length of treatment for bloat
- Thread starter catfishmike
- Start date
hmm I have had mixed results with dropsy. I use hexamit (metronidazole) and triple the treatment length. as I say mixed results. I think I've treated one fish sucessfully. you should step back a bit and think if the cost of meds : cost of fish ratio is worth treatment. Only the rarest wild fish in my system get treated everything else hits the freezer
Don't quote me on this - but the usual length of time for that kind of meds is 3 days (3 doses). Wait 48 hrs before using anything else similar or repeating.
Penicillin works wonders in the first 24 hrs, but needs the full time to get into the root of the whatever it's treating.
Somonas - give me your freezer - lol.
Penicillin works wonders in the first 24 hrs, but needs the full time to get into the root of the whatever it's treating.
Somonas - give me your freezer - lol.
Mike,
I was curious to know how the course of penicillin went ?
The recommended treatment for bacterial Dropsy is generally oxytetracycline or chloramphenicol, although chloramphenicol is not all that effective when added to water due to overdilution but both are effective against aeromonas, the bacteria responsible for this condition. Penicillin may work up to a certain point but not clear it completely.
How is your fish doing now ?
I was curious to know how the course of penicillin went ?
The recommended treatment for bacterial Dropsy is generally oxytetracycline or chloramphenicol, although chloramphenicol is not all that effective when added to water due to overdilution but both are effective against aeromonas, the bacteria responsible for this condition. Penicillin may work up to a certain point but not clear it completely.
How is your fish doing now ?
it worked to reduce the swelling at first,but it came back shortly after.i am adjusting the dosage and going to see how that goes.my betta don't look to hot though.still eats egaerly and moves around so i got some hope.i'll look into those meds.i had never heard of using either(or heard of them for that matter)but books don't stay up to date forever.
I'm sorry about your fish. 
The two main signs to watch for in a serious or fatal illness are loss of appetite and inability to swim. You mentioned that your fish is still eating and swimming so I would say you are fine for now and can afford yourself some time to work with a few different courses of treatment if necessary. If that changes though, you will need to act quickly.
Oxytetracycline and chloramphenicol are active ingredients that can be found in name-brand medications. They will be #1 ingredient, generally.
Also, remember that Dropsy is generally a disease that is related to water quality so I would advise a large-volume water change of 50-60% along with a complete substrate vacuuming to eliminate any decaying food and waste products that could be a virtual breeding ground for life-threatening bacteria.
Good luck, and let me know how it goes.
The two main signs to watch for in a serious or fatal illness are loss of appetite and inability to swim. You mentioned that your fish is still eating and swimming so I would say you are fine for now and can afford yourself some time to work with a few different courses of treatment if necessary. If that changes though, you will need to act quickly.
Oxytetracycline and chloramphenicol are active ingredients that can be found in name-brand medications. They will be #1 ingredient, generally.
Also, remember that Dropsy is generally a disease that is related to water quality so I would advise a large-volume water change of 50-60% along with a complete substrate vacuuming to eliminate any decaying food and waste products that could be a virtual breeding ground for life-threatening bacteria.
Good luck, and let me know how it goes.
I've heard of bettas (and other anabantoids) developing dropsy for seemingly no reason. Remember my Sexy Betta Boy? Happened to him. I KNOW the water conditions were fine. He was only about 1.5-2 years old. When I was posting on other forums when he was sick, I got a lot of responses saying that all the water parameters in their tanks checked out and that their gourami/betta developed dropsy. And to some people it occurred on several occasions.
I hope yours doesn't end up in the obituary section like mine
I hope yours doesn't end up in the obituary section like mine
Here's a sticky on another good forum on bloat treatment:-
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=24132
I have just lost a cyp to bloat, didn't attend to the problem quickly enough really, plus we in the UK do not have access to these kinds of drugs, laws are much stricter. I am checking out availability and cost options from a vet but my guess is the costs will be huge to dissuade every Tom, Dick and Harry dumping antibiotics into tanks and water courses.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=24132
I have just lost a cyp to bloat, didn't attend to the problem quickly enough really, plus we in the UK do not have access to these kinds of drugs, laws are much stricter. I am checking out availability and cost options from a vet but my guess is the costs will be huge to dissuade every Tom, Dick and Harry dumping antibiotics into tanks and water courses.