I will increase the temperature, though, in hopes of helping her out.

Thank you again for your response. If you think of anything else I can try, please let me know.

Carach

[Bettachris]

it is fresh in my mind as about 2 days b4, i lost one of my female silver mollies in a very simular fashion.

i will keep thinking though and let u know.:)

[carach]

Bettachris,

I am sorry that you lost one of your silver mollies just a few days ago.:(

i will keep thinking though and let u know.

Thanks.

So far she is still living. I can say she sure is trying to survive this. I still have her isolated from the other fish by having her in the breeding cage. She still hasn't eaten anything but I read on this board somewhere that they can go without eating for about 1.5 weeks. So I won't worry about the eating issue until time lapses more.

[Bettachris]

i remember saying that, but in ur case it is alittle different b/c during breeding it takes alot out of them so it would be important to get her to eat.

i would try a piece of spinach, it can last in a tank for 1-2 days and some livebearers will eat it.

[carach]

Thank you once again for your reply. She lasted again through the night and so far so good today. She still is not right though. She is going between the "head stand" and being sideways.

I will try the spinach. I did give her some algea eater's "disc / pellet" food since I notice the molly's like to eat them. She did eat some of that. So I am thankful.

Thanks again.

[carach]

Well I woke up this morning to find my female dalmation dead. :( I noticed upon taking her out that she had a spot of blurriness on her side. It wasn't all over her but only towards the back. I noticed also that since she was kept in the breeding cage with the babies that there was some white fuzziness on the bottom of the breeding cage. I am assuming it is from the female dalmation.

Upon looking closer at the other fish in the tank, it appears that one of my female black mollies have this same "blurriness" on her side towards the back. I also noticed that the black molly just isn't acting normal.

Also, the male dalmation has been hiding more than usual which is very unusual for him. I believe the fish has some kind of fungal disease or something. However, I don't know for sure.

My tank hasn't gone through it's complete "cycle" yet because we have only had it open about 4 weeks. I have been doing daily water changes due to my female dalmation. I checked the water as I have been everyday. I do have high nitrite levels and my nitrate is just starting off.

Can you again offer your expertise into how to get my fish well. The babies of just a week old are still contained in the tank as it is the only tank I have. Plus I have live plants in it.

Once again I thank you in advance for any response you may offer.

[Bettachris]

ur right, it sounds likea fungus infection. i would use a product called melafix. with this kind of medication it is important to remove the carbon from your filter, as it will make the meds have no affect.

melafix should be at your local fish store and i know alot of fishkeepers who will call this their miricle meds for fish, i just started using it and i liked it. it does have a smell to it, but it shouldn't be to bad.


again u can try some aquarium salts and raise the water temp to about 83*F

[carach]

Bettachris,

I will run out and get melafix as soon as I get off of work. I have noticed while on lunch that one of the babies died and one is about to. Will this melafix have any adverse affects on live plants or babies?

Also, I read somewhere that I should try also doing a 50% water change to get my ammonia and nitrite levels down. What do you recommend?

Thanks again

[carach]

Also, should I add more aquarium salt since I already have the prescribed dosage in there? Is there ever such a thing as too much aquarium salt?

My temp has been raised to around that temp.

[Bettachris]

melafix like some meds are suppose to be bad for live plants, and invertibrates, but i have used it with live plants and haven't seen a problem.

if u already added salt than i probably wont, but since u have alot of livebearers it can go either way as they can be brackish water fish. but i would stay with the recomended amount.

i would do a 25 % water change only because u have changed the water so much.

while at the lfs i would also consider getting jungle buddies amonnia clear. it should make ur ammonia levels stable for a few days.

[cstrohmeyer]

I would also consider a product by the same company called Pimafix, many studies (my own use included) have shown it to be more effective than Melafix. Pimafix also treats flex bacter (which mimics fungus), while Melafix does not.
Here is a snip from a study:
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PIMAFIX FROM THE PATENT:
The Pimenta extract composition and treatment of this invention are effective for a broad range of bacterial and fungal diseases that typically afflict fish and other aquatic animals. Fish diseases that may be treated in accordance with this invention include bacterial fish diseases, such as fin and tail rot, mouth fungus (often caused by the bacterium Flavobacterium columnaris); fungal fish diseases (such as those caused by microorganisms of the genera Saprolegnia and Achyle) and the like. Many fish diseases, it should be noted, are caused by different bacterial or fungal pathogens that often exhibit similar symptoms, so identification of a specific bacterial or fungal pathogen is not usually possible from mere visual inspection of the symptoms on the fish. Since the Pimenta extract treatment of this invention appears to have broad-spectrum effectiveness against many diseases affecting fish and other aquatic animals, precise identification of specific bacterial or fungal pathogens causing the disease is not usually necessary.

The Pimenta extract composition and treatment of this invention also enhance skin and tissue healing and promote such healing in injured fish or other aquatic animals. Common fish injuries include those resulting from netting, handling or confinement in closed or crowded environments, like shipping containers or holding tanks, in particular, injuries, such as wounds, lacerations, bites from other fish or animals, abrasions, scrapes, bums and other similar damage to skin or other tissues.

Also here is some information about flex bacter (which by the way, I do not think your fish have, but should be watched for in this kind of case):
http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com/2006/07/flexibacter.html

Carl
Aquarium Maintenance and Design since 1978
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/

[Bettachris]

api makes both of them as stated, but that is very interseting. i never used them both together.

i really cant stand the smell of pimafix, it smells like a pine tree and it gives me a headache, but it is still a good idea to get both.

[carach]

Cstrohmeyer,

Thank you for your added opinion. If I understand you correctly I should either use Melafix or Pimafix but not both together. It sounds as if the Pimafix will take care of everything Melafix does but also things that Melafix doesn't.

I looked and it appears that they both cost about the same. So maybe I will just get the Pimafix for now and try that.

Thanks again for the input.

Bettachris,

Thanks again for trying to help me out. I really appreciate all the suggestions you have given me. It gets really frustrating when you are trying to do what is best but can't figure out what to do in certain situations.

I really appreciate that there is a place like this and people like you to help out.

[cstrohmeyer]

You can actually use them both together, they can compliment each other (as studies have shown). I however have generally used one or the other, and mostly Pimafix nowadays, as I have had better results. But Melafix is still a good product and many professionals still swear by it.

Carl
Aquarium Maintenance and Design since 1978
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/

[marg]

Good day all. I have just been lurking on your board for a few days and decided this is the place to ask a question about my female dalmation molly.

First, she is about 2 inches long and was pregnant when I bought her. Yesterday she just had babies and so I went out and bought a breeding trap to house the babies and her.

However, I noticed that after she gave birth she was acting really weird. It is like her equalibrium is off. Her tail end is always up in the air while her head is towards the bottom. Almost as if she is doing a head stand. I kept her in the breeding cage all night, hoping that when I woke up I wouldn't find her dead. Fortunately she lasted through the night as well as the babies. However, she is still in the same head stand position.

I fed her a little flakes in hopes that she would eat and she isn't eating. I am wondering if this is normal after giving birth or if you all can give me your advise as to what is happening and what I can do to help her out.

She is in a 55 gallon fish tank and the temp is set to 78 - 80 degrees. Although she is in a breeding cage at this moment she does have about 9 other fish in the 55 gallon tank. 1 male dalmation, two swordtails (male and female), two female black mollies, one algea eater, and three zebra fish.

I would like to take this time to thank you in advance for any and all posts. I really hope to save her.
At first I thought you were talking about a dalmation dog that is 2 inches.:eek:

[Bettachris]

lol, keyword was molly.

what do u think about a yellow lab. while the first thing that comes to mind is a dog, a yellow lab is also a very popular african cichlid.

[carach]

cstrohmeyer,

I bought Pimafix and started using it. I am interested in finding out how to use both the Pimafix and Melafix together though. I am assuming you would put both in at the recommended doses but I would think that such a concentration would poison the fish after a few days of use. Do you rotate the medicine by one day putting one kind in then the next using the other?

Marg,

Lol!! :)) Thanks for bringing some comic relief to this thread. :)

[Bettachris]

i really wouldn't start mixing meds or switching med everyday, i would stick with one as nothing good can from that.

if u add both, i would guess that the dose should be cut in half as 2 full doses of about the same stuff looks like it will be strong.

[carach]

Bettachris,

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't going to use anything else for now except for the Pimafix. I was just curious how one would go about using both since I also felt that would be too strong for the fish.

Thanks for the clarification.

It seems I will lose all my babies. :( So far I have 3 left and 1 is barely making it. I suspect later today for it to pass on. I have both my black mollies in the breeding cage now due to the fact they are both sluggish with their swimming (1 more than the other) and now either they get stuck on the bio filter intake or the other fish keep nipping at them. So I figured since the babies are just about all fed, I would put the divider back in to keep the mothers from the babies and put the black mollies in there.

[cstrohmeyer]

I second what Bettachris said. I have used them together (as AP claims you can), but I did not see any improvement in doing so from one or the other, and as Betttachris said "dont start mixing meds or switching med everyday".

Good luck.
Carl
Aquarium Maintenance and Design since 1978
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/

[cstrohmeyer]

I second what Bettachris said. I have used them together (as AP claims you can), but I did not see any improvement in doing so from one or the other, and as Betttachris said "dont start mixing meds or switching med everyday".

Good luck.
Carl
Aquarium Maintenance and Design since 1978
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/

[carach]

I've been using Pimafix for a week now and it doesn't seem to be helping. I did remove the charcoal filter from my biofilter right before starting the treatment. I haven't done any water changes since using the medicine, so now my tank is cloudy.

Since my last post, all my babies have died and 1 black molly. The other black molly is trying to hang in there but I believe it will also be dead either by the end of the day or the next few days. The "whiteness" on his dorsal fin has not cleared up, if anything it seems to be spreading more on his body.

My male dalmation is now doing the headstand and I have noticed that it has a little reddish / brownish on the tip of his tail fin and has the "whiteness" along his body. He has what looks to be a blood vessel in both his eyes. I believe this has to do with the tank having too high of Nitrites or ammonia. I am not sure though. I haven't checked the quality of the water since I have been using the pimafix nor have I done any water changes because I know that would take out some of the medicine. He does seem to have the same will to live as my female dalmation so I am wondering if I should continue to try to save him.

I honestly don't know what I should do at this point because it has been about 2 weeks now since my first fish got sick. I don't want to jepardize any of my other fish but at the same time I do want to do whatever is best for the two that are sick.

Maybe I should go and buy the Melafix and start trying that. If you would once again please offer your best advice and expertise regarding this matter, I would greatly appreciate it.

[cstrohmeyer]

If the Pimafix did not work, I have my doubts the Melafix will work either.
If your ammonia and/or your nitrites are high, they can cause symptoms similar to what you mentioned earlier. A small water change right befor addition of any medication improves its effectiveness and helps dilute toxic ammonia.
I would consider a dip in double strength methylene blue for 20 minutes, or a quick dip in Mebromin.
Check your ammonia and nitrites before going ahead with any more in tank treatments.
Since Pimafix is gram negative in its effectiveness, I would choose a gram positive medication next, such as erythromyacin (found in the brand name "Maracyn").

Let us know.

Carl
Aquarium Maintenance and Design since 1978
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/

[cstrohmeyer]

I have one more resource for you tha may help you determine a course of action. This site contains information about antibiotics and chemical treatments and how they work.

http://aquarium-medictions.blogspot.com/

Carl
Aquarium Maintenance and Design since 1978
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/

[Toritronic]

Since you all have been discussing them, I have some questions about my molly that Petsmart can't seem to answer.

I bought two mollies and an aquatic frog today, and within 7 hours of being in my home one of them leapt out and died.
I know it was NOT the water; I set up the tank a day in advance, and took a sample into petsmart for testing. They said the water was perfect.

Both mollies are female. When I first put thm into the tank, they were swimming and eating and acting fine for a long while. However, I came back to check and one was on the gravel, "breathing" heavily. I left the room for not 5 minutes, to return and find that it was nowhere in the tank. I found her behind my dresser, on the floor, dead.

I got a refund of course, and the woman at petsmart said she most likely died from stress. However, I'm worried because now the other molly who previously seemed fine is down on the gravel acting similarly. The frog is hardly moving.
Can anybody give me a hint as to what's going on? I know it's not ick and I can't imagine it's stress, so I'm clueless. Please help!

[TIFFERS]

Please help!
This post is over a year old. Your best bet would be to start a new thread with this information in it so people hoping to help can see the post you made, versus going through all the other's first.