Molly swimming every way but rightside up

Lachlan · 10-02-2007, 08:06 PM

I need some help with one of my silver mollies. She just gave birth about a week ago, and her swimming's been getting worse ever since. She swims vertically, up and down, and on her side; sometimes she anchors herself under a rock or attached to the filter sucker, probably so she won't float up. Could there be a swim bladder issue? Will she get better or is she doomed?

MandyMolly · 10-03-2007, 02:06 AM

free mn_fuzka
I frequently had mollies do this same thing to when I was first getting into fish...
Check your levels and your ammonia especially.
With the addition of a new overload, if there are survivors, your amonia may be up. This might have been what caused mine to do this and/or stress. If it is the same mine never made it...... Sorry

xx mn_fuzka xx

Lachlan · 10-03-2007, 06:51 PM

Ammonia is zero. Nitrites and Nitrates are present but low, so I don't think it's done cycling. All other fish are good, including two other silver mollys and her one surviving fry.

Tommy Gun · 10-03-2007, 07:55 PM

Hey Lachlan! Welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear about your molly though...

It certainly does sound like your molly is experiencing some sort of swim bladder issue and there are a couple different reasons and/or underlying causes for this to occur; including, but not limited to:

1.) In some cases, swim bladder problems can stem from something as simple as a birth defect. In fact, I am willing to bet that many of the most common live-bearers (e.g. mollies, platties, guppies, etc...) are more apt to be born with some defect because they are often over-bred or in-bred. However, this is probably not the cause of your mollies current problems because it sounds as though it has been fine in the past.

2.) Believe it or not, a fish's diet can also play a large role in swim bladder issues. Simply put, if you are not providing a diet in which your molly can easily digest and use internally, its internal organs could suffer, including a swim bladder. In fact, your fish may just be constipated (albeit dramatically so); making the digestive track/organs swell enough to place pressure or stress on a swim bladder. One thing you can do to address this potential issue above and beyond a diet is to feed your fish a pea by 'squishing' it in an area which you can be relatively sure your molly will eat it. You may also want to look into using a garlic supplement that you can use to soak into your fish food - not only does this help your fishes' immune system, it would also help reduce the risk of your fish developing an internal infection.

3.) I would also suggest that you ensure that the water in your tank remains within ideas temperature ranges AND ensure that the water is maintaining that temp, or very close to it, is constant since, according to one resource I have read, rapid temp changes can contribute to/cause swim bladder issues.

4.) Your fish may also have an internal bacterial or parasite problem which is contributing to/causing the swim bladder issues your fish is experiencing. That being said, IMHO and IME, it can become somewhat risky for any of us to treat a fish 'blindly'; meaning, you cannot be sure of what you are treating and/or if the treatment is going to address the issue. Again, this is one of the great benefits of using a garlic-soaked food because it is a more 'natural' remedy and doing this might eliminate your ability to use meds...at least in the event that you have two or more issues to address. It you do decide that your fish would be best off by your treating with meds, it is rather important to note that the very best way to go about medicating a fish is to take action which would result in your fish ingesting the meds rather than simply adding a medication to the water. The reason for this, or at least one of them, is pretty simple - freshwater fish use a relatively small amount of water in their bodies versus saltwater fish (which do use the water...which is one reason why they are known to be more sensitive to water quality issues), so any medication in the water alone is not nearly as effective as your fish ingesting the meds. Just to clarify though - you would want to add certain medications to the water, but only if they are more external issues...make sense?

Like I eluded to before, these are only a few ideas for you to think about and I am sure there may be other causes for swim bladder problems that I have not listed but I hope this at least gets you heading in the right direction.

TG