Sick molly question

[Altum]

I've got a molly who has been gradually getting thin and he recently
started to shimmy. I was hoping he'd get better on his own since the
water is good in is tank, but I've become convinced that I need to
intervene. He eats quite a lot for being so thin so I'm figuring he's
got intestinal worms or parasites. I've looked for calamanus but I've
never seen anything at his vent. His poop is normal-looking.

I have him in a tub with about 0.5% salt, which seems to have helped -
probably less stress than freshwater. He isn't shimmying as much now
and heads for the surface hoping for food whenever I peer in. I had
planned to treat him with Jungle antiparasitic food, but he flatly
refuses to eat it.

Can salt alone treat internal parasites? I don't mind taking him all
the way to marine conditions for a while if it would work. I also have
Clout, Fluke-tabs, and metronidazole. Will any of those work in a bath?

Thanks for any help with this poor little fellow.

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

[Nikki]

"Altum" > wrote in message
...
> I've got a molly who has been gradually getting thin and he recently
> started to shimmy. I was hoping he'd get better on his own since the
> water is good in is tank, but I've become convinced that I need to
> intervene. He eats quite a lot for being so thin so I'm figuring he's got
> intestinal worms or parasites. I've looked for calamanus but I've never
> seen anything at his vent. His poop is normal-looking.
>
> I have him in a tub with about 0.5% salt, which seems to have helped -
> probably less stress than freshwater. He isn't shimmying as much now and
> heads for the surface hoping for food whenever I peer in. I had planned
> to treat him with Jungle antiparasitic food, but he flatly refuses to eat
> it.
>
> Can salt alone treat internal parasites? I don't mind taking him all the
> way to marine conditions for a while if it would work. I also have Clout,
> Fluke-tabs, and metronidazole. Will any of those work in a bath?
>
> Thanks for any help with this poor little fellow.
>
> --
> Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
> Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/disease/disease.htm
I just gave this link to someone today, it is a great place for goldfish
symptoms and treatments, i found out a lot i did not know, check it out...it
might help. I was doing salt dips on a couple red cap goldfish i was having
problems with, 2 tsp per gl but dont do more then five minutes or less if
they have any problems, i do them every day around the same time. It also
helps when you are using any meds something to do with the slime coat.
Nik

[Altum]

Nikki wrote:
> "Altum" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I've got a molly who has been gradually getting thin and he recently
>> started to shimmy. I was hoping he'd get better on his own since the
>> water is good in is tank, but I've become convinced that I need to
>> intervene. He eats quite a lot for being so thin so I'm figuring he's got
>> intestinal worms or parasites. I've looked for calamanus but I've never
>> seen anything at his vent. His poop is normal-looking.
>>
>> I have him in a tub with about 0.5% salt, which seems to have helped -
>> probably less stress than freshwater. He isn't shimmying as much now and
>> heads for the surface hoping for food whenever I peer in. I had planned
>> to treat him with Jungle antiparasitic food, but he flatly refuses to eat
>> it.
>>
>> Can salt alone treat internal parasites? I don't mind taking him all the
>> way to marine conditions for a while if it would work. I also have Clout,
>> Fluke-tabs, and metronidazole. Will any of those work in a bath?
>>
>> Thanks for any help with this poor little fellow.
>>
>> --
>> Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
>> Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com
>
> http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/disease/disease.htm
> I just gave this link to someone today, it is a great place for goldfish
> symptoms and treatments, i found out a lot i did not know, check it out...it
> might help. I was doing salt dips on a couple red cap goldfish i was having
> problems with, 2 tsp per gl but dont do more then five minutes or less if
> they have any problems, i do them every day around the same time. It also
> helps when you are using any meds something to do with the slime coat.
> Nik

Thanks, Nik. Mollies are pretty different from goldfish, though. They
can live in anything from hard freshwater to full marine conditions.
One of the ways to help them is to put them in enough salt to completely
kill freshwater parasites and bacteria and let them live in the salt for
a couple of weeks. He's in 2 tbsp./gal right now and can go much
higher. Problem is, I don't know whether it works for internal problems
and I rather doubt it.

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

[Nikki]

"Altum" > wrote in message
. net...
> Nikki wrote:
>> "Altum" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> I've got a molly who has been gradually getting thin and he recently
>>> started to shimmy. I was hoping he'd get better on his own since the
>>> water is good in is tank, but I've become convinced that I need to
>>> intervene. He eats quite a lot for being so thin so I'm figuring he's
>>> got intestinal worms or parasites. I've looked for calamanus but I've
>>> never seen anything at his vent. His poop is normal-looking.
>>>
>>> I have him in a tub with about 0.5% salt, which seems to have helped -
>>> probably less stress than freshwater. He isn't shimmying as much now
>>> and heads for the surface hoping for food whenever I peer in. I had
>>> planned to treat him with Jungle antiparasitic food, but he flatly
>>> refuses to eat it.
>>>
>>> Can salt alone treat internal parasites? I don't mind taking him all
>>> the way to marine conditions for a while if it would work. I also have
>>> Clout, Fluke-tabs, and metronidazole. Will any of those work in a bath?
>>>
>>> Thanks for any help with this poor little fellow.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
>>> Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com
>>
>> http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/disease/disease.htm
>> I just gave this link to someone today, it is a great place for goldfish
>> symptoms and treatments, i found out a lot i did not know, check it
>> out...it might help. I was doing salt dips on a couple red cap goldfish i
>> was having problems with, 2 tsp per gl but dont do more then five minutes
>> or less if they have any problems, i do them every day around the same
>> time. It also helps when you are using any meds something to do with the
>> slime coat.
>> Nik
>
> Thanks, Nik. Mollies are pretty different from goldfish, though. They
> can live in anything from hard freshwater to full marine conditions. One
> of the ways to help them is to put them in enough salt to completely kill
> freshwater parasites and bacteria and let them live in the salt for a
> couple of weeks. He's in 2 tbsp./gal right now and can go much higher.
> Problem is, I don't know whether it works for internal problems and I
> rather doubt it.
>
> --
> Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
> Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

Yeah, i think you might have to use some kind of med for that, the link i
posted has all kinds of symptoms and diseases, it also has a link for
parasites, it is aimed towards goldfish, but goldfish and other fish get a
lot of the same disease, its one of the better web pages i have found that
talks about disease and symptoms & cures, i figured you might be able to use
it for at least that, I never had mollies before, luke tried to get me to
buy some the other day i think balloon ones (if that is right) they are
pretty, and i thought i could put them with the fancy guppies, but i told
him to wait till i found out a little more about them, so he got another
goldfish.
Nik

[Altum]

Nikki wrote:

> Yeah, i think you might have to use some kind of med for that, the link i
> posted has all kinds of symptoms and diseases, it also has a link for
> parasites, it is aimed towards goldfish, but goldfish and other fish get a
> lot of the same disease, its one of the better web pages i have found that
> talks about disease and symptoms & cures, i figured you might be able to use
> it for at least that, I never had mollies before, luke tried to get me to
> buy some the other day i think balloon ones (if that is right) they are
> pretty, and i thought i could put them with the fancy guppies, but i told
> him to wait till i found out a little more about them, so he got another
> goldfish.
> Nik

If you're interested in fish diseases, you might try getting a few
books. That website is pretty specific to pond goldfish and koi and is
missing a lot of diseases seen in tropicals. It also relies heavily on
antibiotics since you can inject them into koi and have less risk of
making resistant mycoplasma in your tank.

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

[Nikki]

"Altum" > wrote in message
t...
> Nikki wrote:
>
>> Yeah, i think you might have to use some kind of med for that, the link i
>> posted has all kinds of symptoms and diseases, it also has a link for
>> parasites, it is aimed towards goldfish, but goldfish and other fish get
>> a lot of the same disease, its one of the better web pages i have found
>> that talks about disease and symptoms & cures, i figured you might be
>> able to use it for at least that, I never had mollies before, luke tried
>> to get me to buy some the other day i think balloon ones (if that is
>> right) they are pretty, and i thought i could put them with the fancy
>> guppies, but i told him to wait till i found out a little more about
>> them, so he got another goldfish.
>> Nik
>
> If you're interested in fish diseases, you might try getting a few books.
> That website is pretty specific to pond goldfish and koi and is missing a
> lot of diseases seen in tropicals. It also relies heavily on antibiotics
> since you can inject them into koi and have less risk of making resistant
> mycoplasma in your tank.
>
> --
> Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
> Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

Yeah I have a lot of info stored on my computer for my other fish and
diseases they can get, since I just started with goldfish (well Luke did,
I'm just stuck doing the hard work) I thought that was a pretty good sight.
Read a book, did I mention I have a 6 year old, and two others that are
almost teens, Luke see's me as much as pick a book up he needs me ASAP,
unless of course its Harry potter, I just read the new one to him and he
rather enjoyed that. thats how i read now, eight find some thing he likes or
stay up all night....
nik

[Gill Passman]

Altum wrote:
> I've got a molly who has been gradually getting thin and he recently
> started to shimmy. I was hoping he'd get better on his own since the
> water is good in is tank, but I've become convinced that I need to
> intervene. He eats quite a lot for being so thin so I'm figuring he's
> got intestinal worms or parasites. I've looked for calamanus but I've
> never seen anything at his vent. His poop is normal-looking.
>
> I have him in a tub with about 0.5% salt, which seems to have helped -
> probably less stress than freshwater. He isn't shimmying as much now
> and heads for the surface hoping for food whenever I peer in. I had
> planned to treat him with Jungle antiparasitic food, but he flatly
> refuses to eat it.
>
> Can salt alone treat internal parasites? I don't mind taking him all
> the way to marine conditions for a while if it would work. I also have
> Clout, Fluke-tabs, and metronidazole. Will any of those work in a bath?
>
> Thanks for any help with this poor little fellow.
>

From what you say he seems to be improving in the salt solution.
Personally, if he continues to get better I would not intervene with any
additional treatment....

Gill

[swarvegorilla]

Mollies are often raised in dirt ponds this makes them suseptable to
everything from parasitic worms, thru to piscine tb. Black mollies get
cancers and tumours.
They also benefit from added marine salt.
That said they are great fish and prolific in breeding once you nail a few
things.
First the diet, bloodworm is a good substitute for much of what they eat in
the wild. I have found spirulina flake to also be very good at getting
mollies to look their best.
With a good diet and a few feeds a day you should be able to bulk him back
up. Adding salt is harder if you have salt intolerant species in there like
corys?. Anyway a slight raise in tank water salt levels could help long
term.
As an actual med tho I think either a bath in full strength (same temp)
marine water or use a different method. I think the fluke meds you had
sounded ok, check the ingredients? if it's got (sp?!) praziquantral in it,
it should work. Consider trying to remove all the snails from tank as well.
If the fish dies try to get to it as quick as possible. Wear gloves, snip
the gill casing off and snip off a small piece of gill filiment. If you can
put that under a microscope or even a kick ass magnifying glass, or zoom in
on a 4 meg digital photo.... then you should be a able to see some wormy
things on the gills. Otherwise it's internal.
Or another angle 'metronidazole'... why do you have this and clout? has
tank had a 'bloat' wipe out before? It could be indeed a tb case. Does the
fish have any open unhealed wounds on it? any other fish with deformed
spines? If so don't be putting hands in water if you have any open
wounds.... fish sounds like somethings sapping it. In that case yes try
med the food with the metronidazole.
Anyway not trying ta make ya paranoid.
fluke tabs would prob work in a bath, even if ya just float an icecream
container half full of tank water with an airstone and dose of meds.
Plan B of course is just to 'remove' the fish from the tank. Can always get
another molly.
:-)


"Nikki" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> "Altum" > wrote in message
> t...
>> Nikki wrote:
>>
>>> Yeah, i think you might have to use some kind of med for that, the link
>>> i posted has all kinds of symptoms and diseases, it also has a link for
>>> parasites, it is aimed towards goldfish, but goldfish and other fish get
>>> a lot of the same disease, its one of the better web pages i have found
>>> that talks about disease and symptoms & cures, i figured you might be
>>> able to use it for at least that, I never had mollies before, luke tried
>>> to get me to buy some the other day i think balloon ones (if that is
>>> right) they are pretty, and i thought i could put them with the fancy
>>> guppies, but i told him to wait till i found out a little more about
>>> them, so he got another goldfish.
>>> Nik
>>
>> If you're interested in fish diseases, you might try getting a few books.
>> That website is pretty specific to pond goldfish and koi and is missing a
>> lot of diseases seen in tropicals. It also relies heavily on antibiotics
>> since you can inject them into koi and have less risk of making resistant
>> mycoplasma in your tank.
>>
>> --
>> Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
>> Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com
>
> Yeah I have a lot of info stored on my computer for my other fish and
> diseases they can get, since I just started with goldfish (well Luke did,
> I'm just stuck doing the hard work) I thought that was a pretty good
> sight. Read a book, did I mention I have a 6 year old, and two others that
> are almost teens, Luke see's me as much as pick a book up he needs me
> ASAP, unless of course its Harry potter, I just read the new one to him
> and he rather enjoyed that. thats how i read now, eight find some thing he
> likes or stay up all night....
> nik
>

[Altum]

swarvegorilla wrote:
> Mollies are often raised in dirt ponds this makes them suseptable to
> everything from parasitic worms, thru to piscine tb. Black mollies get
> cancers and tumours.
> They also benefit from added marine salt.
> That said they are great fish and prolific in breeding once you nail a few
> things.
> First the diet, bloodworm is a good substitute for much of what they eat in
> the wild. I have found spirulina flake to also be very good at getting
> mollies to look their best.
> With a good diet and a few feeds a day you should be able to bulk him back
> up. Adding salt is harder if you have salt intolerant species in there like
> corys?. Anyway a slight raise in tank water salt levels could help long
> term.

He's in quarantine. No worries about salt or meds. The mollies are in
an outdoor tank with a fair amount of algae, so I feed flakes, dried
bloodworms, and various frozen foods. Plus they get springtails,
snails, and whatever bugs drop in the water.

> As an actual med tho I think either a bath in full strength (same temp)
> marine water or use a different method. I think the fluke meds you had
> sounded ok, check the ingredients? if it's got (sp?!) praziquantral in it,
> it should work. Consider trying to remove all the snails from tank as well.
> If the fish dies try to get to it as quick as possible. Wear gloves, snip
> the gill casing off and snip off a small piece of gill filiment. If you can
> put that under a microscope or even a kick ass magnifying glass, or zoom in
> on a 4 meg digital photo.... then you should be a able to see some wormy
> things on the gills. Otherwise it's internal.
>
> Or another angle 'metronidazole'... why do you have this and clout? has
> tank had a 'bloat' wipe out before? It could be indeed a tb case. Does the
> fish have any open unhealed wounds on it? any other fish with deformed
> spines? If so don't be putting hands in water if you have any open
> wounds.... fish sounds like somethings sapping it. In that case yes try
> med the food with the metronidazole.

I had a sick discus with HLLE and wasting in a completely different
tank. I suspected hexamita. Unfortunately I couldn't get metronidazole
for a while so tried clout. I finally got the metronidazole but it was
too late.

No signs of fish TB elsewhere. Other fish in the tank have been fine.
Something is clearly sapping the fish, but I'm guessing worms.

> Anyway not trying ta make ya paranoid.
> fluke tabs would prob work in a bath, even if ya just float an icecream
> container half full of tank water with an airstone and dose of meds.
> Plan B of course is just to 'remove' the fish from the tank. Can always get
> another molly.
> :-)

I'll try full marine, then fluke tabs if that doesn't work. Mollies are
pretty easy to find, but so is salt water. ;-)

--
Put the word aquaria in the subject to reply.
Did you read the FAQ? http://faq.thekrib.com

[swarvegorilla]

> I'll try full marine, then fluke tabs if that doesn't work. Mollies are
> pretty easy to find, but so is salt water. ;-)


Situation under control dude!
Yea mollies can handle full marine for a few months at least.
I use them to cycle nemo tanks
:-)