mollie

Question
Hi... ive got my own freshwater aquarium set up at home and everything is fine and running smoothly apart from one of my fish. Its a young black mollie. ive had him the longest out of all of my fish and its worrying to think theres something wrong with him. his tail seems to be broken or something. its totally bent in the middle and its pointing straight down.. what do you think this is? hes not as lively any more although he does still swim about. if you want i could try and get a picture? thanks! amy

Answer
Hi Amy,

Broken fins may be a sign of bullying or aggressiveness in your fish tank. Look carefully at your fish, to make sure that the Molly isn't constantly being nipped at or chased. This is actually quite common in Mollies, as males often chase females in mating. Fortunately, tails and fins will heal in about 2 weeks or less.

You can help the fins heal by adding a slime coat enhancer such as Stress Coat, by API, available at your local fish store.


If you could send me a picture, or give me a link to a picture, that would be extremely helpful.

Good Luck, and Happy Fishkeeping!