More exploding fish, what the heck

[Leopardess]

Alright, as some may know, I found a cory that died, apparently from "exploding." There was a hole in its stomach that definitely should not have been there. WELL, after setting up a new ten gallon tank, I sat myself down in front of the 55 to see how the ottos I had just transfered to it were doing. What did I find? A zebra danio, half floating, half swimming. Also, in another thread, there was mention of zebra danios that appeared to be OVERLY, very overly, distended in the stomach, but which showed no signs of extended scales or off-kilter swimming. We had determined it was possibly that they were females that were holding their eggs. However, the one that I found (which had been one of the "fat" ones) has gone too far, I think, to just be holding eggs. It's stomach is grotesquely distorted and I do not think she will make the hour. Her tummy looks like it is bleeding from the inside and it appears the scales are pulling apart plus she is breathing rapidly and is trying to lodge herself in the floating plants at the surface. I have her in the new ten right now (boy, has something in it even before I was done setting it up) with some melafix and a medication that treats various things, including dropsy.


So, I have NO idea what may have happened here (btw, the cory was in another tank). Can you have dropsy without protruding scales? If so, I've never heard of it. I'm totally bumming here....

 

[bobrob]

I read on the freshwater profiles that if you dont cruble up the flake that you are feeding dnio's their stomach's twist and they die. Take a look at it, it may help, but It sounds like your fish isnt going to make it sorry.

 

[Leopardess]

It's still kicking, but it's getting worse. It can't keep itself righted and it appears to be bleeding into the water now....I think I may just pull her out of the water to quicken her death... I feel so bad, you should see it.


How small is small? I mean, the flake they've been getting is pretty crumbled since I'm at the bottom of my flakes...thanks for the suggestion, some big ones may have slipped by....

 

[GuppyGuy]

This sounds more like a severe internal bacterial infection to me.

 

[catfishmike]

also it could be an internal parasite such as tapewom.put the fish down and put it out of it's misery.it's too far gone for treatment.put the fish a small dish and put the dish in the freezer.it's a sad thing to do but it's better than the fish dying in your tank and being eaten when your not looking,as that would only agravate the problem.if you do want to try and save the fish try using garlic extract on the fishes food and that may help to kill any parasites,but only if it is a parasite problem.thats the problem with diagnosing fis diseases.so many can't be diagnosed without a microscope and a good fish disease book,oh an the fish has to be dead.at that point its kinda pointless unless you have a wicked outbreak of something nasty.

 

[dana307]

so sad. bummer. condolences and best wishes for recovery? are sent.

 

[Leopardess]

Well, it died last night soon thereafter. Thanks for all the ideas guys...whatever it was, it was impossible to tell something was really wrong until it was too late...

If I get the guts up, I might open it up and see what was in its stomach.

 

[FroggyFox]

I can't bear to look at them when they're dead...lol I finally stomached it long enough to keep the last two (to return to the lfs for credit) w/o flushing them. Usually I run to the bathroom and flush as fast as I can. Dead things wierd me out.

Some of my danios like pick apart any big flakes into little ones...and some of them just go for the little pieces straight away. The fat one that I had seems skinnier now...I think he's just growing into his belly

Sorry for your loss though