Can X Cause Y?

[MadCatter]

Can exposure to high amounts of high of ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrite be a primary cause of kidney failure/dropsy in fish/particularly bettas, or is dropsy more likely to happen spontaneously due to something genetic in the fish?

 

[ArauraDiscus]

Normally ammonia poisoning will kill a fish by damaging it's gills way faster than it could compromise the kidneys. WHen the kidneys die, it's likely due to an infection, one that may create toxins in the fishes body, and the kidneys can't remove them all and overload and fail. Or the infection or virus just causes the kidneys to fail. But either way that creates dropsy more often than not.

 

[MadCatter]

Thank you