Velvet/Rust on Dalmatian Molly? You Call the Ball.?

Question

I had a dalmatian molly in my 10 G aquarium and when I first had him, he seemed like he had brownish to dark yellowish spots on his body. I moved him into a 45 G with a couple other fish but he died this morning. He was in there for 3 days without any problems whatsoever. I looked at his body and it looked like it had a brownish slime and had those brown spots still. Is this Velvet or Rust, and how do I treat it without medication if possible (I've already spent money trying to lower ammonia and treating fin rot in both tanks via Maracyn Two and now Melafix. I've also used Kordon AmQuel+ for the Ammonia.)Do I have to disinfect my other tank as well? It's hard to tell on a dalmatian molly, but also if unable to be treated without medication, how can I treat it in my 10 G with a snail and a shrimp? Anyone who can answer all of these questions will be picked as the best answer 10 pts. Thank You!

Answer 1

Were the "spots" on his body when you purchased him?  if so why did you buy him?  Although colors will vary in some fish spots black, white or yellowish are not the colors you are looking for.  Usually brown, yellow or white spots are a sign of ich (not Rust) and should be treated as such.  The entire tank should have been treated with ich medicine.  Really with mollies salt can treat ich since mollies are naturally salt water fish and can withstand the high enough concentrations of salt needed to rid the tank of ich.  It will take much more than just 1 1/2 tablespoon per gallon to do this however and only marine salt should be used.

Also, lowering ammonia chemicals should not be used.  First these chemicals will not change the reading on your test strip and it is almost impossible to tell if they are working.  Water changes are the best way to rid your tank of these toxic levels.  Also fin rot is caused by poor water conditions.  Keeping to a 25% weekly water change is the best way to keep the fish healthy without chemicals.

Since you have snails and shrimp you cannot dose the tank with salt.  You need to treat the tank (if ich is still present) with copper safe ich treatment.  If there is no presents of ich in the tank no need to treat.

Also, ich is in the water at all times.  Unless you are running a UVSterilizer there is no way to "Disinfect" the tank from ich.  As soon as you add fresh water ich is there.  Ich only attacks stressed and weakend fish.  Since you have snails and shrimp, unless they are showing signs of ich, continue with the routine water changes and cleaning.

Answer 2

First you know mollies do bettr in water that is more alkaline(Salty). So you would have better luck with them if the water has a bit of sea-salt or hawaiian salt in the water. Off the collar, one teaspoon salt per 1 1/2 gallons of water. Methylene blue seems to cure velvet real fast, also your tank may have too high of an ammonia level which lowers the natural ability of the fish's skin lubricants to form a protective barrier on the body, so opportunistic bacteria like velvet can take foothold. Try changes 50% of the water with water that has been sitting about 24 hours in a container and then use a bit of methylene blue. It's always better to seperate your sick fish into a sick-tank and try to cure that way in isolation versus in the tank with invertebrates and mollusks. :)  Aloha from Hawaii my friend!!!!!