Reptile & Amphibian Forums

PLEASE HELP!!! fairly new at owning fish. Have a 20g tank with 3 guppies, 3 neon danios, and 1 ballon molly (the other one died two days ago). One o the danios has ich and I began treating for it but at half strength medication because the box said to do half strength for tropical fish. All fish are acting fine and the fish with ich has no symptoms except for the white dots. The ballon molly just became sick this morning and will sit on the bottom of the tank upside down. If i bother her to try to get her to swim she will swim around upright and just fine and will eat fine. Thought maybe it was swim bladder disease at first but she will swim around perfectly fine if i move her and seems to have no problem swimming top to bottom, etc. Anybody have any idea what might be wrong with her or how to fix it?

Thanks!! Anne

An upside down fish is a classic sign of swim bladder disorder. Peas should solve the problem. All swim bladder disorder is, is the digestive tract gets full because of constipation and the digestive tract pushes on the swim bladder which is used for buoyancy. That's why the fish has trouble swimming upright.

Try that, and let me know how things are going. Also, good luck with your case of ick. I hope your fish make it.
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Phishie

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

thanks for the help, unfortunately she died about three hours after i posted but now I know what to do in the future. The ick seems to be clearing up so hopefully everyone else will do ok. Thanks again!!

I'm sorry for your loss. She was probably very stressed, so the swim bladder problem might have been her last straw.
I am glad to hear that the ick is clearing up... the good news about that (if all your other fish make it through), they will be less susceptible to ick in the future. Keep me posted on how it's coming along.
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Phishie

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."