Jeff wrote:
One of my black Molly's looks to be pregnant (Is very swollen and large),
has stopped moving around the tank. Pretty much stays at an angle with mouth
close to the surface and stays near the heater. The Molly also has something
white on its body and the edges of its fins are white as well. Anyone know
what could be wrong with this fish?

TIA
Jeff


Hi Jeff,

Some more info and a better description of the white stuff would be
useful in trying to work out what is wrong...is it like small sugar/salt
grains (in which case ich is the most likely), is it fluffy like cotton
wool (in which case you are looking at a fungal infection) or is it more
like a fine velvety coating (in which case you are looking at velvet) -
there could be lots of other possibilities but I have only seen the
three above....Another thing to look at is the scales on the fish - are
they bulging out (almost like a pine cone) - if yes then it could be
dropsy. Is the fish pooing normally? It could be constipated...Can it
swim normally when not hanging out in the corner?

How long have you had this fish and what companions does it have? Has
the tank fully cycled (ie. 0 ammonia/nitrite and probably a positive
nitrate reading depending on how heavily planted)?

Without a diagnosis it is difficult to suggest any treatment. Once you
know what is wrong the treatment available will vary depending on where
you live. For starters I would move the fish into a QT tank if you have
one available - if not you will need to treat it in situ. Water changes
will help - try doing changes daily (I would do around 20%). Depending
on the other tank mates, aquarium salt would be a good idea - it will
help relieve stress and make gill functionality better and it also has
antisceptic qualities - Mollies in particular benefit from salt. If the
fish is still feeding try giving it some vegetable matter - skinned peas
are quite a good one to use - this would help if it is a constipation
issue...

Come back with a fuller description and I'm sure that others will help
with suggestions on possible medication if the above generic stuff
doesn't help

Gill