# Crimped Fins, scratching



## pringleringel (Apr 3, 2011)

I have a molly in my 20g, we have had him for a little over a week. I didn't want him, my wife did so I didn't pay a whle lot of attention to it. I noticed about 4 days ago that the fish's last two sets of anal fins are all crimped up and he is scratching on the deco a lot.

I have noticed no signs of ich on any of the other fish in there and there is no spots on the mollie either.

His condition is unchanged since I noticed. He eats when it's feeding time but he is usually either laying around on the bottom, or floating up on the top or scratching.

I have tetras in the tank and I am reluctant to treat for ich without any other visible evidence, I'm not really sure what to do. 

Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates LOW
PH 8.7


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Wow, high ph you have.

Does he also dart about erractically?


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## pringleringel (Apr 3, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> Wow, high ph you have.
> 
> Does he also dart about erractically?


 Not so much. Mainly just furiously scratching his belly on the decor. And yeah, PH is terrible, water hardness and alkalinity is just as bad too..


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## danilykins (Dec 22, 2010)

I would say its the ph thats driving it bonkers. I think if you add some natural elements like seashells or rocks it can lower your ph. I added some garden rocks after I cleaned and boiled them and they seem to have dropped my PH from the 8 range to around a 7 which is Neutral.


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## pringleringel (Apr 3, 2011)

Well the other mollie is fine though... I haven't seen where PH would cause crimped fins anywere, just parasites.

I don't know though...

I thought seashells raised PH?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Seashells will raise ph. Your ph is fine for mollies, I wouldn't go messing with it. Scratching and clamped fins are usually a sign of ich, but also can be signs of other things. Try feeding it some food with garlic for a few days. It might be some type of internal parasite.


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## LariM78 (Nov 2, 2010)

Could also be velvet which causes the same symptoms, it's just hard to see on the fish and it can affect the gills. I've lost a few fish last year with the same symptoms you're describing. The treatment for velvet is the same for ick.


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## pringleringel (Apr 3, 2011)

I tried the garlic, I processed a clove and mixed it with some flakes.. They ate the flake and spit out the garlic lol.

I might just go ahead with the ich treatment half strength and hopefully it wont hurt my tetras..


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## pringleringel (Apr 3, 2011)

Well I emptied my carbon out and did a half strenght of treatment of rid ich. I hope it works.


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## pringleringel (Apr 3, 2011)

After treating with Ridich I can now see a patch of lighter colored "stuff" on the fish's belly around where the crimped fins are. I don't think it's ich, possibly velvet or a fungus.

However since I put the meds in the tank my gourami has been flashing.. The betas seem ok though.


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## pringleringel (Apr 3, 2011)

Update,

Turned on the light this morning and the mollie was laying on bottom not moving, no gill movement or anything. I went to get the net to scoop him out and came back and the dumb this was swimming. 

He's definitely on his way out, he's back to laying on bottom now not moving again. Wife won't let me give him the magic toilet ride until he's floating though. She's hoping for a miracle.


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