Recommendations assisting senior/older fish

[quikv6]

So I have a Balloon Molly that seems to be aging. I've had her a year, and she was a fully grown adult fish when I got her. In the last 3 months, she has gradually aged, for lack of a better term. She doesn't swim as fast, has lost some color, and gets out-competed for food, and sometimes picked on and pushed away. When she does grab a bite, she isn't nearly as voracious as she was. She has lost quite a bit of size. Being it happened gradually, I didn't really notice, but now looking at older pictures, it is quite evident.

Short of a "retirement" tank, is there anything I can do to help? I have been trying to load up brine shrimp/etc in a pipette, and shoot it to her specifically. It works, but it also causes the other 60-70 Mollies and Platys to dart right towards her in a feeding frenzy. I thought about putting her in a breeding box while feeding, but worry that might stress her even more.

I just want her to be more comfortable and stress-free, but don't know what to do, if anything. All advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Dwayne Brown]

Perhaps if you tried feeding the other mollies at ine end of the aquarium and the older one with a pipet at the other end

[quikv6]

Thanks Dwayne...I've tried that, with some success, but ultimately the other fish are just much faster, and the molly mentioned ends up getting wrapped up in frenzy somehow. The platys can fly around the tank at lightning speed. I appreciate it, though.

[Dwayne Brown]

@quikv6     I cant really think of anything other then getting a different tank. Have you tried a devider? You can get expensive glass ones or just make a cheap diy out of plastic mesh and use that to separate or devide the fish during feeding

 

[H.K.Luterman]

Maybe try putting her in a breeder box during feeding time? I'm not sure how stressful that would be for her though, if she would happily eat in there.