# NEED HELP URGENTLY!!!! 6 month old molly is sick?!? ITS SO SAD !!!



## fishfrenzy (Jan 20, 2005)

Ok I have a molly that is approx 6 months old.  Its a platinum lyretail/ hi-fin molly mix.  I woke up this morning and he/she was lying on the bottom upside down, and whenever it swims it swims like its drunk. like in spirals or upside down, Just ALL OVER THE PLACE like it has no control. or just lies on its side or however it lands?!?  I dont know whats wrong. is there something wrong with its swim bladder??  can i medicate it at all??   What should I do. Its one of my girlfriends favorites and I dont want it to die !!!!  PLEASE HELP!!!  Thanks for the help in advance !!!!


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

*Re: NEED HELP URGENTLY!!!! 6 month old molly is sick?!?!?*

I took this off another site for you

If your fish floats on the surface or has a difficult time rising from the bottom, he has a buoyancy problem. 

Buoyancy trouble is a common and widespread problem. A recent study published by the Japan Aquaculture Society Journal described the condition in detail and named this syndrome "tenpuku” disease, which means "capsized." 

Buoyancy problems are caused by a wide variety of disorders. Some of these include systemic disease (bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic, cancer), starvation, general weakness, eroded fins and broken fins, swim bladder diseases, and excessive air in the gastrointestinal tract or abdominal cavity. Buoyancy disorders of goldfish, especially the round-bodied ornamental varieties like orandas, lionheads, bubble-eyes, Ryukins, and moore, is one of the most common and frustrating problems confronting the pet fish hobbyist and aquatic animal veterinarian. 

Swim Bladder Disease

Many buoyancy problems are simply idiopathic, which means that there is no known cause, and are associated with the swim bladder – a small epithelium-lined sac in the anterior abdomen responsible for maintaining buoyancy. The sac inflates if the fish needs to be more buoyant and deflates if the fish needs to be less buoyant. Goldfish and some other fish are members of the cyprinid (minnows and carp) family and are physostomous, which means there is an open connection between the esophagus and the swim bladder. The bladder is called a pneumocystic duct, and it allows additional adjustment of buoyancy by letting air out through the digestive tract. 

Sometimes the swim bladder is affected by food impactions. Viruses and bacteria can inflame the lining making it difficult for gases to diffuse across. And the genetically selected rotund body type of the goldfish predisposes them to food impactions, which in turn clog the pneumocystic duct. Then, too, feeding dry foods which tend to take on water like a sponge and expand in the fish helps to cause food impactions.

What To Watch For

Your fish will show signs of difficulty swimming or staying afloat. Some things you might notice are:


Hovering around the top of the tank, sometimes upside down. 

Difficulty rising to the top of the tank

Difficulty swimming to the bottom of the tank

The condition may be temporary or permanent, and most fish remain alert and continue to eat. Meanwhile, the other fish in the aquarium or pond are usually unaffected.

Veterinary Care

Your veterinarian can help you diagnose this problem by performing a physical examination of your pet and perhaps taking a radiograph (X-ray) of your fish. Usually there is a recent history of the goldfish appearing upside down at the surface of the water. 

While a number of medical and surgical procedures have been tried to correct the problem, results are usually not successful.

Green Pea Treatment

Oddly enough, one treatment that has had good results is feeding your fish a pea. That’s right, a single green pea (canned or cooked and lightly crushed) once daily often helps cure the problem. Exactly how the “green pea” treatment works is unknown, but it is possible that the pea helps move or displace lighter and/or air-filled food through the digestive tract. Your veterinarian should still examine your fish, including a physical examination and radiography; however, the harmless and inexpensive "pea treatment" seems to have its place in managing buoyancy problems of goldfish.

The “green pea” protocol should also include increasing the water temperature to 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and continued feeding of the regular commercial fish food. However, discontinue feeding your fish floating pellets or flake food.

Preventative Care

There are several things you can do to prevent this problem. These include:


Select fish that are swimming and behaving normally in the pet store aquarium. 


Quarantine any new fish for one month before introducing them to your established aquarium or pond. For more information on quarantine, please click on How to Quarantine Your Fish. 


If you are keeping round-bodied varieties of ornamental goldfish, then it is probably a good idea to feed them sinking pellets and supplement their diet with some green vegetables, including canned or frozen peas. 

http://petplace.netscape.com/Articles/artShow.asp?artID=2551


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## fishfrenzy (Jan 20, 2005)

*Re: NEED HELP URGENTLY!!!! 6 month old molly is sick?!?!?*

thanks for that article i will try to quarantine him and try the green pea method.!!!! Thanks !!!

Any other ideas or suggestions ??


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## turtlehead (Jan 28, 2005)

please list your water params, size of tank, and what else lives with it.


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## fishfrenzy (Jan 20, 2005)

*Re: NEED HELP URGENTLY!!!! 6 month old molly is sick?!?!?*

its a 29 g tank, water is fine. nitrates are below 20, nitrites 0, ammonia 0, ph is about 7.6 temp between 76 and 80. it fluctates since the tank is in my basement.

2 adult mollys, 2 adult swordtails, 1 clown pleco, 5 pristella tetras, 3 kuhli loaches, and about 5-6 3 month old molly fry.


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## fishfrenzy (Jan 20, 2005)

I feel so bad for the little guys, hes seems as healthy as can be and tries so hard to swimm straight, is there anything i can do that is gauranteed to work?? should I put him in a breeder net and try to feed him some peas ??


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## Lydia (Feb 6, 2005)

i dont know how to help him, but i wish you luck....i know how frustrating something like that is.....good luck!


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## chrisinha (Jan 24, 2005)

does she swim like this:

http://s30.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0XBV3YGPM48YZ1W7G1A8QKWSSQ

wait 10 seconds for the video to open


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## fishfrenzy (Jan 20, 2005)

yes he swims almost exactly like that, just about 5 times worse.  At least that fish could swim in somewhat of a straight line. also my fish AKA "spot" doesnt seem to be able to float enough to swim higher than half way up to the top of the tank. And he cant AT ALL, stay right side up!! Hes always upside down, even when hes lying in the gravel or on a plant leaf!!!
    what causes that and how can I, if I, can fix it/help him!!?? thanks you !!!


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## fishouttawater (Mar 4, 2005)

I hope your fish gets better. Makes me think about my sister's fancy goldfish. She has had that thing for at least 7 years. My sister calls her Miss Piggy, she eats everything put in the tank, fast, and gulps air when she does if it is floating. My mother however calls her "The Undead", cause she does that a lot. She will do it for 4 or 5 days, look everything put dead, and suddenly, when you think you are gonna be flushing her, she pops up and is okay, i hope for this for you.


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## chrisinha (Jan 24, 2005)

that is a video of one of my fry and i've been asking around and it looks like there's something wrong with its bladder


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## fishfrenzy (Jan 20, 2005)

yea i figured, i dont think there is much to do unfortunately...... :-( very sad.


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