Guppy With Severe Dropsy, Please Help Urgent

[Aquapotts]

Request Help

Tank size: 60 litre (Biorb 90)
pH: neutral
ammonia: none
nitrite: none
nitrate: 20-40ppm
tank temp: 26C/79F
water changes: 30% water changes weekly (though missed one week where nitrate reached maybe 60-80ppm)

Fish Symptoms: I believe my strongest guppy, who has been in the tank since set up (August 09 - 30 weeks), has developed Dropsy. He has a swollen belly starting just below his mouth and running his entire length. I would estimate that he has doubled in size. He has been eating a lot, but is now unwilling to move around very much at all - even at feeding times. He is able to move, but chooses to sit on the bottom of the tank or "perched" on a rock for approx 95% of the time. This morning I have transfered some of the water into my 13 litre hospital tank, which is also heated like my full tank - I intemd to do daily water changes - but would very much appreciate some help in understanding this condition and what action is now best to take.

Additional tank inhabitants: 3 other guppies, 3 harlequin rasbora, many snails

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): some new live plants to replace previously eaten plants (this also introduced a new type of snail to my tank, despite all my efforts to "clean" the new plants before placing in the tank).

Please let me know if any other info will help -

 

[WILDER]

Are scales sticking out.
What do you feed the fish.
Any lumps beneath the skin.

All you can do is add epson salt to the issolation tank, to help draw fluids out.
Internal bacteria med.

 

[Aquapotts]

Scales aren't sticking out. I've been feeding flakes as he usually eats off the surface, but isn't really eating now.

My local pet shop advised to try frozen foods, so have bought some of this. I was going to buy some internal bacteria med, but am trying with Melafix first.

Having read a lot about dropsy, I'm not very optimistic, so am just trying to make him as comfortable as I can. He is isolated, has a good shelter if he wants to hide and good airation.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as I would love to save him.

 

[WILDER]

If he's been eating to many flake food he might be constipated.
Don';t feed any food for a few days, only shelled peas.

Don't feed bloodworms for a few days either.
Frozen foods like daphnia and brime shrimp are good.
Also introduce some green veg into there diet.

Soak the flake food for a second or two in the tank water, before letting the fish have it.

 

[Aquapotts]

Good advice thanks. My parent's goldfish have had frozen peas before to help with swimmer bladder problems, so it would definately make sense to try this. Are there other ways to introduce green veg?

 

[WILDER]

The fish might turn there noses up the first time at the veg. But keep trying.

You can feed cucumba, peas, broc, spinach, green cabbage, sproats, lettuce.
Just blanch the veg a few minutes in boiling water.
Remove shell from peas.
To weight cumcumba down and lettuce, just use a plant weight with a rubber band.
Or a veg clip from the lfs.

 

[Aquapotts]

Well unfortunately I have had to bury my poor fish this morning.

My only real advice is to be prepared. This is a dreadful illness - my fish seemed so healthy before.

I would STRONGLY suggest you buy some Clove Oil at your local pharmacy and just put it away in a cupboard. If your fish improves, than that is great news; but if it's condition deteriates then you may have no other option than to consider the euthanasia of your fish. I wouldn't worry about researching it at this point as hopefully you will never need to do it, but DO get a bottle just in case, as this is a dreadful illness.

Please be aware that this was my favourite fish, however I still found myself in the position that it was the only right thing to do(and it would have been the last thing I would want), but unfortunately I realised too late and all the shops were closed.

I know this advice sounds horrible, but please think twice and get some just in case your fish gets worse like mine did.

Good luck. I would love to be able to come back here and hear about any fishes that can be saved...

 

[WILDER]

Don't need to use clove oil.
You just add a fish to freezing cold water and it dosn't take long.
You just fill a bucket, or jug with cold water and add ice cubes till the water freezing cold.
Then add the fish.

 

[Aquapotts]

I have read quite a lot on this subject in the last 24 hours and some ways are considered humane, while others are not. As Wilder points out, freezing cold water is an option, but to anyone reading, please note that this is very different to putting fish directly in to ice or in the freezer - which is not humane.

I have taken this from another website to clarify the process:

"Tropical fish less than 2 inches in length can be euthanized by exposing them to freezing cold water. The fish is put into a small container along with some aquarium water at the normal temperature. This container is then placed into a much larger container filled with crushed ice. This will rapidly chill the water in the smaller container, eventually rendering the fish unconscious. When death is verified, the fish can be removed."

Personally, my preference would still be the Clove Oil, as this is a more widely known and accepted procedure, but both seem acceptable.