I’d use less new tap water and add some water from your existing tank, so that the water in the hospital tank isn’t too different to the water that your fish is coming from.
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Molly with potential dropsy? What to do.
- Thread starter pollyandpear
- Start date
pollyandpear
Member
I added some of the tank water to his tank. He is in there now, lying on his side, occasionally he will move and swim a bit bit whenever he is resting he is on the bottom, lopsided.
I am so sad, poor little thing 🙁 Just a few days ago he was busy racing around.
I am so sad, poor little thing 🙁 Just a few days ago he was busy racing around.
Habe you treated the water with the Esha 2000?
pollyandpear
Member
No it hasn't arrived yet, arrives tomorrow but I think it'll be too late
pollyandpear
Member
Morning, sadly I think he didn't make it. He isn't gasping for breath and laying still on his side. He's soft though and not hard.
It's taken me ages to see all three of the other Molly these morning, one was hiding and now it has come up to eat I am happy, but I think I noticed a pen tip size red dot on it's head, so I am feeling disheartened and expecting the same.
The Esher 2000 will arrive and I will just treat the whole tank as by the sounds of it, and from what I'm feeling, something is going on internally.
Will the fry (who are in a little breeding box to ensure they get food and not eaten) by killed by the Esher?
It's taken me ages to see all three of the other Molly these morning, one was hiding and now it has come up to eat I am happy, but I think I noticed a pen tip size red dot on it's head, so I am feeling disheartened and expecting the same.
The Esher 2000 will arrive and I will just treat the whole tank as by the sounds of it, and from what I'm feeling, something is going on internally.
Will the fry (who are in a little breeding box to ensure they get food and not eaten) by killed by the Esher?
pollyandpear
Member
Thought I should update as so many of you have given such helpful advice and shared your knowledge.
A week later and so far everything seems fine. Fry are still alive, all the remaining fish are active.
Looking into seeing if I can get some live food - would frozen blood worms be a good supplement?
A week later and so far everything seems fine. Fry are still alive, all the remaining fish are active.
Looking into seeing if I can get some live food - would frozen blood worms be a good supplement?
xZaiox
Member
Fish love bloodworms, I would only give them as a treat though; they aren't the most nutritious things, but are fine in moderation. Live/frozen food can also sometimes encourage breeding behaviour in certain fish.
Good quality pellets are generally balanced well in terms of vitamin/nutrient content, so they are more appropriate for long-term feeding. I personally think it's best to feed live/frozen a couple times a week, and use a good quality pellet for the rest. If you wanted to go a step further, it's quite easy to breed grindal worms, so you could cultivate your own live worms. These should also be more nutritious since you have control of what the worms eat.
Adding to what xZaiox has said above, I would put the cube in some boiling water and then strain it through a fine mesh to get just the blood worms and not the nasty water that comes with them in the cube.
This means you dont add that water to your tank, and using boiling water also kills off anything that might have tried to hitchhike along into your tank.
Avoid touching the blood worms directly, they can cause strong allergical reactions even in people who are not normally allergic to things.
This means you dont add that water to your tank, and using boiling water also kills off anything that might have tried to hitchhike along into your tank.
Avoid touching the blood worms directly, they can cause strong allergical reactions even in people who are not normally allergic to things.
sparkyweasel
Member
- Joined
- 30 Jun 2011
- Messages
- 2,968
Mosquito larvae are good food, and free; just put a bucket or tub of water outside and they will appear. Probably a bit faster if you use old tank water.
pollyandpear
Member
Thank you, will look into doing that.
So far things seems good again, all 4 Cory are active, they are sweet, each of the younger ones has paired off with one of my older fish at the moment. One of the younger Cory has just one eye (from the day I got it) but is going fine.
The remaining three Molly are fine and active. Babies are growing very slowly and are still in a separate 'box' within the aquarium as not sure if they'd be safe from other fish yet.
Only annoying thing is every day I have to remove this hair like algae that grows wild!
So far things seems good again, all 4 Cory are active, they are sweet, each of the younger ones has paired off with one of my older fish at the moment. One of the younger Cory has just one eye (from the day I got it) but is going fine.
The remaining three Molly are fine and active. Babies are growing very slowly and are still in a separate 'box' within the aquarium as not sure if they'd be safe from other fish yet.
Only annoying thing is every day I have to remove this hair like algae that grows wild!
pollyandpear
Member
After a month of everything being fine, today I woke up to another idea fish, one of my young cores, the one without an eye.
No signs of anything wrong before.
One of my Molly is also completely missing, can't find it anywhere in the tank and I've had a GOOD look.
Checked water - parameters are no different to normal, no ammonia etc.
So confused and sad.
All the fish have been super active and happy up until now.
EDIT - I just found the other Molly on the floor outside my tank! What on earth I've never seen them jump?
Absolutely devastated.
No signs of anything wrong before.
One of my Molly is also completely missing, can't find it anywhere in the tank and I've had a GOOD look.
Checked water - parameters are no different to normal, no ammonia etc.
So confused and sad.
All the fish have been super active and happy up until now.
EDIT - I just found the other Molly on the floor outside my tank! What on earth I've never seen them jump?
Absolutely devastated.
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Im glad to hear things have been fine for the most part although im sorry about your jumper.
Maybe it was chased out by one of the others, or got startled somehow? Do the lights turn on suddenly or do they gradually come on?
The corners are often where the fish jump out the most, so perhaps you could fasten a little net over the corners if youre worried about more of them going airborne.
I think the one you lost to sickness a while ago was a one-off, and it does seem that way if you havent lost any more.
Let us know if there is something we can do to assist 💕
Maybe it was chased out by one of the others, or got startled somehow? Do the lights turn on suddenly or do they gradually come on?
The corners are often where the fish jump out the most, so perhaps you could fasten a little net over the corners if youre worried about more of them going airborne.
I think the one you lost to sickness a while ago was a one-off, and it does seem that way if you havent lost any more.
Let us know if there is something we can do to assist 💕
zozo
Member
Sorry for hopping in this late and condolences on losing a dear Molly... But dropsy in fish or I guess more to say fish being susceptible to developing dropsy could be something genetic such as a bad immune system or virus infection, liver damage by internal parasites or bacterial infection.
In most cases, once it shows it already has damaged organs that regulate the fluid retention and it's about incurable and the fish is too far gone and too weak to recover anyway. Quarantine is always a must but treating it successfully is very rare and since the diagnosis why it developed dropsy is about impossible to determine from the outside if it is symptomatic of an underlying disease.
When you do your regular water changes and good husbandry anyway and all other fish look healthy and fit you can rule out bad water quality and parasites etc. Then it most likely is of genetic causes and a fish with an unfortunate immune system and or bad working internal organs.
Never a nice thing to say and always sounds harsh but euthanizing it is the most fish-worthy end to give it. Give it a nice warm bath with some drops of clove oil and it will slowly fall asleep within less than an hour and never wake up. 😢IMHO a better death than gambling over longer terms with all kinds of medication.
If parasite or bacterial infection is the cause then these symptoms would actually show long before dropsy develops. And your Cory missing an eye could be such a symptom... I also once bought a group of Cory's and noticed at home that 1 was missing an eye... After a while, it got worse and developed fungus on its skin and started flashing and died. Flashing is scratching with its body against surfaces, rocks and or wood.
I took a skin sample from the dead fish and looked at it under a microscope and found a "Trichodina" parasite. In larger fish this parasite likes to live in the fish gills and stay undetected, on smaller fish the can live all over the body and cause skin problems, if it ends up in the eye it will lose this eye. If untreated it will cause dead... Trichodina is a very common parasite usually latently present and healthy larger fish can take a few without showing problems. For tiny fish, this parasite seems to be a devastating monster... The only way to find out is a skin sample and a microscope.
Anyway... Infected fish that are more free swimming can also jump instead to try to get rid of an itch. Do your fish flash? Maybe you interpret this as active playful behaviour? Corry sometimes likes to gulp air, this also looks like jumping or could end up in an actual jump if it has an itch...
So Corry, missing eye, then missing fish? Flashing Jumping?
Fortunately, treatment is very easy and effective with Praziquantel... This is for the rest also a very mild medication with no negative side effects. Thus you can take a gamble and just give it a try... Then buy a bag of fluke solve read the description and add the recommended dose, the description says the treatment should be 24 hours only and do a water change. But this is for Flukes only...
www.fish-treatment.co.uk
In the case of Trichodina infection, you need to leave the same dose in the tank for 14 days without a water change. After 14 days change the water...
Then Fluke Solve becomes Trichodina Solve... 🙂
In most cases, once it shows it already has damaged organs that regulate the fluid retention and it's about incurable and the fish is too far gone and too weak to recover anyway. Quarantine is always a must but treating it successfully is very rare and since the diagnosis why it developed dropsy is about impossible to determine from the outside if it is symptomatic of an underlying disease.
When you do your regular water changes and good husbandry anyway and all other fish look healthy and fit you can rule out bad water quality and parasites etc. Then it most likely is of genetic causes and a fish with an unfortunate immune system and or bad working internal organs.
Never a nice thing to say and always sounds harsh but euthanizing it is the most fish-worthy end to give it. Give it a nice warm bath with some drops of clove oil and it will slowly fall asleep within less than an hour and never wake up. 😢IMHO a better death than gambling over longer terms with all kinds of medication.
If parasite or bacterial infection is the cause then these symptoms would actually show long before dropsy develops. And your Cory missing an eye could be such a symptom... I also once bought a group of Cory's and noticed at home that 1 was missing an eye... After a while, it got worse and developed fungus on its skin and started flashing and died. Flashing is scratching with its body against surfaces, rocks and or wood.
I took a skin sample from the dead fish and looked at it under a microscope and found a "Trichodina" parasite. In larger fish this parasite likes to live in the fish gills and stay undetected, on smaller fish the can live all over the body and cause skin problems, if it ends up in the eye it will lose this eye. If untreated it will cause dead... Trichodina is a very common parasite usually latently present and healthy larger fish can take a few without showing problems. For tiny fish, this parasite seems to be a devastating monster... The only way to find out is a skin sample and a microscope.
Anyway... Infected fish that are more free swimming can also jump instead to try to get rid of an itch. Do your fish flash? Maybe you interpret this as active playful behaviour? Corry sometimes likes to gulp air, this also looks like jumping or could end up in an actual jump if it has an itch...
So Corry, missing eye, then missing fish? Flashing Jumping?
Fortunately, treatment is very easy and effective with Praziquantel... This is for the rest also a very mild medication with no negative side effects. Thus you can take a gamble and just give it a try... Then buy a bag of fluke solve read the description and add the recommended dose, the description says the treatment should be 24 hours only and do a water change. But this is for Flukes only...
FLUKE-SOLVE® – Fish Treatment Ltd
www.fish-treatment.co.uk
In the case of Trichodina infection, you need to leave the same dose in the tank for 14 days without a water change. After 14 days change the water...
Then Fluke Solve becomes Trichodina Solve... 🙂
pollyandpear
Member
Thank you.
My lights come on between 9am - 8.30pm not gradually sadly.
It's just such a worry to have lost so many fish when the rest seem so healthy.
Will look at putting nets over the corners.
I was hoping to potentially add aquatic frogs at some point if suitable - so might buy this regardless. - Aquarium Top Clear Mesh Screen Netting Replacement Supplies Tank Cover Part A8X3 | eBay
My lights come on between 9am - 8.30pm not gradually sadly.
It's just such a worry to have lost so many fish when the rest seem so healthy.
Will look at putting nets over the corners.
I was hoping to potentially add aquatic frogs at some point if suitable - so might buy this regardless. - Aquarium Top Clear Mesh Screen Netting Replacement Supplies Tank Cover Part A8X3 | eBay
PARAGUAY
Member
Some fish are known jumpers eg Killifish but most fish may do if spooked as said, you could have a small table lamp in the room to come on say 30 minutes before tank lights on and off,even with the mesh it will keep the stress levels down
zozo
Member
I'm pretty sure that it's an urban myth that fish get spooked when lights suddenly come on... Or spooked by a flashing light is causing jumps.
This is a very old tale that's still alive today, but it comes from a different era when hooded tanks with TL and ballasts and starters build-in under the hood were more common than open-top tanks.
When the 220 VAC TL, Ballasts, starter and relatively open screw connections suddenly switch on the electrical power surge through such a system is quite strong and sends a shockwave of inductive electrical current through the water column startling the fish. And back in the day, it was relatively unknown that electrical current can travel inductively through moist air into the water. So the idea it must be the sudden light flash causing this became common belief.
Little more than a decade ago low powered (DC 12 Volts) LED lights above aquariums became popular instead of TL and were soon followed by automated advanced LED controllers. People came to the craziest ideas with these controllers not only with gradual sunset and sunrise light schemes but also with replicating (thunderstorm) lightning schemes with sudden subsequential light flashes in the evening (obviously the thunder was imaginary) it was quite popular for a short period, maybe some people still do. No one ever reported startled fish from the light flashes, they simply didn't react to it and just went on with their daily life as if nothing happens.
Conclusion There are no differences in sudden flashing light from a 12-volt or a 220-volt light source... Light is simply light...
But there is a major difference in power surge with suddenly switching on an AC 220-volt TL ballast versus a DC 12-volt LED strip...
Anyway, it's still a silly addition with little added value to simulate thunderstorm light flashes above an aquarium. No pun intended... But the positive side it contributed to disproving the old urban TL myth it's the sudden light flash startling the fish... It doesn't... 🙂 It must be something else and what other than a sudden AC 220-volt power surge could it be?
Im not sure im sold on that Zozo, when I turn my tank (LED) lights on unexpectedly my fish scatter into the plants and give me the ugliest looks of disapproval 😬
I dont think its that far fetched that they are startled by it suddenly becoming bright.
Has anyone ever turned on the lights in a room you were sleeping in? 😅 I dont just give ugly looks of disapproval, its usually more of a tirade of mumbly cusswords while I try to figure out who turned the lasers on
When its dark in the tank the fish probably feel quite safe, like they are hiding in a shady part of the river bank and safe from predators.
But when the lights suddenly turn to bright daylight theres no wonder they get startled and dart for safety (or out of the tank if they are near the surface and feel cornered)
Just my 2 cents 🙂
Im not sure im sold on that Zozo, when I turn my tank (LED) lights on unexpectedly my fish scatter into the plants and give me the ugliest looks of disapproval 😬
I dont think its that far fetched that they are startled by it suddenly becoming bright.
Has anyone ever turned on the lights in a room you were sleeping in? 😅 I dont just give ugly looks of disapproval, its usually more of a tirade of mumbly cusswords while I try to figure out who turned the lasers on
When its dark in the tank the fish probably feel quite safe, like they are hiding in a shady part of the river bank and safe from predators.
But when the lights suddenly turn to bright daylight theres no wonder they get startled and dart for safety (or out of the tank if they are near the surface and feel cornered)
Just my 2 cents 🙂
+1 I'd agree
I would also add that instant lights off can be even worse. With lights on for most folks there's some ambient light in the room already, typically, but at lights off it would go from 100% lit to 100% dark, and I suspect also trigger a 'predators shadow' type response.
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zozo
Member
Not necessarily so, I might have come over too prejudiced with that statement. It still could be that it startles them... I'm not saying my experience must be something universal.
But still... On the other hand, I gave it lots of tries on my own tanks from high to low-light setups switching lights without fading on a simple old fashion timer and or even flashing it in the middle of the day. With the LED lights I used till now never saw any fish get startled or skittish. But it gives me a hunch that if sudden light startles the fish they might be already on edge for other reasons. And then the sudden light is the trigger they need to get jumpy. Also, have fish in tubs and a tank outdoors and when there is lighting at night they get the full blast of it till now never found one where it shouldn't be after a thunderstorm. And sat under the lean-to during lightning storms watching the tubs and saw the fish happily at the surface not even twitching an eye.
Back in the day, my hooded tanks build with TL and ballasts and starters I do remember jumpy and pale fish after the lights came on... Yet with LED and outdoor thunderstorms with spooky heavy lightning, I still need to encounter the first time...
Next to this putting voltage meters in tanks, grounding them and measuring quite a range of different voltages from 25 up to 60 volts without any leaking equipment made me rather suspicious and started reading about it. Reading topics with questions like "Why do my switched-off lights start to glow faintly when I stick a finger in my tank?" Meanwhile, it fails to make a physical connection "How can this be?" "Where does this power flow from and to?" It can't be!? But it can... Comes down to tanks with water are capacitive, that function if not grounded like little (ionic active - Salts) batteries, cables and motors and coils running power are magnetic and inductive and moist air is conductive. Electrical current can jump over in between and through in mysterious ways. Therefore we should never ground our tank water, if it's grounded even only with a permanent pH meter, there will be lots of current flow if there is any. It already flows minimally over the atmosphere, the more moisture in this atmosphere the more power can jump over...
That's my 2 cents... 🙂 Not saying I'm 100% correct, but I would still not be a believer and would rule out light without knowing all the other parameters. Switch all off, pull all plugs and then try the lights only, ever given that a try?
I fail to find the video back about Catching Discus in the Wild... They do it from a canoe with flashlights at night... The water over there is this low in CE flashlights don't even need to be waterproof. They search for the discus fish with the lights because they are close to the surface at night easy to spot very relaxed and almost can be caught without a net. If this ain't sudden light in their eyes in the middle of the night, then I don't know what is.
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