# Good Golly Miss Molly



## Sagittarius-Aquarius (Oct 30, 2009)

So I got a few new fish recently, among them some mollies (my ratios are 2:1 F:M). I've noticed a weird quirk though, which has me on alert for parasites in the tank.

SEE PICTURE BELOW!!

My balloon molly is pregnant (she dropped a few babies the day after I bought her, lucky me), so I figured maybe it was some bizarre pregnant fish thing. I have a sponge filter, and the air line is in the tank freely. She has been swimming up to it, as if she were going to "jump" over it, then swims up to it and dips so one side touches it as she swims over it. It's almost like she is itchy, but I'm not sure why she'd scratch herself on the air line. She does this back and forth a few times, then swims away and nibbles on the heater and such. I was going to dismiss it, but I did once catch several fish doing it in succession. I've been watching, and she seems to be the only one still doing it. One thing that puzzles me is that it's always just below her mouth but she does it to both sides.

At first I was worried she was ill, but noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Then it seemed like all of my fish (with the exception of a few) were showboating. Now I'm beginning to suspect parasites. She LOOKS healthy, but I know that can be deceiving.

If anyone knows what this is, that would be great. I'd like to catch it early if it's something bad. Thanks!

-S.A.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that one of the tiny fry was nibbling her belly, she didn't move while it was doing this. Don't really know if that's significant.


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## Sagittarius-Aquarius (Oct 30, 2009)

Okay, so I've learned what she's doing is called flashing, and I've also noticed a few things. First of all, I see black ich I think. There are only two spots on her, but that's what it looks like to me. 

Secondly, she seems to have either scratched the skin off her eyebrow region a bit, or there's a very tiny amount of cottony fungus showing. 

Are these related? There were no sick fish in the tank with her at the store that I could see but it was a new shipment.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Are you keeping them in fresh water or brackish? It may not cure an existing issue, but mollies will be healthier, live longer, and have much stronger immune systems if kept in brackish water like they should be... 
(And FYI, brackish is always best done with marine salt, not basic aquarium salt)


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

According to the late Dr. Joanne Norton, the above is not true. It has been perpetuated over the years as being fact.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Interesting...I'd never heard that but a quick search yielded this article in which she is quoted...

http://www.tfhmagazine.com/details/...e-and-the-salt-myth-livebearers-unlimited.htm

Regardless, salt can be therapeutic (as per the same article) so why not give it a shot? Though I guess marine salt isn't necessary...


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Salt can be indeed therapeutic and mollies can take it better than most it would seem. As far as Dr Norton, she challenged a lot of conventional wisdom in her day. Water change quantities being one.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

While salt is often helpful for skin disorders in fish, and mollies tolerate it well, your other fish may be stressed by more than a minimal amount of added salt. Another problem with using salt is that most plants can't take it.

Skin disorders are most often due to polluted water. If you step up your water change schedule, your fish may well recover without any further treatment. You may want to isolate the molly until she's healed if you have a suitable quarantine tank. If she's brought some kind of parasite or disease into your tank, you'll understand why quarantine tanks are recommended for all fish you buy.


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## Sagittarius-Aquarius (Oct 30, 2009)

I have put a lot of aquarium salt and upped the temperature a bit, I have a quarantine tank, and I have a photo. The colour's a bit messed up because of photoshop but bear with me. This is my male molly, who seems to have it worse physically but is much more active. The reason I'm concerned is because if it is black ich, I don't have a quarantine tank AND a spare that are clean. I may just have to clean out my betta's 10 gallon and use it as a temporary home for the healthy. 

I couldn't get a clear picture of my balloon molly, but her spots seem a little larger and more defined. Perhaps his spots are colouration I didn't notice, but I looked pretty carefully when I first bought him.


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## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

*molly*

What I have read about the balloon molly is not good, as it is so inbreed that the spine is curved which gives it it's balloon belly, thier life span is about 12 months, and is suseptable to many desieses and parisites. Salt and higher temps. are a good chioce as a cure also maintaining the temps. above 80 is also a good idea, I keep mine at 84 at all times. Good luck.


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## Sagittarius-Aquarius (Oct 30, 2009)

I know, balloon mollies seem like they're quite fragile, but she was a gift along with my other two mollies. They were fine for the first while, so I thought they were okay. I'm just going to up my water changes, I've done two this week. Just 2 15% but I guess I need to do more.

Can anyone tell what is on that male lyretail, or is it just colouration I didn't notice? I was wondering if it was ammonia burns.

Also, thanks Carmenh for the link to the article. I'm going to do as instructed, and separate the two new additions who are looking a bit sickly. Also, maybe I'll move the other fish from the molly tank and to a 10 gallon, to avoid the inevitable stress they're probably facing.


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## Sagittarius-Aquarius (Oct 30, 2009)

Can anyone tell me if the tiny spots are more likely black ich, parasites, or bacteria? I'm buying formalin today.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

To be honest, I don't think (from the photo anyway) that you have anything to be concerned about.

Maybe Bill or bae will know better.


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## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

I have never heard of black ich, because mollies are so inbreed this may just be pigment coloring from another spawn a few generations back, nothing wrong in my opinion.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

Your basic problem was flashing, which fish do when their skin is irritated. This can be due to disease, parasites, or dirty/contaminated water. Salt causes fish to exude more slime which can help a little. Have you tested your water? High nitrate levels usually indicate that larger or more frequent water changes are needed.

Don't use chemicals or drugs unless you know what you're treating. They can be hard on even healthy fish. If the flashing is decreasing, you may not need to anything but observe and keep up the water changes.


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## Sagittarius-Aquarius (Oct 30, 2009)

I've kept them up and did not purchase formalin, as I said I may. I've been upping the salt amounts a bit (the sensitive fish have been moved to my other tank). They both have improved reasonably. I no longer see that strange fuzz near her eyebrows. I have not seen flashing in three days or so. Water parameters are tested and safe.


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