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swim bladder issues ?

1K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  Akeath 
#1 ·
I have had a couple of mollies develop and die from what looks like a swim bladder issue. they start swimming pointed up or down, on their back.. etc. I tried isolating them and not feeding them but they die.
anyone have any ideas ?
ie food ? how often to feed ? etc

Jim
 
#2 ·
if it's a molly only tank try a little aquarium salt

my .02
 
#7 ·
Mollies can live in freshwater, but do tend to be hardier in brackish to marine conditions, as mentioned. Assuming that you don't have any tank mates that are sensitive to salt (so no catfish, for example), 1 tablespoon salt per 5 gallons would be good. That's also assuming you are keeping up with weekly water changes of 30% or so. That should raise the pH and hardness a bit, too, which is the really important thing when keeping Mollies. 7.5 to 8.5 pH is ideal for them with a water hardness of 15-30 dGH.



There may be something to the diet causing swim bladder, as well. Mollies need a lot of plant matter in their diet, and tend to be more prone to swim bladder if those needs are not met. You can start out with blanched, skinned peas chopped to bite size for them. These will have a mild laxative effect, which should help the Mollies pass something if their swim bladder is caused by excess fluid retention or constipation. You can feed the blanched peas daily while they have swim bladder, just make sure to remove any leftovers before 24 hours have elapsed so the peas don't rot and hurt the water quality. Broccoli stems, Collard Green, and Zucchini Rounds are other things you can blanch and offer to the Mollies, and they should also be removed after 24 hours if there are leftovers. Do make sure to let these things cool after blanching before you feed them to the Mollies. Once the swim bladder is gone, you can offer veggies to your Mollies 3-4 times a week. For their staple diet, food specifically with high amounts of plant matter or vegetables in them would be a good idea. I like API Tropical Greens Flakes for my livebearers.


You mention that your Mollies are swimming pointing up. Are they sort of shaking or shimmying back and forth at the same time? If so, that is a behavior they often do when something is off in the water, especially if it isn't hard/alkaline enough, there are excess nitrates, or the temperature is too cold for them. Since your nitrogenous wastes you posted sound okay, you might want to make sure the temperature is between 78-82 degrees if it is not already and see if that makes the Mollies more comfortable, in addition to adding some salt to bump up the pH and hardness a bit.


If your Mollies won't eat and adjusting with salt, diet and temperature doesn't work you may consider adding Epsom Salt to the water. This is not a normal type of salt, despite the name, it is magnesium sulfate and isn't something you should have in the water beyond 10 days. If it is going to work it will within that time span, and after that you'll need to remove it from the water by doing 30% water changes each day for a few days. Epsom Salt is basically a strong laxative that can cure swim bladder caused by retaining fluids or constipation. You can start with 1 teaspoon per gallon, and go up to 3 teaspoons per gallon if the fish don't respond to the lesser dosage. I would only mess with the Epsom Salt if you've done the other things mentioned with salt and diet and the Mollies' swim bladder isn't getting better or worsens.
 
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