My Sister's Betta and Dropsy

Demeter32

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I've been working on treating my sister's betta who came down with dropsy 3 or 4 days ago. He was kept in a 36gal bow front lightly planted tank with a male BN pleco and a ton of snails. The tank has been cycled for a few years now but the betta has only been in it for roughly 4 months. My sister didn't think it was a problem when he started getting a little tubby and stopped eating *sighs* She just though he was getting fed too much. When she found him on his back laying on the gravel breathing hard she finally decided to move him to a 1(ish) gallon hospital tank with a mini heater and a tiny filter. She didn't tell me any of this (which she should of) until a the day after she moved him. She also decided to dump the rest of a packet of API General cure into the tiny tank, so I have no idea how much was added as a whole packet treats 10gals.

I took one look at the poor dude and thought he was close to the end, laying belly up on the bottom of the tank, super swollen and very pine coned out. I thought I would give him a shot.

So I got out the epsom salt and mixed him up a small container of it and let him soak in there for about 15 minutes while I dumped all the water in the hospital tank and refilled it half way with fresh water and about 2 drops of methylene blue (it can't hurt). I added a small ornament that sits about half and inch under the water, put the heater back in and set an air stone to a slow bubble. This was 2-3 days ago. He had an epsom salt bath once a day and got his water changed during his bath. I kept adding a couple drops of methylene blue after each 100% water change.

Since then his swelling has gone down to the point he looks pretty much normal and his scales are not as pine coned. He swims around and begs for food like a normal betta. I fed him a bit yesterday and he's been pooping normally. I think this might work out. Unfortunately I didn't bother tanking any pictures as I though he would be dead by now...

I just wanted to make a thread about this to hopefully bring a bit of hope to others who may experience dropsy in bettas. I'll update this as he continues to recover (or worsen IDK yet).
 
Good catch hope he fully recovers.
 
I've gotten attached to him over the past few days, he's such a trooper. I'm thinking of confiscating him from my sister, she was plenty ready to give up on him. Too bad I don't have an ideal long-term place to keep him. Might be able to split either Grey's 10gal or the 20gal long, we'll see. I can't say my sister has been taking care of the 36gal, she doesn't do weekly water changes, more like 1-2 times a month I'd say. There's so much debris from the driftwood and snails that it's kinda gross. I should probably move the pleco out as well (he's mine anyways).

Got around to taking some pictures, there's a bit of pine coned scales on his tail end, but the rest looks pretty normal.
This is him on Sunday, you can kinda see the scales sticking out on his tail/side.
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The rest of of him today. He still looks a bit rough, like the paleness around his head. He might even have a minor case of HITH as there are little cavities on his head. I'll be working with him and feeding some good food and lots of water changes.
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See the patches on his head? What do you all think I should do about that, other than good food and fresh water? Maybe it's nothing at all, just his coloration...
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For comparison, this is what he looked like when my sister bought him, not that much different between now and then I'd say.
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I think he's relapsing. He's was laying on his back/side again last night and I did a water change and test. There might of been a tiny amount of ammonia but the established media was doing its job as there were some nitrates present but no nitrites. He ate a couple pellets and is still pooping as of last night, but it looks like his scales are a little pine coned. I'll stop feeding for a couple days and hope he makes a recovery.

I've drained the hospital tank to half full again, took out the mini filter and replaced it with an air stone set on low, and added 2 drops of meth. blue. He also got a 100% water change and an epsom salt bath today. I was getting ready to divide a 10gal for him but I feel like I might not get the chance.
 
Things aren't looking too good. His is full out pine coned again and laying on his side. I think it's better to let him go at this point.
 
I kinda left if open ended but the poor guy is no longer with us. "No more bettas" is what my sister said, but I've said the same thing and here I am, owner of 6.
 

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