I know how tiring it can get when you are a beginner in fishkeeping. And honestly, the true nightmare begins when you start seeing your fish develop something suspicious suddenly. After seeing the white spots all over the fish, the feeling is true horror. So what do you think of when someone mentions white spots on Molly Fish? How can you get rid of them? How long does it take to fix the problem once they appear? These questions need answers, and we will provide some in this post.
White spots in Molly fish happen because of a lack of oxygen supply and circulation to the skin due to stress, non-optimal water conditions, diseases, weak immune system, etc. You can treat white spots with patience and time because there is no permanent cure for the problem.
We will explore some tips and tricks to answer the question. So, how do you get rid of white spots on Molly Fish? Hopefully, these tips will help you out with your problem!
What Are The White Spots In Molly Fish?
White Spots in Molly fish occur due to parasites like White Spot or Ich. These parasites are very contagious, and if left untreated, they will spread to all other fish.
These are tiny dots appearing over the body and fins of your mollies which may look similar at first sight to salt deposits. But there’s no need for panic since this condition isn’t dangerous unless it spreads through every one of your fishes.
White Spots In Molly Fish
You can see white spots in different parts of Molly fish if they have white spot diseases. Moreover, the areas where white spots are visible are:
White Spots In Eyes Of Molly Fish
Pop-eye is one of the common reasons you will see white spots in the eyes of Molly fish. When you notice an eye-bulging out from the fish’s head, you can identify this disease.
White Spots On Fins Of Molly Fish
Sometimes there may also be some white spots in the fins of Molly fish. This is usually because of certain diseases, including ich, velvet disease, mouth fungus, etc.
White Spots In Stomach Of Molly Fish
The cotton wool disease is a common problem that can cause white spots in the stomach of Molly fish. You can identify this case if your fish appears like they have a cotton-like substance on the stomach.
White Spots On Tail Of Molly Fish
White spots on the tail occur due to anchor worms. They appear when your tank water or aquarium is dirty with feces, uneaten food, etc. Moreover, this disease can spread to other fishes if you fail to treat them in time.
White Spots On Gills Of Molly Fish
White spots in the gills of Molly fish are a sign that your tank has poor water quality and lack of oxygen. This can cause stress in the fish. So. it’s better to improve the tank conditions accordingly or lose all other fish.
White Spots On Scales Of Molly Fish
White spots on scales of Molly fish indicate the presence of ciliate protozoan. This is another common disease that causes stress to your fish and spreads quickly from one fish to another.
White Spots On All Over The Body Of Molly Fish
White spots all over the body are ICH (Ichthyophthirius multifilis). This highly contagious fish disease can wipe out almost all fish in the tank if not treated on time.
White Spot Diseases in Gills of Mollies (Molly Ich)
Ichthyophthirius multifiliis is one such parasite that causes white spot diseases in fish like mollies. It gets into their tissue from water containing infected droplets or through the skin when they come into contact directly without a proper quarantine period which should not be less than 30 days. This causes damage in Molly fish’s gills, which results in White Spots on their gill tissues.
White Spot Disease In Mouth Of Molly Fish
Mouth fungus is another common disease that affects the mollies and makes them vulnerable to other problems like bacterial infections, weakened immune system, and white spots are some of such symptoms. You can also find some white patches in the mouth or oral cavity area due to this infection and many other body parts where mucus membranes exist.
White Spots On Molly Fish’s Fins
White spot disease in fins could also lead to fin rot. But the most common symptom is red streaks and fin rot due to blood vessels damage and loss of tissue. Red stripes are more visible since this leads to bleeding beneath their white appearance. White spots on Molly fish’s fins can also occur due to bacterial infections, like Aeromonas.
What Are The Symptoms Of White Spot Diseases In Molly Fish?
White spot virus leads to White spot disease in Molly fish. This virus mainly affects the gills of a fish but can also be present on other body parts, such as scales and fins. If it gets too severe, it will cause open wounds that may lead to secondary infections if not treated appropriately. White spots appear when the virus destroys its cells.
The symptoms of white spot diseases are:
- White spots on the fish’s body, fins, and scales
- Scratching against objects in the tank
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Excessive mucus production
- Lethargy/Sluggishness in Molly Fish can lead to coma or death if not treated.
What Are The Causes Of White Spots In Molly Fish?
White spots in Molly fish might also indicate something dangerous or a problem with the water conditions. These come from an inflamed reaction to poor water. It could also mean your tank has low oxygen levels or damage to gills.
However, some of the common causes of White spots in Molly fish are:
Stress
White Spots are one of the most common signs that Molly fish have been under stress. This can often happen after you move them to another aquarium or home. However, White spots will not appear immediately, and it may take several weeks before you notice any symptoms.
Non-Optimal Water Conditions
White Spots in Molly Fish appear when there is something wrong with the quality of water they live in, like an imbalance in pH value or too many chemicals present which irritates their skin tissues. Sometimes White spots on molly fish also indicate bacterial infections because this type of infection tends to cause inflammation, leading to White Spots appearing on your pet’s body.
Hormonal Imbalance
Healthy female Mollies have smooth skin, with White Spots appearing when carrying eggs. But some mollies develop White Spots on their bodies when there is an imbalance of hormones which causes them to turn into males and mate with other female fish.
Infections
White spots in Molly Fish can also result from infections by parasites like flukes or anchor worms. Still, this type of infection requires more knowledge about aquariums—beginners cannot find this issue because they do not know how to keep a healthy environment for fishes inside the tank.
Water Pollution
White spots in Molly Fish are a sign of water pollution. White Spots on molly fish can appear when you overfeed them or if there are too many fishes in the same aquarium without good water change and filtration. There’s also an increased chance of getting white spot disease if your tank has high ammonia/nitrites and nitrates.
Diseases
White spots in Molly fish might occur due to certain diseases, such as cotton wool disease (external parasites), velvet disease (flukes), and ulcerations. The most prominent sign of ulceration is white spots in Molly’s mouth or white spots on the gills of Molly. Infections from bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms can also cause white defects.
Nutritional Deficiencies
White spots on the body of a molly fish are also due to nutritional deficiencies. This can be due to the absence or lack of certain nutrients crucial for their healthy development and white spot disease prevention. The three main types of vitamins your fish needs are Vitamin A, B, C, and D, which you should supplement through foods like brine shrimp, bloodworms, and algae wafers. You should also check if there’s too much protein in their diet as White Spots On Mollies Fish could indicate high levels of dietary proteins.
How Can You Treat White Spots Of Molly Fish?
Although white spots aren’t a dangerous disease, it degrades the appearance of Molly fish. So, it is important to treat the white spots of Molly fish. Some of the ways to treat these spots are:
Keep The Affected Fish Separately
White spots are contagious, and it spreads to other Molly fish, too. White Spots on a single Molly indicate that your tank has internal problems. You can treat the external parasites with some remedies, but the problem might come from inside of water in which you keep them. So it is better to avoid adding more fish until the complete recovery of the affected one occurs or if there is no improvement within a few weeks, then consult with an expert.
Proper Diet
White spot disease usually results when Molly Fish stops eating for prolonged periods due to illness or stress, overcrowded aquariums, sudden changes in pH level/bacteria levels, etc. So, it is important to ensure they have proper food combinations like frozen foods (bloodworms), live food (daphnia), and pellets/flakes.
Routine Water Changes
White spots occur due to poor water quality. So make sure you change your aquarium’s water regularly and use a good filter for better fish health.
Add Some Aquarium Salt To Treat White Spots Disease
Although salt won’t treat the disease but will reduce stress levels; thus, it helps affected Molly fish fight off infections more efficiently. All you need to do is regularly change the water as a part of the aquarium maintenance routine.
Quarantine The New Fish
White Spots are not the only disease that affects Molly fish. There can be many more problems when you add new fish to your tank without quarantining them first. The quarantine process allows any diseases or parasites to show themselves before introducing healthy mollies into their environment.
So it is always best practice to quarantine all the new fishes for at least two weeks (if possible) before adding them with other resident Mollies.
Use Of Medicines To Treat White Spots
White Spot is a bacterial disease. You can treat it by using good quality aquarium salt (make sure the tank has been running few days with proper filtration before adding salt). The treatment for this disease includes antibiotic medications such as furan-type antibiotics, nitrofurazone, or quinolones. Other common drugs include formalin/malachite green combinations or malachite green treatments, copper sulfate, or the acriflavine/Diptheria combination.
To treat this disease, you should add the medication in the aquarium every 24-48 hours for a week or until symptoms disappear and then stop treatment immediately.
Salt Dips
To treat white spots of Molly fish, you can add salt in the water, which will help it. You should use about a teaspoon of salt per gallon and increase this amount if needed over time. White spots will disappear when you treat Molly fish with salt dips.
It is important to note that you can treat the white spots using Salt Dips only if the white spots occur by some injury or damage on the body surface. Therefore, this treatment for White spots might not work, and it becomes crucial to deal with the leading cause to overcome Fish disease completely.
Sun Baths
Molly fish loves to stay in the water. So, it is best to put the White Spotted Molly Fish into a bowl of clean tap water and keep them under direct sunlight for about 30 minutes every day. This treatment helps decrease their size and prevents further growth of white spots on Molly fish.
This method helps because your pet feels relaxed after putting it into water. As a result, Mollies’ immune system gets more robust, and they start fighting against any further infections. Also, White Spots will disappear faster when Molly fish if you treat them with salt bath treatment.
How To Prevent White Spots In Molly Fish?
Prevention is always better than cure. If you are aware of white spots and work effectively to prevent them, your fish will never suffer. Besides this, white spots are incurable and take a long to disappear.
Therefore, here are some ways to prevent white spots in Molly fish:
Eliminate Stress
White spots appear in fish when they feel stressed. Stress can be due to water pollution, lack of proper care, and malnutrition. So, if your Molly is suffering from White Spots, you must first try to eliminate the stress factor.
Give Them Enough Nutrition
White spots also occur because of some vitamin or minerals deficiency in their diet plan. It makes their body weaker fish. As a result, it cannot fight against diseases quickly and adequately. As a result, they become susceptible to infections such as White Spots. Moreover, providing the right amount of nutrition will prevent white Spots and other health problems.
If you have good quality food, then Molly will remain healthy. It is because they need proper nutrition for growth and development. A good diet also works as an immunity booster. It helps Molly fish fight against any illness or disease, including white spot infection.
Keep The Water Clean & Clear
Another important reason behind the occurrence of White Spots is water contamination with harmful bacteria. White Spots appear when the nitrates attack Molly’s White Blood Cells and cause many problems in their body. If you want to prevent White Spots, keep your aquarium clean regularly because dirty water can produce a high amount of nitrates, ultimately harming your fish. Also, check for ammonia levels as well once every week or so.
Change The Water Regularly
It is also important that you change your tank’s water at least twice a month with a 25% replacement daily, but make sure you don’t replace it. Otherwise, there may be drastic changes in temperature & pH levels, causing stress to Molly Fish. And always use aged (previously used) water rather than a new one while changing tanks.
Avoid Overstocking In The Tank
One more reason behind White spot (and other) infections can be overstocking fish in one tank, which causes water pollution and makes Molly prone to diseases. If you want your aquarium & fish healthy, always avoid overstocking species and maintain the proper population according to their size. Otherwise, overcrowding will only make your tanks dirty, causing problems for both environment and inhabitants!
Keep Them Warm And Well Ventilated
If you are attentive enough, you will notice that White Spot occurs mainly in cool water. White Spot is a fungal infection that thrives well in cool water.
Hence, to avoid White Spots, keep your Molly Fish warm (75-78 degrees Fahrenheit) and provide proper ventilation at least once every week or two. Overheated tanks can also cause White Spots due to high temperature and disturb fish’s immune system, making them more susceptible to diseases. So, you should provide proper filtration air pumps and check the water temperature regularly.
Proper temperature And pH Level Of Water
White Spot thrives well at higher temperatures like all other diseases, so maintain a perfect balance between low and high temperatures (75-80°F). Also, keeping the optimum pH value (pH=8.0) helps Molly fish a lot.
Can White Spots Get Transfer To Humans?
White Spots transfer to humans when the White Spot Nematode enters through a cut on someone’s skin. This White Spot is Heterorhabditis heliothidis pinpointed in China, Russia, and Japan. In these places, these parasites infected rice farmers by entering their bodies through cuts resulting from thorns or non-sterile equipment.
White Spots cause infections such as sepsis and complicate any existing medical conditions the person may already be suffering from, especially diabetes or HIV. You can also find these types of spots in Australia where parasites are more likely to infect horses by entering through cuts on their skin due to overgrown hooves.
White Spot is dangerous. So, you should take them seriously as they can lead to various complications. These types of infections can lead to septicemia that spreads through your bloodstream. White spots on humans often go undetected because they infect people who already have other conditions such as HIV or diabetes.
Some FAQs
Does White Spots Decrease The Immunity Of Molly Fish?
Yes, White Spots can decrease the immunity of Mollies. White spots on Mollies are most likely a sign of ich: Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, also known as “ick” or white spot disease. The parasites that cause ick to survive on the blood of skin and gills of your mollies. It leads to a weakened immune system and can lead to secondary infections or even death.
What To Do With White Spots?
If your Molly Fish has White Spots, it is unnecessary to take immediate action. The spots will go away by themselves within a few weeks, and their immune system will become more resistant in time if they are healthy enough. In this case, you need only to ensure that they have proper food and water quality and a stable temperature.
However, if White Spots occur with other symptoms like rapid breathing or changes in behavior, it is necessary to take immediate action. This means lowering the tank’s temperature (if possible) and increasing the aeration of the water.
Remove White Spots: Medications?
Many medications are safe for Mollies and will get rid of White Spots, but it doesn’t mean that your fish will recover 100%. If the White spots affect their gills, they damage the gills permanently. Even with medication, sometimes damage to the gills is permanent.
When Will White Spots Disappear From Molly Fish?
The White Spots should disappear on their own within a few weeks. But if your Molly fish is in poor health due to other reasons than White spots, it may take longer.
If you can keep your Mollies healthy and stress-free for at least a year, the White Spots might disappear. But, if they feel stressed or have other health issues, it takes longer than one year to recover from White Spots.
Conclusion
White spots can be tough to get rid of. White spots aren’t usually severe, but you should consult a veterinarian when they become too large. If you do not feel comfortable treating your White Spot yourself, many people will treat it for you, and some companies will send treatments home with you. I hope you find this White Spot information to be helpful.
If you have any questions, please comment below! I’ll answer your query as soon as possible and try my best to help everyone out. However, don’t forget that if the White Spots are too large or do not respond well to treatment, you should take them to a veterinarian.
Thank you for reading this post.
