ill balloon bellies

Question
I have 2 female(very preg) balloon mollies.  About 1 week ago 1 of them started swimming nose down on the bottom of the tank.  she can swim upright when eating though.  The other one won't eat and is getting worse, she just started swimming funny today.  She is now on her side and barely moving.  the other fish were "eating" them so I have them in a net breeder right now.  I put some melafix in with them to help their "missing" fins and other wounds (from being eaten).  I did a 20% water change today.  Please help me!!  It is so sad to see them suffer!!  Thank you.

Answer
hey misty,
keep putting the melafix on. there sadly isn't too much more you can do, besides trying to get them to eat. They probably won't because they are so pregnant they don't have much space for food. Hopefully they will get better or at least give birth, it would be a shame for the babies to die as well as the mother. I would have given you a way to euthanize them incase they were really bad, but I don't think it is right to euthanize a pregnant fish. If they give birth and don't seem to get better afterwards and look like they are suffering badly, send me a message and i will give you a way to euthanize them humanely.

you should probably get a small breeding tank so the mothers don't get attacked in the future. A five or ten gallon tank work nicely for this.

i hope this info helps, feel free to ask future questions. I really hope they make it.
best wishes, chelsey