ARrggg Dropsy

[Iggy]

Drat! Less than week ago I noticed my favorite betta, Finchy had a big stomac. I figured it was too much food, like maybe some extra food fell into the tanks somehow and he overate.

I have not fed him in 4 days later he is still got a huge tummy.

Well, 3 days ago I noticed Earl, my cinamon dwarf gourami looked 'fat' too, so again I thought food.

Well today, Earl has swollen to three times his normal width and I figured it out... Dropsy.

I immediately treated both (quaranteed too) with Kanacyn and Melafix. Finchy is not as bad off, but I am really worried that Earl will not make it through the night.

I cannot understand how they got sick. I do water changes all the time, 30% weekly with monthly full changes on the smaller tanks.

Earl and Finchy have not had contact with each other for the past three months, but now they both have dropsy.

Its terribly frustrating, and I feel horrible for Earl, who looks like he could literally burst like a balloon.

I hear dropsy is almost always fatal, and I fear the worst.

 

[Lotus]

Sorry to hear about that I hope they pull through.

Is it possible that you used a net or equipment from another tank and that caused it?

 

[mcshell]

hope they'll be alright.

 

[ashleigh]

Me too.

 

[webjunkie]

Here's hoping they make it.

 

[theeyrietrainer]

hrmm, well, (sorry to hear it) dropsy is not a contact on contact disease like ich. dropsy, in this case, is actually only that fish and any fish can just pop up having it. i am not sure where i read this but i believe something goes wrong in the internal organs when something pops or the virus attacks a very sensitive place like the stomach, the blood reaches there or something, thus giving the wide stomach. good thing you caught dropsy at that stage! its still heal able! when you reach the stage with the scales flipped out and looks like a pinecone, then its pretty much too late and your chances of actually healing it at that point is slim to none. since at that point, everything in the digestive track has gone beserk and is like broken cause the disease messed it. there are rare occasions where people have saved their fish at that stage, but the fish soon dies of starvation because of the ruined track.

i hope your guys make it iggy! i lost an old female from my first batch 2 years ago because of dropsy. i never knew it was a disease back then, and noticed it have the pinecone shape, and it unfortunately died. hope your guys dont end up like my guppy!

 

[Colisa lalia]

Sorry to hear it, and sorry to say dropsy is almost always fatal. I've found it affect anbantoids, and fish closely realted to them very often, eespically when they are older. More than half of my gouramis, bettas eventually succumb to the disease as they reach old age.

 

[Iggy]

Ya, thats what I have found in my research also. I have very little hope for Earl (gourami), but I am holding out for Finchy (betta) who is not as bad.

Its not like I don't have enough fish or anything, it is just a very frustrating disease that has no 'certain' causes and no 'good' cures.

All I can do is seperate them, make them as confortable as possible, then put them down if they are struggeling.

Finchy is my 4yr old's 2nd fish (after Robin died). He is the daddy to my 240 baby fry, so at least he has offspring.

Earl was a gift from another breeder and my feature fish in my mini-marsh tank. I know gourami are susceptable to dropsy, but even if he dies I will get anouther gourami to take his place.

 

[mcshell]

Originally posted by Iggy
Its not like I don't have enough fish or anything, it is just a very frustrating disease that has no 'certain' causes and no 'good' cures.

Totally agree that. I've lost ~2-3 guppies due to dropsy. Felt sorry for those little guys. Saw them suffer, but couldn't do much to help them.

 

[Iggy]

Finchy passed-on tonight. He was a strong betta, a father of 320 fry with Ruby, and a fungus survivor. There is a missing space in my tank now that was his spot. He was my favorite, he was my daughters.

I now suspect that pH from my DIY CO2 injection system might be the cause. I am testing the tanks to see if it is varying day versus night.

Earl is still huge, about 3/4" thick in spots (versus 1/4" normal). He looks uncomforable but is still moving around, slowly.

Well, its time for me to send Finchy's body away. Thanks for the supportive words everyone.

 

[theeyrietrainer]

yikes, im VERY sorry to hear that iggy, i know its hard to loose your favourite betta or other fish...which is why i do a burial for all my fish, with a toothpick cross and a tiny flower bulb on it. in the memory of my fish, i give them the respect they need for one last time. good thing Finchy was your betta, we all know that he was in good hands the minute you laid eyes on him

 

[Iggy]

Well, Earl was still very, very sick yesterday. He was about 1" wide in parts (versus his normal 1/4") and not getting any better after a four treatments of Kanacyn.

I froze him to end his suffering. Poor little guy, he was a gift from another breeder and my very first gourami.

I will be getting another gourami, likely a dwarf or a young pair of platinum, depending on when I will get my 38gal complete.

 

[infant340]

oh my go im so sorry that you first lost your favorite betta and now you had to euthananize you gourami

 

[c_paan]

I realy feel for you Iggy! I had a case of dropsy over the xmas holidays. I had a 7 inch beautiful white goldfish who got dropsy. Just popped up and out of know where too! I called the vet and they said once it has reached this point(ballooned, redness scalles puffed out) there is no chance for recovery. They said ther was a med for it but had no garantee. I had to pull the big guy out and freeze him too. Worse day ever! Io sure do hope finchy makes it, weve all kinda have been hearin or seeing him off and on here at MFT. Good luck.

 

[Iggy]

Thanks guys/gals. Ya Finchy passed on a few days before Earl. He died in his sleep, and I miss him terrible, but with 239 of his babies all around me, I have a lot of reminders