# Need help quick--very sick molly



## seaecho (Jan 31, 2012)

Long story short--I've had a columnaris problems for months, it seems to go into remission, and just when I think its finally gone, it comes back again, killing more fish. I haven't even counted how many fish I've lost altogether. More than I have now, probably.

PH is 8, tank temp around 77, since the columnaris problem (used to be 79) Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0, Nitrates 5-10 on average, never higher. I siphon the bottom with every water change, which is 30% once a week. I feed once a day, frozen variety plus flakes and pellets.

This molly was active and eating yesterday. I thought I saw a bit of white on her, but thought it was my imagination or the lighting. Or maybe my paranoia because this columnaris nightmare. This morning, she was at the top gasping, and looking terrible. She didn't look like the same fish. It happened that fast. There's a white film on her body and she's in distress.

I wanted to help her quickly, so looked up salt baths online, but they only say 2-3% salt. I'm TERRIBLE at math, and had her in about 10 oz of water. Started out with aout 1/4 teaspoon dissolved aquarium salt, after 5 minutes added another 1/4 teaspoon. I ended up adding altogether about 3/4 teaspoon salt, watching her carefully. After 10-15 minutes she'd slowed down in her swimming so I took that as a sign of stress, and put her in my hospital tank, in a breeder.

She went right down to the bottom, and hasn't moved since. That was half an hour ago. I feel so bad! She's alive, as she moves slightly if I touch the breeder. The hospital tank she's in is medicated with Kanaplex, and there are two female bettas in there at the moment. They have a bit of fin rot, but are doing really well, and I'm so scared the molly will expose them to whatever she has.

Can someone tell me if my salt doseage is what made her even sicker, and does she need more salt baths? Should I euthanize her so she doesn't sicken the bettas? I don't know what to do! Thank you!


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## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

Not sure. Any sudden change in salt concentration or any water parameter really could stress the fish. Your fish might also be stressed by being put into a tank with another medication. It's easy to make the mistake of trying to do too much... Does the fish have any signs of any other infections like ich? I'm wondering if the columnaris is secondary to another, more serious infection. 

Do your aquariums have good temperature stability? How big are they?

If the fish really looks on its way out I would probably just euthanize it rather than put more fish at risk.

-Zeke



seaecho said:


> Long story short--I've had a columnaris problems for months, it seems to go into remission, and just when I think its finally gone, it comes back again, killing more fish. I haven't even counted how many fish I've lost altogether. More than I have now, probably.
> 
> PH is 8, tank temp around 77, since the columnaris problem (used to be 79) Ammonia 0 Nitrites 0, Nitrates 5-10 on average, never higher. I siphon the bottom with every water change, which is 30% once a week. I feed once a day, frozen variety plus flakes and pellets.
> 
> ...


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

You got a little heavy on the salt as dosing I think is 1 tablespoon(3 teaspoons) per 5 gallons.You used enough for about 1 gallon.That being said for only 15 minutes I'm not sure that would kill her.The salt is not a cure,but more to help osmoregulation(breathing and controlling the amount of salt in their bodily fluids).Freshwater fish try to keep more salt(as there is less in fw),therefore they take it in(in general).The salt also is truely a skin irratant helping the fish produce more natural slime in reaction to irratation.
The kanaplex I'll assume is antibiotic as that is how you cure columnaris(and gram negative infections)If the water is properly dosed in hospital tank the bettas should be fine.
You should probably be dosing main tank as this is why it seems re-accurring,it will not just die(life cycle I believe is as long as you allow).The antibiotics are going to effect your biological filter(in both tanks) so keep an eye on water quality and change ,remedicate as necessary.
FINALLY columnaris is USUALLY the result of overfeeding.You can feed as much as you like or even more(to much food is not a problem),BUT you need to make more frequent or larger waterchanges.I agree with a previous poster that most people under feed/starve their fish in effort to reduce maintenance.
Treat main tank,change more water,I'm sorry if your molly doesn't make it.The salt baths are not as important as proper medication.
Link about osmoregulation in fresh water fish Osmoregulation in Fish


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## seaecho (Jan 31, 2012)

Well, now I REALLY don't know what to do. I probably added stress with too much salt, and now, as zwanged mentioned, I'm wondering if I really should euthanize her, as the two little bettas she's in with are doing so well (just a bit of fin rot, so far, and I hope it stays that way) but I also HATE to euthanize her without knowing for sure if she can be saved. I could put her in a one gallon tank I have, but have no filter or heater for it. Oh, what to do?

I've done tons of researching, and Kanaplex is recommended more often than any other for columnaris. I was using it with Furan 2 for a while, but that was making my fish feel sick, so its Kanaplex (Kanamycin) which yes, is good for gram negative bacteria. I want to break down the big tank (55 gallons), but have too many fish remaining, and no place to put them in the meantime. The hospital tank is 10 gallons. I've done all I can--maybe I need to let her go to *hopefully *save the others. Can someone let me know if putting her in the 1 gallon tank is worth a shot? At least she'd be away from the others.


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