mistycheri

I think my sunset platy has dropsy. She's all swollen up and her scales are all sticking outward. She's not swimming much and when she tries, she has to swim really hard. She will swim up an inch or two then sink back to the bottom. She spends most of her time resting on the bottom. I haven't seen any external damage. My water readings were:
PH - 7.2
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 40 maybe higher

I did a 30% water change, removed carbon, added melafix.

None of the other fish in the same tank seem to be affected.

Is there anything more I need to do? Raise the temp. maybe?

chickadee

I am very sorry about your fish. I should tell you that I had a fish with dropsy and I tried many treatments with him and though he hung on for weeks, he finally died after what I will say was suffering for a while. It is a horrible disease.

The general treatment is to:

1) Isolate the fish and keep it in the best and cleanest conditions possible.
2) Feed antibacterial food preferably with some form of Tetracycline medication - do not feed other food when on the antibiotic foods.

While dropsy is technically a symptom rather than a disease on its own, it does happen to fish that are carniverous and have eaten infected food or detritus from the floor of the tank. It would be wise to vacuum the floor of the tank and watch the rest of the fish very closely. The bacteria that causes dropsy is contagious and if you have any fish that are weakened for any reason they may also pick up the condition. There are also such a thing as fish who carry the disease but do not get it physically themselves. If you start having more than one fish involved, you may want to do an antibiotic bath for the whole tank.

The recovery rate for this condition is not good, but there have been cases where the fish have recovered and been fairly healthy.

Rose

mistycheri

Thanks for your help. I have isolated her in a breeding box that floats in the tank. At least now the amorous male guppy can't bother her. I just hate seeing her suffer. I vacummed the gravel today when I did the water change. I don't know how she got sick. I change the water every week and sometimes in between. The only thing different I've done with the past couple of water changes was to dip the water out instead of using the gravel vac. Could that be what cause her to get sick? Because I wasn't vacumming the gravel every time?

I haven't seen any anitbiotic food at our Wal Mart here, and the closest LFS is over 50 miles away. Will the melafix help her?

chickadee

This is a very serious problem. I do not think the Melafix is strong enough to help. I do have the Fungus Clear Tank Buddies that say on the back of the box that they treat Dropsy but I do not know. I did not use them for that. I use them for finrot and that type thing and they are great, but like I said this is really a bad disease and I cannot say. I do not believe the Melafix will help at all though.

Just keep the fish as clean and isolated as you can. The plastic breeders box is not open to the rest of the tank is it? If so you may have to end up medicating the rest of your fish.

I am so sorry I cannot encourage you any more than I am. I just hate to build up your hopes with flowery promises. Your fish is very sick.

Rose

Butterfly

This is an excellent article on Dropsy
http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/phpB...pic.php?t=1731
Carol

mistycheri

Yes that is a very good article. I did a search on dropsy here before I posted anything. I read what there was posted in the past about this condition. I have some Quick Cure. Will that help?

chickadee

Quick Cure is for: Ich, Gasping for Air, Flicking Against Rocks, Protozoan Parasites, Mild Fluke Outbreaks, Costia (skin slime disease), Chilodonella (a parasite that can cause skin slime disease), and Trichodina (another of the parasites causing skin slime disease). It doesn't say anything about any of the symptoms you have mentioned. I don't know if it would do a thing for you.

Rose

Butterfly

It's not made to treat dropsy. Try a teaspoon of Epsom salts per gallon of water and see how it does. After the scales get the pinecone effect not much helps.
Carol

mistycheri

I bought some Fungus Clear tablets today. She is still alive and seems to be moving around a bit more today. I'm not sure about the salt because of the cory's.

chickadee

I am hoping every day for the best, and I really care, so please keep us informed, okay?

Rose

mistycheri

Another day, and she is still alive. She's even eating a little bit. She doesn't seem to be quite as bloated today, but still bloated all the same. She's moving around alot, so I take that as a good sign.

Thanks for your concern, I know that as a fellow fish lover, you understand.

mistycheri

Well, today my sunset platy, Butter's, lost her battle with Dropsy. She fought it hard to the end, she just didn't have the strength to continue to fight the battle. I prayed for two days for her to get better, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. I will miss her terribly, she was one of my favorite. Times like this, I wonder if it's worth it to even be in this hobby. You get attached to the little buggers so easily.

Thanks for your concern and encouragement.

I'm sorry to be so emotional, but I cried all day and night yesterday, praying for her to get better. It was torture watching her struggle to live, but I wanted her last moments to be in her tank that was familiar to her. For some reason, my baby platy stayed close to her floating hospital in the tank almost the entire time, like she was trying to encourage her to hang on.
It was so sad.

chickadee

I am so sorry. I know the pain of losing a loved fish can be devastating, but please do some thinking before you do anything permanent. The temptation may be at the present time to withdraw from keeping fish so you won't have this happen again, but this is the wrong time to make this decision. Please wait a while until this has had a chance to settle and then see how you feel. You may wish you could do just the opposite.

Just think on it for now and let your bad feelings have a chance to go away.

Again, my deepest sympathies. You will be in my thoughts.

Rose

mistycheri

Thanks Chickadee. I give it a few days and think about it. I know all my other little fisheys need me too.

Butterfly

I'm so sorry to hear you lost your fish. We do get attached to them and it hurts when you lose them. and yes your other fish need you now.
Epsom salts isn't really salt its magneseum sulphate(sp) so it won't hurt your corys. At the end even that won't help. again chin up your other babies need you.
Carol