# Need help quickly



## Nordicat (Aug 23, 2006)

I´m new to the forum but have been reading it for sometime. Now I really need a little help.

One of my black mollies is showing white patches on his face, around the eye and here and there on his body. Fungus? I don´t know what to do for him. We have a fish store here (Sweden) but they are SO not helpful when you need information. 

I have no other tank to put him into. Will he infect the others....couple mollies, neons and zebras? Any suggestions? 

I have heard you can give them a bit of a "salt dip" but what kind of salt, what ratio to water......?? I hate to lose him or have him make the others sick.

Tack!


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## Schism (Jul 20, 2006)

increase the temp to about 82-84 degrees slowly get some ich chems or copper chems and try it out all fish would in jeopardy if it is fingus, ich maybe?


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## Lupin (Aug 1, 2006)

Fungus is rare. It's columnaris. Meds treating external bacterial infections are effective against columnaris. Columnaris is contagious and may infect your other fish so it's best to separate the affected fish immediately.


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## Nordicat (Aug 23, 2006)

Yes, after reading, it does sound lie columnaris. I got some medication from the fish shop and the infected fish began to improve almost immediately. I will keep up the whole treatment which is drops on day 1 and 2, 30% water change on day 3, another round of drops on day 7 and 30% change on day 8.

I am wondering about the 4 babies I had in a net tank inside the big one. I took them out and did not treat them thinking it would be too difficult for them. Should I put them back in the tank in their net enclosure? Weren´t they also be susceptable to the same illness and need treatment? The were, after all, raised for the last 3 weeks in the same tank as the infected male.

The man at the store said it "could" be lethal for them to be in the drops of medication but it could be lethal for them to not be treated. Do you think it would kill them to be in the treatment water?


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## Gump (Aug 2, 2006)

its a molly. take its head off and put it in your garden. a new molly is a lot less than meds.


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## Nordicat (Aug 23, 2006)

Too late, the medication is in the water. Besides, isn´t the whole aquarium infected from the fish with the problem? What´s to say I get rid of the Molly and the organism is still infecting the others?


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Gump said:


> its a molly. take its head off and put it in your garden. a new molly is a lot less than meds.


That is the completely wrong answer and I'll tell you why.

While we all hope it never comes to medicating, one DOES need to know how to administer meds correctly. They can kill faster than disease if not used right. And all the labels on meds are not all very accurate. Some don't tell you to isolate the sick fish. Some don't mention that you should run carbon afterwards. Some don't tell you certain fish are more sensative to meds. Learning how to use meds now can save you in the long run when a $40.00 fish is sick. Its best to learn now while the damage is minimal (even though all fish are priceless).


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## Nordicat (Aug 23, 2006)

Do you think it´s necessary for my 4 baby mollies (who WERE in with the others but have been taken out because of the chemicals put in for the columnaris) should be put back in with the others to go thru the treatment in case they were also infected.....

or should I take a chance that they are ok and leave them in the separate tank? I did put their mesh enclosure back into the big tank with the treatment chemicals. Might help??


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## Gump (Aug 2, 2006)

Simpte said:


> That is the completely wrong answer and I'll tell you why.
> 
> While we all hope it never comes to medicating, one DOES need to know how to administer meds correctly. They can kill faster than disease if not used right. And all the labels on meds are not all very accurate. Some don't tell you to isolate the sick fish. Some don't mention that you should run carbon afterwards. Some don't tell you certain fish are more sensative to meds. Learning how to use meds now can save you in the long run when a $40.00 fish is sick. Its best to learn now while the damage is minimal (even though all fish are priceless).


Or just follow the directions... the basic meds are pretty self explanitory on the label on proper useage. The only thing ive not seen on meds is how most scaleless fish are more sensitive to certain meds and dosages. So no my answer isnt completely wrong, if you need cheep fish to ginny pig on with learning then you have gone about this hobby the wrong way.

Nordicat- you seemed to answer your own question. you removed the basket because of the disease then put it back. so if i were you id leave it so you dont keep jumping these fish from tank to tank. And if you have baby mollys now you will again soon so dont worry to much about the little ones you have, there pretty hardy compared to a lot of fish fry.


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## Lupin (Aug 1, 2006)

Gump said:


> Or just follow the directions... the basic meds are pretty self explanitory on the label on proper useage. The only thing ive not seen on meds is how most scaleless fish are more sensitive to certain meds and dosages. So no my answer isnt completely wrong, if you need cheep fish to ginny pig on with learning then you have gone about this hobby the wrong way.


Are mollies scaleless?
They will survive the meds as long as the meds are used properly.
There are chances that the fry are already infected by columnaris bacteria so it's best to include them in the treatment. Mollies are very prolific so no need to worry whether something happens to the fry or not.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Oh, and one last thing: clean up that tank. Columnaris does just show up occasionally for no good reason, but usually it only really becomes a problem when the tank has a problem itself.


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## Gump (Aug 2, 2006)

TheOldSalt said:


> Oh, and one last thing: clean up that tank. Columnaris does just show up occasionally for no good reason, but usually it only really becomes a problem when the tank has a problem itself.



Yep that should be one of the 1st things you look at when your fish get sick. because that needs to be fixed before using meds or you could be useing them for a lot longer than needed.


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## Nordicat (Aug 23, 2006)

The tank IS clean. I don´t understand it at all. I change the water...about 20% at least, at least once a week. I don´t think I am over-feeding as I watch want that eat and stop as soon as they don´t catch it before it reaches the bottom. There is no algae anywhere and the filter is in good shape.....clean but with the good bacteria saved. I don´t think it could have come from a dirty tank! 

What other reasons could it be?


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## Nordicat (Aug 23, 2006)

The fry were not in the little net enclosure when I put it back in the big tank. I thought by doing that it would at least clean up anything on the netting. At the time I didn´t think about the fry having it. I have, as a bit ago, put them back into their little net cage IN the big tank. We´ll see what happens. Wednesday I give the tank it´s last big dose of medication and then a 30% water change the next day and it´s done.


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## Gump (Aug 2, 2006)

do more like 40% water changes once a week.


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## Nordicat (Aug 23, 2006)

Really, 40%?? OK, I´ll give it a try. It´s as easy as 20%. Tack!


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## Guest (Aug 31, 2006)

Gump said:


> its a molly. take its head off and put it in your garden. a new molly is a lot less than meds.


OMFG HOW DARE YOU.
THAT'S HORRIBLE.


Don't ever do that. 
You can probably cure the molly with meds.


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## Lupin (Aug 1, 2006)

Nordicat said:


> Really, 40%?? OK, I´ll give it a try. It´s as easy as 20%. Tack!


40% doesn't hurt. Even the breeders or specialists do almost 90% water changes daily. Big water changes will hurt only when you haven't done water changes for a long time espcially for long-neglected tanks. Neglected tanks need to have small water changes of about 5-10% first. Then as days pass, gradually increase water changes until the wastes have been fully diluted. This doesn't hurt at all as the process is gradual and the fish have time to adapt to new water quality changes.



Gump said:


> its a molly. take its head off and put it in your garden. a new molly is a lot less than meds.


Very disappointing answer.


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## Dr_House (Aug 15, 2006)

Aw, don't let 'em get you down, Gump. It's just a fish, right? At least that's the rationale we subscribe to here. Or is it the opposite of that? I'm so forgetful these days.


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## girth vader (Apr 24, 2006)

Gump said:


> its a molly. take its head off and put it in your garden. a new molly is a lot less than meds.


LMFAO! that is the funniest thing I've read on this forum in awhile. I am still literally laughing out loud by myself 5 minutes later. wow. a little humour on these boards is a good thing. Some ppl are just a little too sensitive to funny sh*t. Im still laughing..................:lol:


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## Worrywort (Jul 26, 2006)

Nordicat said:


> I´m new to the forum but have been reading it for sometime. Now I really need a little help.
> 
> One of my black mollies is showing white patches on his face, around the eye and here and there on his body. Fungus? I don´t know what to do for him. We have a fish store here (Sweden) but they are SO not helpful when you need information.
> 
> ...


I have had a black molly for about 6 months that intermittently gets those "white patches". Basically, I just add the suggested amount of aquarium salt to the tank. As this is a bracish water fish, thery can show signs of distress to water that is "too fresh" (sorry, not sure exactly the tech term - hardness or mineral level or what). I don't like using salt continuously but now I add it every few weeks just for her! Within a day she's usually back to her normal blends in with the black backdrop self!

Meds can be helpful if there are other reasons to assume she is actually sick, but the less you use them the better for all!


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## Nordicat (Aug 23, 2006)

I have been wondering about the addition of salt for my mollies. My question is this....what about the affect of the salt on my neon tetras, algae eater and zebra danios? I wanted to up the water temp for the mollies too, but I know the zebras don´t like it so high. I keep it about 26 C. (78 F.)

Can I use salt with the neons, zebras and algae eater?


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

Simpte said:


> (even though all fish are priceless).


Tell that to your LFS next time you buy a fish 


Your other fish should be fine with salt. Crank the temperature up to 86, your fish will be better off a little warm then sickly.


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