Is There Hope For Pineconed Fish?

HI all!
One of my cherry barbs pineconed and I put her into a holding tank. Is there anything I can do at this stage or would euthanizing her be the right thing to do? I feel sorry to have her all alone and don't want her to suffer...

 

How long has she been like this? Is there anything you suspect that could have caused this? I would give her epsom salt baths for about a week. If there is no improvement, I am not sure the chances are very great.

 

Yes it's possible for pineconed fish to survive. My betta had dropsy and he survived. Dropsy is a bacterial infection and should be treated with antibiotics such as Kanaplex which is known as the most effective for dropsy. You should also do epsom salt baths of pure magnesium sulfate with no scents or additives for 10-15 minutes with 1 tablespoon per gallon to relieve some fluid pressure. Survivability depends on how severe and how long since it started. Can we get a birds eye picture of her to see the severity?

 

It started monday afternoon. Less than 48h ago. I'll do a salt bath for her but I'm afraid we can't get those good antibiotics in Australia...

Another pic of her. She looks shocking!

 

I would start on those epsom salt baths right away. And I do believe you can get KanaPlex in Australia, but I may be wrong. It is by Seachem. If you can't I would try looking for another Kanamycin based medication that is reputable.

 

While giving her the salt bath I noticed a red bulge on her left side. Can this be a clue to what is going on with her?

 

Ooooh she's looking bad! Unfortunately I don't think she's going to make it. You gotta catch it when the scales are slightly raised. You can also try Maracyn 2 or Ampicillin, I have not heard of any other medication targeted for dropsy.

 

I'm afraid I am going to have to agree with Repolie. The red bulge could further confirm it is bacterial. If she was with other fish, make sure they stay healthy!

 

I was afraid so...
I always count my fish and only noticed her (must have been her) floating a bit in a secluded corner the day before. No visible signs of anything wrong though until she looked like this. The other fish seem to be ok so far.
Would love to know if I can prevent it from happening again. I had a pineconed cherry barb a year ago and euthanized her as I didn't have a quarantined tank back then...

 

It's easier to tell if it's a single fish, but when in a tank of other fishes that also look alike, it's gonna be a bit hard. There are symptoms to look out for beforehand.

 

Please put it out of its missery.
Organs are damaged so they can't get rid.of bodyfluids anymore. Irreversable.

 

I have. I posted here because I didn't want to let her go without trying to save her... I hate it...

 

I have. I posted here because I didn't want to let her go without trying to save her... I hate it...

I understand.

 

It's really hard to let something so precious go, but at least you know she isn't suffering anymore. There was nothing you could do and sometimes we have to make the tough calls . Now all you can do is make sure that the others don't share the same fate. Best of luck!

 

I also wanted to thank you Repolie for the link. I hope it won't happen again but I will look out for behaviour changes better. Most of my barbs I can tell apart so I feel confident.
Glad to report the remaining fish including 10 cherry barbs are all well. Hope it really was just an unlucky isolated case...

 

I wish nothing but health comes to your fish