sick and dying molly

Question
my molly has been depressed since his best friend past away 2 months ago.  Since then he has been hanging out in the corners and only coming out for food.  but lately i have noticed that his scales have become swollen and and almost painful when he rubs against any  surface.  he is very lethargic.  at first i thought he was depressed because his friend died. it is almost heart retching to watch him go on.  is the a fish hospice program for him.  i just want the suffering to stop.  thank for you help,

from sick and depressed molly in Atlanta

Answer
I understand how you feel. Fish can be just like dogs and cats, very close to us. I would recommend getting a treatment and treating him. It needs to cover internal and external diseases and parasites. He probably has bloat or an internal parasite which is causing his body to swell. If you cannot get the treatment because of the holiday you have to choose whether you want to try and have him wait until you can get the treatment or choose to end his ordeal now. Either way dont feel bad for your choice. When we try to mimic nature and keep fish in our homes, we run the risk of not being able to provide them with the proper environment. However, if he does not make it, dont let it get you down. Keep on enjoying fish. Every fish owner has had a fish or many fish which were very close to thier hearts and have lost them. Its a sad part of life. If you fish makes it, fantastic...if not, try again and give some more mollies a good home. Let me know if you need more help. I hope I have helped, let me know if you need something more. Good luck.