Betta Help/advice Needed Please

[pern]

Hi

Any advice welcome please. It seems my betta has dropsy. I'm gutted but also puzzled as my water seems ok. Have given heaps of detail (blahed on : ) in the hope someone can help.

I'm in Christchurch, New Zealand

Tank size: cycled 70 litres, established around 8 months, quite heavily planted with aquarium plants, JBL Mondano substrate. One piece of bog wood without sharp edges. Internal filter (built in to tank).
pH: 7.2
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: around 2.5
Ammonia/nitrate/nitrate all tested with new-ish API liquid test kit
kH: It's quite soft water if this is what kH means
gH: ?
tank temp: 24.5

Now in temperature matched quarantine tank (dechlorinated).
Given shelled pea last night (no change) and 2 20 minute Epsom salt baths today (am and pm - 1 teaspoon per gallon). Seemed slightly happier after baths but no change in bloating.
Quarantine tank has been treated with Furan 2 as of late this morning. No change.

Symptoms
Betta Splendens, age not known - maybe 10-12 months?

Seemed healthy, happy and curious earlier yesterday..

As of last night: bloated stomach with pine-coned scales, lethargic - tending to hang round at top/bottom of tank, eating well, some fin clamping, deep (normal) colour .

Usually eats Tetra crisps or Tetra betta flakes or frozen bloodworm (once per week or less) or live baby brine shrimp (bred at home) occasionally. Fed once per day.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 30-50% temperature matched weekly, dechlorinated (4 drops prime per 10l) weekly.

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Seachem Excel and Seachem general fertilizer weekly - measured with syringe, stirred in to water change water before going in tank. Purigen in filter.

Tank inhabitants: 5 dwarf rasbora & 5 peppered Cory. All seem ok BUT I had to euthanase one of my rasboras the other night as his whole tail (not just part of it) was hanging by a thread. Incredibly he was swimming/eating. Didn't look as if he had been attacked, tail showed no signs of rot.

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): nil

Exposure to chemicals: nil known. 'Fish only' bucket, net etc. Hands washed in hot water before doing 'tank stuff.'No sprays etc.

Digital photo
Can post (probably tomorrow) if one could be helpful

Thanks for looking!!

 

[the_lock_man]

Unfortunately, once a fish has developed dropsy, it is probably already too late for it. THe body is swollen from liquid inside the body, as the fish has lost the ability to regulate its fluids. Epsom salts baths can help, but it is highly likely that you will lose the fish.

You have 2 choices, really. You can soldier on in the hope that it will be one of the very very few cases in which the fish survives, or you can end its suffering now, given that the chances are that it will die shortly anyway. Not a nice choice to make.

 

[pern]

Thanks lock-man - i'm thinking if there's no change by this evening I'll have to euthanase. Can anyone help me work out why it might have happened? I so don't want any other cases of it.

 

[pern]

Euthanised. Poor wee guy. Not good. Thank goodness Fluttermoth posted really clear instructions for use of clove oil in a thread today. Thanks Fluttermoth.