# Sick Molly Fry?



## Frogprincess (Jul 8, 2011)

Well, my fry were doing so well, but I found one this morning that seems to have a hard time swimming. As odd as that sounds, it has to try twice as hard as the other fry to move, and it seems only to be able to get about an inch off the bottom of the tank. It's a little undersized compared to the others, and it usually swims vertically, instead of horizontally like the others. Is it sick, or is it just some kind of genetic mutation handicap, like a missing fin or something? If it's a disease, I want to remove it as soon as possible so the other fry don't get sick as well.
This is a recent development. When I checked on them all yesterday, all the fry were swimming around, and I didn't see any hanging out on the bottom like this guy does. He spends all his time down there now, I guess because he sinks if he stops moving his fins madly.


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## msclark1964 (Jul 23, 2011)

I'm not sure but of the 3 living that my molly had, 1 just died. He was smaller than the others and seemed to have a hard time swimming too. Hope yours is okay!


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Could be a 'swim bladder' issue or air in the digestive trap. Try feeding some spirulina powder. Birth defects are common in some (*cough hybrid cough*) mollies. In that case you will lose that one but others may be fine. But could be first sign of illness so watch close.


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## Frogprincess (Jul 8, 2011)

I didn't have any spirulina powder since I'm waiting on a paycheck, so I mashed up a pea into very tiny bits and fed it that instead (I've read that soft peas without skin is helpful). It seemed to be doing fine, but when I got up this morning, all my fry were sitting on the bottom! Two or three of them are swimming around normally, but the rest are really subdued at the bottom. The first one is barely moving any more, I think he's going to die. 
The thing that confuses me the most is that it's happened literally over night! I went to bed last night and they were all swimming around fine, except for the one. When I get up eight hours later, they're almost all foundering on the bottom. Can diseases spread or manifest that quickly? Or is it my fault? I did a 30% water change yesterday, but that didn't seem to affect them. This was in conjunction with changing to a slightly smaller internal filter that I've been cycling in a bucket of water from my larger tank. 
Is it the filter change that did it?


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## Fishy Freak (Jun 1, 2011)

Alage wafers contain spirulina, as will green flakes.


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## msclark1964 (Jul 23, 2011)

Frogprincess said:


> I didn't have any spirulina powder since I'm waiting on a paycheck, so I mashed up a pea into very tiny bits and fed it that instead (I've read that soft peas without skin is helpful). It seemed to be doing fine, but when I got up this morning, all my fry were sitting on the bottom! Two or three of them are swimming around normally, but the rest are really subdued at the bottom. The first one is barely moving any more, I think he's going to die.
> The thing that confuses me the most is that it's happened literally over night! I went to bed last night and they were all swimming around fine, except for the one. When I get up eight hours later, they're almost all foundering on the bottom. Can diseases spread or manifest that quickly? Or is it my fault? I did a 30% water change yesterday, but that didn't seem to affect them. This was in conjunction with changing to a slightly smaller internal filter that I've been cycling in a bucket of water from my larger tank.
> Is it the filter change that did it?



That sounds exactly like what happened to my babies! The two left are now just sitting on the bottom of the tank and not moving around very much!


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## Frogprincess (Jul 8, 2011)

My fry are all swimming around normally again, and I only lost two. I hope your mollies recover too, msclark.


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## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

are the tail fins clamped so that it looks like the tail coming to a point? Are teh dorsal being held against the body.
If so it is bad news and IME it tends to take out the whole lot of fry. Further discussion if the answer is yes.


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## msclark1964 (Jul 23, 2011)

Frogprincess said:


> My fry are all swimming around normally again, and I only lost two. I hope your mollies recover too, msclark.


Thanks! None of my fry made it but momma is ready to pop again any day now!


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