Dropsy Dilemma

[bever_lee]

Hi,

I've been treating my whole tank with Maracyn-two after I noticed distinct symptoms of Dropsy on one of my Zebra Danios, and possibly the early stages of septicemia in my pleco. My pleco seems to be fine now (he has gone from very unenergetic to his normal attitude), but the treatment isn't really helping my danio. If there have been any improvements in his health they have been very slight - yet he doesn't seem to be getting any worse. My dilemma is that the treatment is supposed to only run for 5 days, and here I am on day 4 with a still very sick danio. The instructions have said that if needed, I may start the treatment cycle over again for another 5 day duration, but i'm afraid that all of this antibiotic exposure may be harming my other healthy fish.
Should I risk the treatment for another week?
Thanks.

 

[tttnjfttt]

Is there any chance of getting a hospital tank to treat in? I'm know in the US, you can buy a 10 gallon kit for $30. Dropsy is very hard to cure, as it is a sign of organ damage and internal bleeding. I have heard of people adding epsom salt to the water or doing a bath in epson salts to help with dropsy.

I am not the writer of this information
Dropsy

Symptoms:

This disease is very common among African Cichlids, and is commonly called "Malawi Bloat," even though it affects fish from Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria. Dropsy is also very common within the Carp family and among Anabantids. It is characterized by swelling of the body and especially abdomen, which causes the scales to stand out with a pine cone appearance. Eyes may protrude or cave in. Reddening at the vent and/or base of fins may be observable as well as body ulcers and long pale feces. In advanced cases, skin discoloration and scale loss may also occur. Sick fish will not show any desire for food. They will often hang near the bottom, resting on the gravel, or at the top, gasping for air. In the latter stages of this disease, the fish may lose its equilibrium and hence ability to swim properly.


Cause:

Three main causes for Dropsy have been identified. The over use of salt (NaCl), prolonged exposure to poor water conditions, and improper diet, which lead to a parasitic infection. Other causes include poisoning, internal injuries and cancerous tumors. The swelling is not the disease itself, but rather a symptom, which is caused by a build-up of fluids in the body cavity due to internal organ failure.


Treatment:

Treatment of this disease is difficult, as by the time it is recognized, permanent damage to the internal organs of the fish will have occurred. Immediate treatment must be performed if there is to be any chance for survival. Metronidazole (Flagyl) and or Clout are the best medications for treatment of Dropsy. Notwithstanding, not much is known for certain about the etiology of this disease and some experienced aquarists use antibiotics to fight Dropsy. For oxytetracycline, baths of 20-100 mg/litre for five days is suggested. For tetracycline hydrochloride, treat with baths of 40-100 mg/litre for five days. And for minocycline hydrochloride a dilution of 250mg/10 gallons of water is recommended. On day 2 change all the water and add the medicine again at the same dose for another 2 days. Increase aeration during treatment. Do not use minocycline a third time in a row. Caution: tetracyclines are photo sensitive so turn the tank lights off during treatment and cover the whole tank with a blanket. If the fish is still eating, you can soak the food in a concentrated solution of the antibiotic before feeding.

And here is a link that talks about using epsom salt and has even more information in it. http/badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article24.html