This is my first experience with dropsy, or at least that is what I suspect it is *SICK*. I posted this on another site, but I thought I would share it here too.
Yesterday morning I woke up to an extremely bloated, bulging eyed little bronze cory. I knew that dropsy is usually a symptom of poor water condition so I immediately checked my parameters.
The parameters seemed good to me:
Ammonia and Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 10
pH is about 7.4
GH - 150 ppm
KH - 120 ppm
Temp: 79F
I've been doing 20% water changes about every four days.
But I have also heard that with dropsy the parameters might be fine, but there could still be something bad in the water. So I did a 90% water changed and gravel vac'd everywhere I could. I changed out filter flossed and rinsed out my filters (in old tank water). I am also going to cut down on feedings in hopes it will help keep the water cleaner.
I also read that dropsy could be a sign of bacterial infection so I added melafix, which is the only antibiotic I had on hand at the moment, it may help, but dropsy I see is pretty hard to beat. I might try to find a stronger antibotic. I have heard some success with salt baths, but you can't do that with corys.
She hasn't had any problems swimming, her appetite is great, if she didn't look so funny you would swear nothing was wrong.
I've done a lot of searches but I haven't been able to turn up an pictures of a cory with dropsy, so I took a picture of mine:
She is very bloated looking compared to the other corys, her under side is a lot more rounded and her cheeks are very pudgy, and her eyes seem to bulge out (this picture doesn't show that very well) her fins also seem to stick out more. Dropsy tends to make the soft areas of the body swell, which is her eyes and underparts. I liken her appearance to a black moor goldfish.
I know dropsy is considered a 'symptom' and usually result from a problem with the kidneys. I have read of some fish spontaneously recovering from dropsy.
Yesterday morning I woke up to an extremely bloated, bulging eyed little bronze cory. I knew that dropsy is usually a symptom of poor water condition so I immediately checked my parameters.
The parameters seemed good to me:
Ammonia and Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 10
pH is about 7.4
GH - 150 ppm
KH - 120 ppm
Temp: 79F
I've been doing 20% water changes about every four days.
But I have also heard that with dropsy the parameters might be fine, but there could still be something bad in the water. So I did a 90% water changed and gravel vac'd everywhere I could. I changed out filter flossed and rinsed out my filters (in old tank water). I am also going to cut down on feedings in hopes it will help keep the water cleaner.
I also read that dropsy could be a sign of bacterial infection so I added melafix, which is the only antibiotic I had on hand at the moment, it may help, but dropsy I see is pretty hard to beat. I might try to find a stronger antibotic. I have heard some success with salt baths, but you can't do that with corys.
She hasn't had any problems swimming, her appetite is great, if she didn't look so funny you would swear nothing was wrong.
I've done a lot of searches but I haven't been able to turn up an pictures of a cory with dropsy, so I took a picture of mine:
She is very bloated looking compared to the other corys, her under side is a lot more rounded and her cheeks are very pudgy, and her eyes seem to bulge out (this picture doesn't show that very well) her fins also seem to stick out more. Dropsy tends to make the soft areas of the body swell, which is her eyes and underparts. I liken her appearance to a black moor goldfish.
I know dropsy is considered a 'symptom' and usually result from a problem with the kidneys. I have read of some fish spontaneously recovering from dropsy.
