Is my fish OK?

[csrobe02]

OK, you guys are going to think im crazy, but the mollie that I used to cycle my tank now looks like it might be sick. My tank completed its cycle about 2 weeks ago and I just added 2 true perc clowns to my tank yesterday, while leaving the mollie cause it has a nice personality. Anyways, I noticed today that it has a whiteish area behind the gills. Now Ive never seen ich, but from the descriptions of what it looks like, this does not seem to be the case. The fish looks like it kind of has a loose scale or something. Is that possible that it got banged up against a rock or something and a scale is out of place? causing it to have a whiteish color?
If I have to I will get rid of the mollie to save my percs that I added, but Ive actually grown to like the little black mollie and dont know what to do with it. I dont want anything to risk the lives of my clownfish.
Please, if anyone knows what I am talking about, can you please let me know if it is serious, and if I need to be worrying?
Thanks for your help

 

[bdhough]

It could be a fungus growing in the gills or the mollie could have burns from ammonia or bad ph in the tank. I would check those. If it is fungus or parasite on the gills the percs could have brought it into the tank with them. It could be possible that the mollie did loose a scale in a bump or something. Keep an eye on your fish. If you notice them not eating thats a very good sign they might be sick or if the white starts spreading.

 

[csrobe02]

Thanks for your help. I dont have an anemone but my PH is a little low. I fed him and he still went crazy when I put the food in the tank, so thats a good sign I guess. Ive heard water changes are a good way to raise the PH, is that true? and would that get rid of the white spot if that was the cause?
Im kinda leaning towards the loose scale, thats what it really looks like, but I want to be sure.
Thanks again for your help.

 

[beth]

Mollies are really FW fish. Maybe it is time to find him a home with other FW fish.
Using fish to cycle new tanks can be extremely difficult on the fish. Even fatal. The fish is exposed to toxic conditions for a long time.

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by Beth
Mollies are really FW fish. Maybe it is time to find him a home with other FW fish.
...

Beth: with respect. Mollies actually develop more fungus in freshwater than in salt. adding salt to freshwater clears it up.
In my experience with cycling with mollies, the only only thing that affected the mollies was an extreme tank crash where ammonia pegged the test kit. NitrItes could peg the kit for 2-3 days and the mollies seemed unaffected.
I suspect that if the molly is sick so are the other fish.
csrobe02: PH drops are a normal and late part of cycleing for a new setup. My 55g dropped to 7.4 or so at about the two month point. after 6 months it now remains at 8.4. I did use baking soda at first but the real reason was just the extra running time. I only replace the water that evaporates.

 

[beth]

beaslbob, yes mollies can be treated with salt application, as can other FW fish. Likewise, SW fish can by treated with hyposaline conditions, otherwise I would not be constantly posting here how to use hyposalinity to treat FW fish. However, that doesn't mean that SW fish are better off in fresh water.
Fish diseases treated with opposite saline applications target the intolerance of the "pathogen" to those conditions. Simply, a SW parasite can be effectively eradicated by exposing it to FW conditions. The premise is that the fish has higher tolerance for the extreme treatment, thus the fish can tolerate these conditions long enough to eradicate the pathogen [which can tolerate it less].
At best, mollies can tolerate slightly brackish conditions. They do seem to prefer more alkaline conditions, which is often not present in your standard FW aquaria. Something the hobbyist should consider. Perhaps it their need for alkalinity rather than their need for brackishness whcih makes mollies fare well in saltier waters.