Two cases of fantail dropsy? (Goldfish, plural; 10 gallons; sickness; the usual...)   6/29/09
Hi, I have two calico fantail goldfish. I got the first one a week ago and got the second one 2 days ago (both from the same store, even the same tank, they know each other from before). They live in a 10 gallon tank with a Whisper internal filter and (because 10 gallons for 2 fish is a bit small) I do a 25% water change every couple days and a "poop scoop" once a week.
<A ten gallon tank really isn't going to work in the long term. Your Goldfish will get to about 20 cm/8 inches in length when mature, and it doesn't take much imagination to realise that big, solid fish that size will barely FIT into a 10 gallon tank, let alone be healthy in one! So before you do anything else, start saving up for a 30 gallon tank. Believe me, the money spent on a bigger tank will be more than earned back in terms of time wasted, medications bought, and fish lives saved. If you don't have space for more than 10 gallons, then don't keep Goldfish. It's really as simple as that.>
I had pellets to feed them, but they do not seem interested in eating them.
The pellets usually just end up sinking to the bottom un-eaten.
<And, I trust, promptly removed; all uneaten food must be removed after 5 minutes, tops.>
The water in the tank is well water (I drink it straight from the tap, so I'm hoping it's ok for fish), I'm wondering if they eat stuff that's in the water.
<No.>
I have natural rocks in the tank as well. Perhaps they're eating algae off the rocks.
<Unlikely you'd have enough in a 10 gallon tank. It's much more probably water quality is SO POOR that the fish are stressed, and consequently not interested in food. Remember how your appetite fades to nothing when you're sick? That's what's happening here. Do start by reading what Goldfish need:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/goldfish101art.htm
Then move on to understand what they need in terms of food:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm
Virtually everything you think you know about Goldfish is wrong. They can't live in bowls. They can't live in small tanks. They won't survive on pellets or flake. They aren't cheap or easy to keep. If you are stuck with 10 gallons, then there surely are some great options in terms of tropical fish; see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_3/stocking.htm
But Goldfish are not an option!>
Anyway, I was reading around on the site and came across some cases that sound similar to mine. The fish are in-active (sitting on the bottom of the tank) and a little bloated looking and not eating (this is why I am wondering if maybe they're eating what might be in the water). I'm wondering if my little guys have dropsy.
<Dropsy is a symptom, most commonly of systemic bacterial infection brought about by chronically poor water conditions. It's the way fish say "you kept us badly, and now we're going to die, and nothing you can do will save us".
Sorry to be so blunt about it, but that's almost always what's going when Dropsy appears.>
As a precaution, I started doing 25% water changes daily and keeping an eye that their scales aren't sticking out. So far, they're not. I don't have any Epsom salts right now, but would 1 or 2 table spoons mixed in the water help?
<Not in itself. Epsom Salt at a dose of around 1 teaspoon per 5-10 gallons will help WHEN USED ALONGSIDE suitable antibiotics, typically Erythromycin or Minocycline. But in itself, no, it won't cure Dropsy. And even when used with antibiotics, this all depends on water quality being extremely good:
zero ammonia, zero nitrite, a stable pH, and preferably low levels of nitrate (sub-20 mg/l).>
I'm new to having fish. Help is much appreciated!
<Read, understand, act accordingly.>
update:
Hi, so, the one fantail now is looking a little bit scaly, but not fully pine-coned yet. Since the last e-mail I have moved both fish into a 'hospital tank', but do not have any medicine or Epsom salts yet (it is late, and everything is already closed).
<How is the "hospital tank" any better? Is it smaller? I assume so, and that means it's only going to make things worse. It's amusing (in a grim sort of way) you have two aquaria, but neither of them big enough for the fish you have. Just one tank the right size is much, much better than a whole battery of undersized tanks.>
I thought at least the water in the hospital tank is clean, and there is nothing else in the tank but some pebbles on the bottom. Both fish seem to be moving around much more than before though.
<Likely because the water is cleaner, in terms of not having any ammonia or nitrite in it... yet. Give it 24 hours, and they'll be miserable again, unless by some miracle the hospital tank is 30 gallons in size, equipped with a robust and fully matured filter.>
Brittney
<The outlook for your fish is extremely bleak without a bigger tank.
Cheers, Neale.>

Pond Goldfish with Dropsy – 06/15/09
I have had problems in the past few years with cases of dropsy among the goldfish in my small (125 gallon) pond--about one case every two years.
<Likely environmental: for a pond, this is rather small, and if you don't have a filter, then water quality, pH stability and oxygen availability are likely very variable. There's probably a reason the deaths are periodic as
well. A fish dies, so the pond load is reduced and the fish are healthy, but then the fish grow above a threshold size, the pond is overloaded again, and another fish dies, and so on.>
The affected fish actually survive in an increasingly bloated state for over a year, beginning to show symptoms one summer and finally succumbing at some point during the following summer. This is the beginning of summer number two for one of the fish, and for the first time ever a second fish is showing signs of being affected concurrently. I have dealt with any and all environmental issues that might contribute to this problem and, after hours (probably totaling days) of researching the web for info, I am currently dosing the pond with Maracyn 2 and Epsom salts.
<While antibiotics such as erythromycin and Minocycline can help, and Epsom salts may reduce the swelling, the prognosis for Dropsy once it is established is generally pretty poor. It's more important to review the causes, and usually euthanising the fish while fixing the aquarium or pond ends up being the way forward.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/euthanasia.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/pdfshdisart.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/pndfiltrovr.htm
>
The Epsom salts ratio is presently 1/8 tsp per 5 gal of water, as I have read that this ratio will not harm the other healthy fish in the pond. I have also seen recommended doses of 1 tsp per 5 gal, and even 1 to 2 Tbsp per 10 gal,
<1 teaspoon per 5 to 10 gallons for Dropsy.>
however I haven't found any clear info re whether those stronger ratios will harm (e.g.. dehydrate) the other healthy pond fish or if those doses are for hospital tanks only.
<Won't do any harm to healthy fish. Goldfish are very tolerant of hard water, in fact they need it, and do very badly in soft/acidic conditions.
Feral Goldfish are found in brackish water too, which underlines their preference for mineral-rich rather than mineral-poor conditions.>
I'm trying to avoid a hospital tank if I don't need one, since catching the darn fish isn't easy and is stressful not only to the fish being chased but to all the other fish who think they're being chased (not to mention the
person wielding the net). Could you clarify for me what the maximum Epsom salts dose for a pond or aquarium containing a general population of healthy fish would be, and whether or when the dose should be repeated?
Thank you very much.
Mary
<Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Help My Goldfish Bandi - Dropsy?  4/28/09 I am not sure if my goldfish has dropsy or not, can you look at these photos and let me know your take on it. <Certainly the view taken from above is very suggestive of Dropsy; the "pine cone" appearance of the scales is the classic symptom. Will need to be treated with a suitable antibiotic; erythromycin or Minocycline are typically prescribed, though do understand the chances of recovery are not good. Optimal water chemistry and water quality is crucial. The addition of Epsom salt (on top of the cichlid salt mix mentioned below) at a dose of 1 teaspoon per 5 to 10 gallons is helpful for reducing the swelling, and raising the temperature slightly, to around 25 C in the case of Goldfish, may help, PROVIDED the tank is well aerated and has lots of water movement to keep oxygen levels high. If your Goldfish is gasping at the surface, that indicates the opposite.> My water levels are all normal <No, they're really not. Your water is far too soft and acidic for Goldfish. Haven't we discussed this before? To recap: Goldfish do not like soft, acidic water. Frankly, the harder the better. The addition of salt by itself doesn't help, contrary to what you might have been told. Read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwh2oquality.htm Use the Cichlid Salt mix explained therein.> (I am still trying to get the nitrate down to 10 or less, but have gotten it to about 15, as I am using strips still, I do not have the money to put into a full kit but I should by the 4th of next month). ph 6.9 nitrate 15 nitrite 0 ammonia 0 alkalinity 110 hardness 120 He is not floating or acting weird, I just noticed his scales today (I was out of town over the weekend and had placed a 3 day feeder in his tank, <Do not use feeder blocks! They're rubbish. All they do is mess up water chemistry and produce excessive amounts of waste in the water. A Goldfish can go a long time without food. In fact, it's better for them to eat aquarium plants for a couple weeks than have your Mom or whoever feed them.> but my mom fed him Sunday without knowing he had the feeder in, so I thought maybe he is just bloated) were sticking out and it reminded me of dropsy, please take a look at the photos and let me know what I should do. Thanks! p.s. he still has that lesion on his flank, I have kept water changes to once a week removing/changing out 5-7 gallons (I have a 29gal tank). <Please note that we ask specifically for images 500 KB or less; yours were 12 MB! That's most of our e-mail space! When full, our e-mail account bounces back other people's messages, which isn't really fair when they've done what we ask but you haven't. So next time, to avoid having one of scold you and send back your message unread, review our few, simple rules: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Help My Goldfish Bandi - Dropsy? – 4/30/09 Ok, so I started the Maracyn 2, the tank is well aerated so should I do the salt in addition to the Maracyn 2 for dropsy? <You're not just adding salt; please note this! You're adding a mix of Epsom salt, baking soda and marine salt mix (as you'd use in a marine aquarium). If you just add salt, for example aquarium salt or tonic salt, you'll not help this fish at all. Indeed, you may make things worse.> Also we did touch that topic before however Bob told me not to add buffer up or things to raise ph, change the alkalinity so I stopped. <Bob's advice in this regard is generally good: if fish are otherwise happy, altering water chemistry can create unstable conditions if you don't know what you're doing. However, in this very specific case where you're dealing with acidic water and a certain amount of bloating, adding the cichlid salt mix as suggested will be both safe and helpful.> Ever since my bf moved the fish from LA to San Francisco, the water has been at a lower ph, more acidic and less hard. <Are you using tap water or water from a domestic water softener? Do not do the latter!> <<A note to Neale, all unfamiliar. Most of the San Fran area has naturally very soft water... no real buffering capacity w/o adding to. RMF>> What do you suggest I do about this other than putting in additives on a regular basis? <You have to add the cichlid salt mix. There's no choice.> Current levels: 4/29/09 ph 7.0 nitrate 10 nitrite 0 ammonia 0 alkalinity 125 hardness 120 Water Change: 5 gallons, treated with Amquel, cycle and buffer up. <Cheers, Neale.> Re: Help My Goldfish Bandi - Dropsy? – 4/30/09 Sorry I am a bit confused (it has been a long day). I added 3 tsp of aquarium salt not marine salt, I do not have marine salt! <At a pinch, when combined with the Epsom salt and the baking soda, aquarium salt will do. But marine salt mix is better: it's not just sodium chloride, but a bunch of other useful chemicals as well.> I have Epsom salt and baking soda, but did not add these because all I did was add a few tsp of aquarium salt as this is what I thought I was supposed to be doing. <Do exactly what it says in that article, a level tablespoon of the Epsom salt, and a level teaspoon each of baking soda and salt, per 5 gallons of water. Normally you'd add this mix of minerals with each new water change. Because you're treating with a medication at the same time, you'll want to be a bit clever about this, otherwise you'll flush out the medication with each water change. I'd suggest working out how much water is in your aquarium. Let's say it's 30 gallons. Now, get a measuring jug from the kitchen and add a pint or so of water. Then add the requisite amount of each mineral. In the case of a 30 gallon tank, that would be 6 level tablespoons of Epsom salt, and 6 level teaspoons each of baking soda and salt. Stir well. When dissolved, add about a fifth of the mixture. Wait 3-4 hours, and then add another fifth. Repeat as necessary, perhaps into day two, leaving a few hours between each new portion. What you're doing here is giving your Goldfish time to adjust to changes in water chemistry.> It is what it states on the box (the API Aquarium salt box) but I got confused and now, well, I guess I messed up! I do now believe that it is dropsy, he looks like a little pinecone :( <Oh dear. Well, the antibiotic can help if you're lucky, and the Epsom salt will reduce the swelling somewhat.> I feel so bad, should I do a water change to rid the tank of the aquarium salt? <Have you added the medication yet? If so, then don't worry about. If you haven't added the medication yet, then by all means, do a 25% water change. Goldfish are actually very salt tolerant, so it doesn't matter wildly.> Or leave it be and go get marine salt and do that next? Is that ok? <The salt you have is fine for now. But when this box is finished, buy some Instant Ocean or whatever instead. It's a little more expensive, but it does make a difference.> I must have bypassed the link before, but I read the page and now know how to do that treatment. And I guess my tap water (which is what I am using) is not too soft, but not as hard as it once was (in L.A.). <Fair enough. See, you're getting the hang of this! By reading, you're understanding what's going on, and *telling me* stuff rather than asking questions!> I also have a question about the heater should I only be using a heater to bring the temp up when using MARINE salt (or the combo as you suggested)? or is this the case for aquarium salt? <Doesn't matter.> I never used one before, but bought it because everyone is saying you need one when using the salt treatments. And my water is normally about 60 degrees, so should I only bring it up to 65? I heard more than that can be quite harmful by causing more stress to the fish. <Goldfish, particularly Fancy Goldfish, actually like fairly warm water. 68-72 F is about perfect for them. But yes, make the changes slowly. Turn the heater to its lowest setting for the first day or two, then up a notch for the couple days, and so on, until it's at 68-72 F.> At any rate it looks like all I did was add a tonic at about half the strength. Sorry for the back and forth. I am having a bit of a struggle dealing with this issue. <Dropsy is actually really tricky to deal with, and your struggles are not all that uncommon. Dropsy is easy to avoid, but once fish develop the symptom, bringing them back is difficult.> p.s. I got some REAL plants and have not fed the fish in the last 3 days since all of this came about. Should I do a feeding tomorrow or just give it another day? <If he's got some cheap aquarium plants (like Elodea) he can eat, then no need to add more food. Not all aquarium plants are edible, it's really just the soft and usually cheap ones: Elodea, Cabomba, etc.> p.s.s. Sorry about the photos, from now on I will make sure they are smaller. <Cool. Good luck, Neale.> Re: Help My Goldfish Bandi - Dropsy? – 4/30/09 Also forgot to mention that the salinity level is at 1.002 <That's pretty high, but not really harmful for Goldfish. I'd do a water change, maybe 50% to bring it down to 1.001, and then add the cichlid salt mix as described earlier on. Do make sure to get the doses right (e.g., as in cooking, a teaspoon or tablespoon is level, not heaped) and make sure you add per 5 gallons, not some other amount. Cheers, Neale.> A note re fw: RE: Help My Goldfish Bandi - Dropsy? – 4/30/09 <<A note to Neale, all unfamiliar. Most of the San Fran area has naturally very soft water... no real buffering capacity w/o adding to. RMF>> <Hence adding "cichlid salt mix" or similar when keeping hard water fish (such as Goldfish) is likely essential. Cheers, Neale.> <Yes. B>

Re: Help My Goldfish Bandi - Dropsy? 5/12/09 Well Bandi seems to have recovered from the Dropsy, or at least he is not pineconed anymore, <Great news!> is swimming around, eating etc. However I did notice that the tips of a couple scales seem to have been red the last 2 days and now have a darker, almost blackish appearance to them, they are not black, but dark. Is this at all normal? They are on both sides. Is this from stress or the bloating or is this some type of necrosis? <Stress> I am still treating with Metromeds, and he seems to be fine aside from this new issue. Is this something to do with the scales itself or is this internal? Is there something I can do for him? <Nothing more really... but I would make a comment (Neale is "out" currently)... Your pix show your system to be overly clean in my estimation... I suspect that being too fastidious re keeping the system sterile is working against your goldfish's health... I would allow some algae for instance to grow on the substrate... a sign of a healthy/viable system> I was ready to put him down but decided to give it one more day and then he improved! <And another comment if I may... I would NOT give up... NOT euthanize this animal... better to take a longer-term view here. MANY goldfish have issues as you have related... Much of this is genetic/developmental, a modicum hobbyist-generated... but the "cure" is almost always months long simple good husbandry... allowing these animals to heal on their own in good circumstance> Just wondering if I should give him more time to heal or if I can help this along or if it is just temporarily better in appearance. P.S. I hope these photos are ok (not too big either) :) (\ /) ( . .) C('')('') Sylvar <They are fine. Bob Fenner>

Re: Help My Goldfish Bandi - Recovering From Dropsy 5/14/09 Thanks Bob, <Welcome Syl> I will be getting some real plants for him this week. I will also leave the heater in the tank. I will allow the algae to grow and will do weekly water changes without any of the chiclid <Cichlid dear> salt mix (hopefully the PH and the alkalinity/hardness stays the same. If not should I start again with the salt mix or should I use the Buffer Up (raises ph and alkalinity) made by SeaChem?). <I would use only the Buffer Up, and this only pre-mixed with new water> Oh and yes, it is quite amazing that the Metromeds worked as well as they did. Here is the info on it: Metro Med Active ingredients: Metronidazole, Ormetoprim-sulfa and Oxytetracycline Comments: Metro-Med is a krill based food that contains Metronidazole, Ormetoprim-sulfa and Oxytetracycline. It is marketed by the Goldfish Connection and according to the product information helps treat symptoms of dropsy, hole in head and internal parasites. You feed your fish this medicated food (and only this food) for 14 days. Also it is recommended that you feed NEW arrivals this medicated food (only for 14 days, feeding fish this food for longer durations may cause them to be immune to super bugs) to assure that they do not have any of the issues which this medication helps cure. Some skeptics state that this medication is not the best medication to use when trying to treat for internal parasites specifically, but I have to disagree. <Interesting> Also Metronidazole is given to humans to help treat bacterial infections. Hope this info helps Bob! (\ /) ( . .) C('')('') Sylvar <Indeed it does. Thank you. BobF>

Jeweled Cichlid with an enlarged Stomach (RMF, Chuck, comments?)  3/1/09  I have a (male) I think that has an enlarged stomach for a few weeks. He eats fines then sinks back to the bottom of the tank. I just battled a round of Ick and only lost 1 fish. The rest seem fine. I read on your site to give them greens. Do you think that is all I should do? He is my only male left. I have had this breed for about 4 years and I'd hate to lose him. I have enclosed a picture, I hope you can see him. Each time I try to take a pic they think it is time to eat and swarm. Thanks, Stacy <Hi Stacy. I suspect we're past this being a problem with constipation, though offering him high fibre foods ONLY (i.e., peas, live daphnia) and NO flake or freeze-dried foods may help, alongside Epsom salt at 1 to 3 teaspoons per 5 gallons. Looking at this fish, my gut feeling is this chap has a more serious problem, perhaps intestinal worms, in which case an anti-helminth (e.g., Prazi Pro) would be in order. More broadly, I'd consider issues of chronic nitrate poisoning, something cichlids generally are very prone to. In fact much of what is written regarding marine perciforms (tangs, angelfish, etc) holds true for their close relatives, the Cichlidae: water quality and a vitamin-rich, ideally high-fibre diet is the difference between success and failure. Indeed, Hemichromis spp. are omnivores and much of their diet in the wild would be algae and decaying organic matter, though certainly insect larvae and even small fish are taken as well. In other words: variety is the key, and plain flake/pellet diets should be avoided. Given medium sized cichlids should live some 5-10 years, something is amiss. I'd also like to consider Dropsy as a potential problem, but that requires looking to see if the scales on the body are raised; a sharper photo would help a lot. Cheers, Neale.>

Jeweled Cichlid with an enlarged Stomach. (Chuck, comment) – 03/02/09
Swim Bladder Problem in a Jewel Cichlid I have a (male) I think that has an enlarged stomach for a few weeks.
He eats fines then sinks back to the bottom of the tank. I just battled a round of Ick and only lost 1 fish. The rest seem fine. I read on your site to give them greens. Do you think that is all I should do? He is my only male left. I have had this breed for about 4 years and I'd hate to lose him. I have enclosed a picture, I hope you can see him. Each time I try to take a pic they think it is time to eat and swarm.
Thanks,
Stacy
<Hi Stacy. I suspect we're past this being a problem with constipation, though offering him high fibre foods ONLY (i.e., peas, live daphnia) and NO
flake or freeze-dried foods may help, alongside Epsom salt at 1 to 3 teaspoons per 5 gallons. Looking at this fish, my gut feeling is this chap has a more serious problem, perhaps intestinal worms, in which case an anti-helminth (e.g., Prazi Pro) would be in order. More broadly, I'd consider issues of chronic nitrate poisoning, something cichlids generally are very prone to. In fact much of what is written regarding marine perciforms (tangs, angelfish, etc) holds true for their close relatives, the Cichlidae: water quality and a vitamin-rich, ideally high-fibre diet is the difference between success and failure. Indeed, Hemichromis spp. are omnivores and much of their diet in the wild would be algae and decaying organic matter, though certainly insect larvae and even small fish are taken as well. In other words: variety is the key, and plain flake/pellet diets should be avoided. Given medium sized cichlids should live some 5-10 years, something is amiss. I'd also like to consider Dropsy as a potential problem, but that requires looking to see if the scales on the body are raised; a sharper photo would help a lot. Cheers, Neale.>
<< I would think some form of stress is having an effect on keeping this fish. The genus itself usually is very hardy and established fish should live much longer than four years. These internal swim bladder issues are usually caused by infections attacking organs within the body. Keep the nitrates under 20 ppm with water changes. Feed a fish food with no mammalian protein and no land based plant material. These materials tend to get caught in the gut and cause blockage. In a hospital tank treat with a combination of Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. Keep the tank at 82 F. Add some salt to the water to make it slightly brackish. If the fish has been sick for any time at all then the treatment may not be successful. but it still may be worth a try. If you like jewel fish then a great book on this species and others like it is called The Cichlid Fishes of Western Africa", by Anton Lamboj. Pricey but very informative.-Chuck>>

Re: Jeweled Cichlid with an enlarged Stomach (RMF, Chuck, comments?)
Fat Stomach on Jewel Cichlid – 03/07/09
Hello Neale,
< Chuck here giving his 2 cents>
He is on his third or fourth day of Maracyn-Two (10 Mg of Minocycline). I have also introduced some Epsom salt. The first two pics are from today the last on is from a few days ago. I cant tell if he is bigger or not. He swims some and eats. I just dunno. Stacy
< I would assume the worse and assume an internal infection. Recommended treatment is with Metronidazole and Nitrofurazone in a hospital tank.-Chuck>

Hello... Goldfish, dropsy  12/16/08
Hello my fellow wet web media I have two question so I'll make them fast and simple. First one is, I have a Oranda that has the case of dropsy and what can i do to treat it?
<Antibiotics such as Maracyn (Erythromycin) and Maracyn-Two (Minocycline) are the best tools for this, either alone or in conjunction with Epsom salt (1 teaspoon per 5-10 US gallons).>
Finally I been breeding my goldfish but most of the time the eggs gets fertilized but the day after most of them get fungus on them. I herd putting Methylene blue in the water help...does this really?
<Yes, it does help. Try a half dose first, and if that doesn't work, next time she spawns, use a full dose. Either way, combine the anti-fungus medication (any based on Methylene blue will do) with increased aeration, because the water movement past the eggs is part of the "fix". Cheers, Neale.>

Puffy Stomach 11/29/08 Hello, how is everyone? I was hoping that i could get a little help. I apologize if this has already been asked. I tried to comb through the previous questions but did not find an answer. I found my Gourami today with an extremely puffed out stomach. I'm not sure what type he is, I got him at the local pet store about two years ago. He is, I think, in a 30 gallon tank with two tiger barbs and two glass fish who have been in the tank for close to a year and one plecostomus who has been in for over 5 years. He is swimming, eating and acting completely normal. The feeding schedule, food and everything else has stayed the same. Is my little guy on his way out or can he be saved? Is there anything I can do in the future to prevent this from happening to other fish? I appreciate whatever info you can send me. We both thank you for your time. -Alexandria <Your Gourami is what's called a Three-spot Gourami, Trichopterus Trichogaster. There are various colours, and yours is obviously the blue sort, sometimes called the Blue Gourami. Anyway, it's difficult to be certain about swollen bellies. If you're lucky, the problem is constipation. Feeding with high-fibre foods (tinned peas are ideal, otherwise live brine shrimp/daphnia can work) will clear the blockage if you also add some Epsom salt to the water as a muscle relaxant (one to two tablespoons per 10 US gallons, dissolved into warm water, and then slowly added to the tank). http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/gldfshmalnut.htm If you're unlucky, the problem is organ failure, essentially allowing fluids to collect in the body cavity. This condition is often called Dropsy. You can sometimes improve the symptom by using Epsom salt as described above, but the dropsy itself isn't the disease, so you have to review conditions and try to figure out why the fish is sick. Poor water quality is the most common reason, with an internal bacterial infection being the cause of the dropsy. If you can treat with an antibiotic (such as Maracyn) while optimising water conditions, you may be able to fix the problem. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/dropsyfaqs.htm Cheers, Neale.>

Dalmatian Molly 11/11/08
I have a Dalmatian Molly and I think it may be pregnant. Another person said it could have bloat, I have never heard that term before. I have tried looking at pictures on line, but my molly is twice the size. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Lynn
<Lynn, "bloat" is another word for dropsy (technically, oedema). It follows on from organ failure, and is almost always associated with chronically poor environmental conditions. The give-away clue to oedema is that when viewed from above, the scales bristle outwards from the body, so that the fish looks like a pine cone. In the case of Mollies, the most common problem is trying to keep them in freshwater. Mollies rarely do well in freshwater, and unless you're a super-expert fishkeeper willing to carefully monitor pH and nitrate concentration, just isn't worth trying.  When Mollies are kept in brackish water they are infinitely hardier and more easily maintained (aim for around SG 1.003, upwards of 6 g (one teaspoon) of marine salt mix per liter). Next up is diet. Mollies are herbivores, and a very common mistake people make is to give them standard tropical fish food. Mollies should receive such foods only occasionally, a couple of times per week maybe. Otherwise their diet should be algae, algae, and more algae. There are algae-based flakes and pellets on the market, and these are ideal. If given the wrong food, Mollies are prone to constipation, and this causes symptoms similar to oedema. Finally, there's pregnancy. When pregnant Mollies do indeed swell up, but around the abdomen
only. The fish should only look "swollen" for a couple of weeks, at which point the fish gives birth and quickly deflates down to her normal size.  Gestation is actually about 4-6 weeks, but only the last couple of weeks cause really substantial swelling. Once you've bred Mollies a few times, it's easy to recognize the cycle. Do read more about Mollies here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/mollies.htm
Cheers, Neale.>

Dropsy Treatment 11/07/08
Hello,
I emailed you about three days ago and asked what could cause a female guppy to become very large without having a dark gravid spot. She has seems to be in perpetual pregnancy for the past month. She seems very happy, I just upgraded to a 50 gallon tank and hope to get many more guppies, but I realized that she had not been getting any darker in the anal area. All I could find online was the disease "dropsy," I was wondering what I can do to treat it. And, could this be what has kept her form having the babies? Otherwise she seems absolutely perfect and acts very normal.
Thanks Much,
Nate
<Nate, you can't "cure" Dropsy. It isn't a disease. It's a symptom. It's like a rash or a runny nose on a human. While a clue to a problem, in itself it isn't a disease or parasite. So when fish have Dropsy, you have to review the environment and other possible factors. Very occasionally fish get Dropsy because of things you have no control over: bad genes, viruses, etc. If only one fish gets Dropsy, and all the others seem fine, then there's not much you can do beyond trying to alleviate the symptoms.  Adding Epsom salt (one teaspoon per 5 gallons) can help by altering the osmotic pressure between the fish and the water. Keep adding this to each
new bucket of water added to the tank for as long as it takes to reduce the swelling. Otherwise review diet, water quality, water chemistry, etc: all these things can cause problems ranging from constipation through to organ failure, any of which can cause the body to swell unnaturally.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/dropsyfaqs.htm
Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Dropsy Treatment (Poecilia) 11/08/08
Thank you for the advice, but now I have a new question. One of my other females gave birth about three hours ago to eleven fry. She stopped having the babies, and has no "white string" that people sometimes refer to if their guppy is not done giving birth, but she is still very big and has a dark gravid spot. Could she just be tired, or is she done? Is there anything that I can do to help the situation?
Thanks again,
Nate
<The baby Guppies will come out when they're ready. I shouldn't worry too much about white strings or gravid spots. As I say repeatedly on this site, the "gravid spot" isn't a magical thing that Nature put there like a sort of reproductive alarm clock! It's nothing more than the internal organs being pushed against the muscle wall, resulting in a darker than normal appearance. In big females it can be less obvious than in small ones because the muscle wall is thicker, and on larger livebearer species (such as Mollies and Swordtails) it is a completely unreliable characteristic. Much better to go by the size of the female: if she's suddenly become much
more svelte than she was the day before, then she's given birth. Normally all the fry are released within a few hours, though I'm sure exceptions occur. Provided your female Guppy has some floating plants to rest among, that's about all you can do to genuinely help her. Cheers, Neale.>

Betta Fish With "dropsy-type symptoms", Please Help!!!  4/5/08
Hi Crew,
<Jeff>
I have a female Betta, has always seemed healthy, active, eats well, for the past year.
<Mmm, may be getting old...>
Has seemed to gain weight over past month, cut back feedings a bit thinking she was overfeeding, now after a month she has lump protruding on side toward middle, and belly is enlarged on lower area,
<Perhaps egg-bound>
also seems to have some trouble swimming, looks like she is bobbing around sometimes. No pineconeing?
<Good point>
of scales, eyes normal, still has good appetite, seems to not be passing as much stool, could this be bloat for so long a period?
<Mmm, depending on what one consider as such... but of what determinate cause is the issue>
She gets partial tank change midweek, full change end of week, use tap water treated with stress coat by API, MelaFix,
<Not a fan>
and aquarium salt by API added to a 1 1/2 gallon tank kept in warm area between 75-80 degrees, tank has undergravel filter and airstone, tank is acrylic material. She is still very active, eating as well as before, Any suggestions are appreciated. Should I try course of Maracyn-2,and Epsom salts, or would this be an incorrect course of treatment? I've been searching the archives for similar situations.
<I would try the Mardel product and Epsom... this is the best approach. Bob Fenner>
Thanks, CJ

Re: Betta Fish With "dropsy-type symptoms", Please Help!!!  4/6/08
Dear Bob,
??????????????? Thank you so much for your prompt response to my email. Started on the course of treatment you suggested and so far my friend seems to be holing her own. I wonder (as you said) if she is egg-bound. As I said before she remains alert and takes food nicely.
<Good signs>
I will let your crew know if her condition changes, but I want to let you know how much I appreciate your advice.
All The Best,
CJ and Jeff Warren
<Thank you, BobF>

Fallow tank, Dropsy, FW, Infectious Dis.  11/25/2007
Hi Crew,
<Hello Rachel,>
Here I am writing in yet again! About a month ago I lost both the Betta and the African Dwarf frog in my freshwater tank to bacterial infection. The frog had mildly injured its nose and one of its hands, probably by diving into the gravel at high speed the way he was fond of doing. I'm guessing one or both wounds got infected. He developed dropsy, and he died despite quarantine and treatment with hydrogen peroxide, Neosporin on the wounds, and even a needle aspiration to help take the pressure off his internal organs (all of which I researched before trying, of course--and the needle aspiration, while a little drastic, did seem to help him perk up and fight a few days longer). I did my best to keep the tank extra-clean to keep the Betta healthy, but I suspect he'd already been infected internally for awhile--he got dropsy too, and by that time I'd gotten my hands on some antibiotics (the local pet store closed, and as I'm a university student with no car, it took awhile to get any from further away). But, despite those in combination with aquarium salt, he died too.
<Oh dear.>
It's my understanding that it's pretty hard to nurse a creature back to health once it's developed dropsy, so although I'm sad they didn't make it, I tried my best.
<With small animals, yes, this does tend to be true. By the time dropsy is apparent in them, the internal organs have been damaged beyond repair.>
(The Betta was two and a half years old, too, which I hear is not too shabby a lifespan.)
<In the wild they are basically annuals. In captivity, some people get the odd Betta to last 3 or 4 years even.>
If you see anywhere that I went wrong with in trying, please let me know!
My end point in writing is to ask about the tank now. It's been fallow for three or four weeks, just live plants and probably some limpets still left in there. Would this have been a bacteria that would've died with no host, or is it still floating around in the water?
<To some extent the bacteria will still be there. Secondary infection-causing bacteria are largely bacteria that potter about harmlessly at all times, and only become a problem when wounds allow them to enter the fish. Think about things like E. coli in humans: absolutely harmless and indeed essential where they live in the lower intestine. But if they happen to get somewhere else, like the urinary tract, they cause potentially harmful infections. It's the same with the Finrot bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila (which causes Red-leg in amphibians and stomach upsets in humans). Normally it does its thing in the water, feeding on whatever organic matter it finds. On a healthy animal, the immune system has no problems killing it off. But when an animal is weakened, e.g., by the damage caused by ammonia in the water, the immune system cannot function 100%, and the Aeromonas hydrophila overwhelm exposed tissues where they feed on proteins, particularly haemoglobin. In other words, assuming your new livestock are happy and healthy, then the bacteria likely won't cause any major problems. Disinfecting the tank is certainly one option, but you would have to cycle the biological filter again. Even in this case, bacteria will get in eventually anyway. They just do, and trying to fight against bacteria is usually a waste of time because they run this planet, not us, whatever we might like to think. So far better to accept the bacteria for what they are -- opportunists that will take advantage of any situation they can -- and simply focus on keeping healthy livestock that can deal with the bacteria naturally.>
I'd gladly scrub the tank down, but haven't yet as I was hoping to keep the beneficial bacteria going. I didn't want to put anything else in there if there's a chance of a latent bacterial population lurking around.
<The bacteria will certainly be laying around in the water and substrate and filter media. Running a course of anti-Finrot/anti-Fungus medication won't do any harm, and might be worth a shot in this instance. Do also bear in mind the filter bacteria will have died back in the interim because of the reduction in ammonia for them to "eat". So before adding new livestock, you may want to add an ammonia source for a week or two first, to get them back into fighting fettle. Adding a pinch of flake per day, or leaving a bit of seafood to decay at the bottom of the tank, should do the trick. The bacteria don't care where the ammonia comes from, and if its from bacterial decay of uneaten food, that's fine with them. Obviously test for ammonia or nitrite afterwards to make sure everything is working before you add new fish.>
Thanks for being there as always,
Rachel
<Hope this helps, Neale.>

Betta fish, and a rather old email you replied to... dis., Dropsy... nonsense   10/12/07
Hi, I assume this is the right Bob Fenner... your> email address was pretty hard to track down, you> didn't put it up on your FAQ pages!
<Ah, no... we have been forced to change ISPs, lost our old WWM email addies...>
Anyways, you answered a question entitled "Bettas keep dying> 8/25/05" on the page> http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/betdisfaq7.htm> I know it was an old question, but I thought I should> share something I've read before concerning Dropsy... on more than one website, I've read that Dropsy is> actually a very tough disease that does not go away> even with bleaching and drying of tanks.
<... Dropsy, dropsical conditions are symptoms... with a few etiologies... NOT a specific disease/causative mechanism>
It may or may not be true, but if you can, you should let the person who wrote the email that they need to throw that tank away and not allow healthy Betta fish into that tank ever, nor allow a Betta that has been into that tank into a new tank (unless they can afford to get a new tank after that Betta dies). If you can no longer email the person, you should definitely mention this on another of your websites, and if you've already addressed this problem (since it was over two years ago, haha), I'm sorry to have taken up your time. Thank you for reading this anyways! -Ryan
<What? BobF>

Betta/any fish question; relating to tanks and the 'dropsy' disease  - 11/13/06
Hello!
  I really enjoy your site and have learned quite a bit by reading through it. I have a question that I hope you will be able to answer for me. I don't own any Betta (though I'm interested in getting one of two soon) but my friend has owned them. She has had 2 Betta at one time for a while now. One of them is named "Donnie" who has been with her for about 2 years. Over the span of those 2 years, she has had another male in a tank next to Donnie's. The first one was named "Frank". He somehow got the disease called Dropsy and died. Later, she got another (using the same tank) that she named "Remy". She cleaned the tank very well before getting him but he, too, contracted Dropsy and died after seeming being fine for over a year. This time however, she purchased a new tank and is hoping the best for her newest family member "Clay". We were wondering if it was possible that there was something in the tank's plastic material or fake plant or gravel or anything, that caused this
disease, or if it was just a random coincidence that they both got it in the same tank?
<Good question... "Dropsical Conditions" are "brought on" through a few plausible influences... the bloating, scales appearing at odd angles are due to fluid leaving cells, increasing pressure in the intercellular spaces... some folks believe the root cause here to be bacterial... this in turn allowed/triggered by such factors as "poor water quality" (mostly unfiltered, high bacteria count situations, not pathogens per se), and/with a nutritional component... avitaminoses likely... there are other theories, possible epidemiologies>
  Thanks for any help or advise you can give!
  ~Miranda
<Mmm... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettadiseases.htm
and here
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/dropsyfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Community Tank With Bloat/Pop-Eye Issues   5/27/06
Hi there, You guys have been an awesome resource!  And, it's time for another question from me. I have a 35g that's been set up since February with a Penguin 300 bio filter.  
I have 1 White Tetra, 2 Pristella Tetras, 10 Harlequin Rasboras, 10 Neon Tetras, 3 Black Mollies (1M,2F), 3 Platies (1M,2F), 1 Pleco and 1 Gold Snail.
I do water changes every 2nd week of about 25-30%, but my last couple changes have been closer to 50% to try and combat my problem.  Ammonia is 0, Nitrites are 0.  I don't know the pH or Nitrates (no test kits yet...just ordered them).
1 female platy seems to have dropsy or some type of bacterial infection.  Her scales are sticking out a bit on one side, she doesn't seem to "poop" often, and I can see a white spot at her vent (constipated?).
1 female molly appears to have the same condition, but has a much larger belly.
1 rasbora has a little (white?) bump on his bottom lip and has been this way since Feb.
1 rasbora has a slightly bulging right eye.
With these different conditions, I don't know how I should treat the tank.  
Any ideas/suggestions are welcome! Please help a novice trying to get this right. Thanks. Donna
< Sounds like bloat on the livebearers and pop-eye on the rasboras. The white lower lip thing is probably a benign growth. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. As few ways to go here. The bloat/pop-eye may be caused by the same organism. If it is bacterial then it may respond to a double dose of Nitrofuranace. This will affect the biological filtration and you may need to get it restarted. If it is a protozoan infection then either Clout or Metronidazole may work. The trouble with small fish like this is you probably only get one guess. If you guess wrong the fish is rarely around long enough for a second try. If it was me I would place the infected fish in a hospital tank and treat them with he double dose of Nitrofurazone and with the Metronidazole. Add a teaspoon of salt per 5 gallons to help get the medication into the fish.-Chuck>

Green Terror With Bloat   03/9/06
I have a 3 ½ year old Green Terror in a 40 gallon tank. His stomach is bloated and he has a white bubble that sometimes comes out of his "area" which is enlarged. I don't know what he has and I don't know how to treat him. This has been going on for about a week and a half and now he just stays at the top of the tank and he only moves around when we go to check up on him. Do you have any suggestions? Jenny Van Tubbergen
<You green terror has an intestinal bacterial infection. As the infection swells and grows it actually may push out some of the intestines. Do a 50% water change , clean the filter and vacuum the gravel. Treat with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace. The key to a successful treatment is to catch it early.-Chuck>

My poor tetra... dropsy   1/17/06
Hello  
     I have a question regarding my tetra.  For the last 5 days or so my fish has been in the bottom corner of our 10 gal tank.  It can swim for a second
then falls right back to the bottom of the tank.  I have two other tetras in the same tank and they are fine.  I don't know what a pregnant tetra looks like
but this one is very fat and the scales are sticking out,
<... Ascites... in pet-fishing called dropsy, or a dropsical condition... aptly called "pinecone disease" in Japanese>
the side looks red.   I have read about the different diseases and it seems like the fish might
have a disease but the others ones don't.  I had my water tested when I took it into the pet shop and it is OK so I am stumped.  Would a fish not be able to
swim if it had a disease and Say the fish is pregnant how long does it take to lay the eggs?
<Depends on species... days to a few weeks>
Should I take the fish out of the tank?  IF so what is the best way?  I am not to sure on fish stuff but I don't like to see fish suffer.
<If you sense this fish should be sacrificed, placing it in a plastic bag with a little water and putting this in the freezer will painlessly euthanize it. Likely the "cause" of the dropsy here is not "catching"... Bob Fenner>

Pleco With Bloat   1/14/06
Hello, I have a pleco that isn't well. He(?) is about 7 years old & about 8-10 inches long. The other day he started to swim to the top of the tank more
often than usual. Now (3 days later) he is violently swimming up and down. I noticed he can't stay down. He struggles and fights and gets comfortable on
the glass then his tail slides up to the surface. He has been holding himself down with the heater and return from the filter to just keep under
the water. I am very concerned, I don't want him to die, but I'm not sure how to help him. I've read all of the Q&A's on your website, which are very helpful! The
water tests fine, no major changes recently. The other fish are all fine. Water quality appears normal. I have recently (3 weeks ago) added a Cory
catfish to the tank? I feed them discs regularly and cucumber every now and then. Note from reading your Q&A's, I do not have any live plants or
driftwood in the tank? I've never had any? Is that a big issue? Besides the buoyancy problem, I believe he is slightly bloated. Also I have
noticed he always had waste hanging from him, but none at all this week. I believe his anus is enlarged/swollen and pinkish in color.
I have added some additional stress coat and stress zyme hoping that might help him. I'm trying not to disturb him too much. Any suggestions?
Thanks Nicole
< You pleco is suffering from an internal bacterial infection. Probably found an algae wafer in some form of decomposition and the long intestines of the pleco just could not pass it through in time. Do a 50% water change vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Try treating with Metronidazole. When they are this bloated it is difficult for them to recover.-Chuck>

Old Oscar With Bloat   1/14/06
I have a 13 year old albino Oscar that about 5 days ago started hanging on his side in the tank. Now I notice he has a large lump on the side that is pointed to the top of the aquarium. He does appear to have some hole in the head. I did a 30% water change. He is in a 60 gal tank. His tank mates are 2 Plecostomus, 3 clown loaches, and 1 Pimelodella catfish. What could be wrong? Can I use Epsom salt and other meds with his tank buddies? Thanks for any help.
< Your old Oscar has an internal bacterial infection. Do another 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Try treating with Metronidazole as per the directions on the package. Your Oscar has lived a very long life and may not recover from this infection, even after he has been treated.-Chuck>

Oscar With Bloat II   1/14/06
I have a 13 year old albino Oscar that about 5 days ago started hanging on his side in the tank. Now I notice he has a large lump on the side that is pointed to the top of the aquarium. He does appear to have some hole in the head. I did a 30% water change. He is in a 60 gal tank. His tank mates are 2 Plecostomus, 3 clown loaches, and 1 Pimelodella catfish. What could be wrong? Can I use Epsom salt and other meds with his tank buddies? Thanks for any help. He also has some black-greyish him that isn't normally there in the are where is spots are. If is us Epsom salt because is blocked, how long do I leave it in the water before a partial change? Also his normal diet is Oscar floating pellets.
< Continue with the Epsom salts until you see some improvement. Replace any salt after a water change.-Chuck.>

Need help my goldfish Oranda has I think dropsy Part 2  12/20/2005
Hello,
  I was wondering if you can help me out with something. Am not sure if my goldfish Oranda has dropsy or not. His symptoms are:
  Floating on the top of the tank, still eats regularly, lifeless sometimes, if you look close enough you can see the scales kinda popping out, and he's getting bigger.
  <Mmm, yes... this is a "dropsical" condition...>
Water quality:
  Nitrate: 30
<A bit high>
Nitrite: 3.0
<Three times more than toxic...>
Total hardness: 200
Alkalinity: 180
Ph: 7.8
I'm not sure how my nitrite spiked. However, I recently moved so I
<I>
had to empty out my fish tank and start it up again. It's been nearly a week already and those where my reading. I know I have to do water changes which I will do tomorrow, but please can you help me with my Oranda and his dropsy what do you recommend me doing? and what should I do? thanks you for your kind ASAP help.
  Ryan
<Help yourself... Please read on WWM re FW water quality, Nitrite, Cycling... Bob Fenner>

Molly With Dropsy  12/7/05
Hello there. Your site is wonderful. I can't tell you how many hours of schoolwork have been sacrificed so I could read as much as I could. I'm new to fishkeeping and feel very lost in the sea of information available, so to speak.
I'm having problems with a black molly that I bought a little over a week ago. My tank is brand new, so it could be a cycling problem. When I first got her home, she was very reclusive and just sort of floated in the corner of the tank. Three days later, her belly started to swell a little bit, so I looked up how to sex mollies to see if she was indeed a she (which she is) and see if she might be pregnant. 
I moved her to her own 5g tank, and her belly continued to grow. Four days after that, it started to look like her scales were sticking out a little bit, almost as though there weren't enough scales to cover all of her skin and I started to worry. They aren't sticking straight out like some of the pictures I've found, but they aren't like lying flat either. I had just read about dropsy, so I researched it as much I could, but I have no idea what to do, if it is. 
Since I moved her, she started to move around a bit more, swimming in lazy circles at the surface of the water. She doesn't have much of an appetite. Another strange thing about her... she's got a strange white lump on or in her rectum, kind of like someone stuck a little white stone in it. I tested the water.. PH was 7.2, Nitrates and Nitrites were 0, Ammonia was 0.5 (As soon as I finish this email, I'll be doing a water change to try and fix that). I added some salt to the water (about 3 tsp), but I don't know what else to do or try. Please help, if you can. Michi
< Do a 30% water change, clean the filter and vacuum the gravel. Add the salt back from the water you removed. Stress from the move has caused your molly to come down with an internal bacterial infection. Treat with Metronidazole and Nitrofurazone as per the directions on the packages.-Chuck> 

Let Them Eat Rocks?  Platy, Dropsy.... 11/29/2005
I have a 10 gallon fish tank in my classroom with three fish in it: one silvery Mickey Mouse platy, a 10 month old orange MM platy, and a small algae eater (don't remember the species name). The silver platy is the oldest...I think I've had her for about a year and a half. She's definitely been the hardiest -- I'm quite an amateur at keeping fish, and she's seen many newbies come and go in her time. Anyway, I fed the fish some flakes and some algae disks (both part of their regular diet) before Thanksgiving Break (Wednesday) and today (Monday) when I came in Miss Molly was a swollen as a blowfish. She's evenly swollen all the way around, not just her abdomen, and her scales are poking out (yeck).
<Yikes. A very bad sign.>
Her stomach area looks dark, but I can't remember if it always looks like that or not. The other fish look normal. After internet research, I figured she has dropsy
<Mm, "dropsy" is a collection of symptoms.... not a disease in and of itself. In this case, the symptoms are likely from an internal bacterial infection.... perhaps something she's had since "day 1", or perhaps from one of the fish she's seen come and go (might want to consider quarantining new fish before adding them to your tank). It may have been entirely unavoidable.>
and called my local fish store to get their opinion on what to do. My local fish store thinks the fish has swallowed some gravel and will die since she can't pass it.
<Uhh, no. HIGHLY unlikely. Though it IS possible that a fish can get a gut blockage from swallowing a piece of gravel, I have never, ever seen nor heard of a platy doing so.... Furthermore, the scales sticking out (pinecone fashion?) are a sure sign of fluid buildup in the fish - typically a result of bacterial infection.>
I can't imagine why she would suddenly pick up a rock-swallowing habit unless she just got really hungry (in which case I feel awful that I didn't put it one of those time release tabs).
<No - actually - it's best not to use those time-release feeding blocks, as they can alter your pH.... Most fish can go many days without food. You didn't cause this by not feeding, no worries.>
Long story short, should I try the Epsom salt, the antibiotic flakes, or anything else?
<If you can locate the antibiotic flakes (preferably medicated with Oxytetracycline, in my experience), I would try both Epsom and the flakes, yes.>
Will any of the above hurt my other fish? Should I try to set up a "hospital tank"?
<I would definitely try to get her into a hospital tank - though the Epsom and antibiotic flakes won't hurt your other fish, she may be contagious. It's safest for the others to remove her. I will also tell you that her prognosis isn't great. It really is very rare for a fish to "come back" from such an advanced state.... I do hate to bring bad news, but needed to let you know this. When/if she dies, the other fish are likely to "pick" at her. This could be bad indeed, if they were to "catch" what she has/had. Please do separate her if you can.>
Thanks, -Janice
<All the best to you, -Sabrina>

Sabrina, Let Them Eat Rocks? Platy, Dropsy.... - II - 12/06/2005
<Hi, Janice.>
Thanks for your reply. I really appreciate the advice!
<Glad to be of service.>
I am glad that I was not totally nuts to think my fish was an unlikely rock-eater. Unfortunately, your prognosis was correct, and she only lasted two days after your email. I treated for a bacterial infection, but as you said, it was a bit late for her advanced stage.
<I am so sorry to hear this....>
Is there anything I should do for the other two remaining fish, or are we past the point of preventative measures?
<Just maintain optimal water quality - zero ammonia and nitrite, 20ppm or less of nitrate, steady, stable pH....>
I am curious as to the cause of the infection. I know that you said that it could be from exposure to her other former tank mates, and that's certainly a possibility. I'm wondering though if a drop in temperature could stimulate an infection.
<Can.... but I have to admit to you, the heater in my upstairs tank failed last weekend - a 20 degree (or more) drop in temperature did in everything but the platies, which are still all going strong. Go figure. Platies are pretty tough when it comes to temperature changes.>
I have a feeling that our A/C system went on standby over the Thanksgiving break, letting the temperature drop lower than normal. I haven't yet bought a heater for the tank, since the room usually stays at a fairly constant temperature...or so I thought. Now that the weather has cooled, that will be a priority.
<Good plan.>
That brings me to my next question, if you have time for another.
<Time? Whassat? No worries; this is why we're here!>
Every Christmas break, I am left in a quandary of what to do with my fish. I am typically gone for almost 3 weeks, and in the past, I have brought my fish home with me and put them into a smaller tank. Unfortunately, this is very time-consuming,
<And hazardous/stressful for the fish, no doubt!>
and I always have a problem finding a good place to put the tank. Would it be feasible to leave them in their tank at school with a heater, provided that I go in periodically to feed them?
<Oh, certainly. Aim for twice a week at a minimum, if you can; or, you could even get a battery operated feeder - a device with a "hopper" type bin, or compartments that you fill that will release food for them periodically. Don't use the "tablet"-style time-release feeders that you put right into the tank - these can cause more harm than good.>
Are there any other preparations and/or supplies that they would need for this?
<Just as above - they'll probably be just fine with your good care.>
Thanks again, -Janice
<All the best for you and your fish on the holidays, -Sabrina>