Just noticed my male platy has got all his scales stuck out and his belly is swollen. I'm pretty certain it's dropsy. None of the other fish look ill ... is it infectous? I know very little about it. Help ... what do I do for the best?
Male Platy With Dropsy
- Thread starter Akasha72
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Akasha72
Warning - Mad Cory Woman
I'm checking the emergencies section and can't find anything.
He's not been himself for a few days now. He's been hanging back at feeding time (although he is eating a little) and he's hiding behind the filter a lot only coming out if I go to the tank and he thinks there's food around. He looks 'fluffy' and viewed from behind you can see his scales are sticking out. His tummy is a little stuck out around the chest area
I have some protozin left from the last time I had whitspot in the tank but I'm worried this won't help and I don't want to dose the tank if it won't help.
I'm guessing p@h will be open tomorrow so if someone can advise me on meds etc and what the best is. I'll also test my water in the daylight too. I just hope he's still alive in the morning
He's not been himself for a few days now. He's been hanging back at feeding time (although he is eating a little) and he's hiding behind the filter a lot only coming out if I go to the tank and he thinks there's food around. He looks 'fluffy' and viewed from behind you can see his scales are sticking out. His tummy is a little stuck out around the chest area
I have some protozin left from the last time I had whitspot in the tank but I'm worried this won't help and I don't want to dose the tank if it won't help.
I'm guessing p@h will be open tomorrow so if someone can advise me on meds etc and what the best is. I'll also test my water in the daylight too. I just hope he's still alive in the morning
OP
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Akasha72
Warning - Mad Cory Woman
dosed with 5ml of Interpet No.9 anti internal bacteria - it's all they had at p@h ... don't hold out much hope if I'm honest. He's got through the night and he's not looking as fluffed up as last night but he's not eating now and just hanging around at the back of the tank.
Wishing I had a hospital tank right now
Wishing I had a hospital tank right now
Hi, there's not much you can do, I'm afraid. The swelling is due to fluid inside the body and that is due to internal organ failure. The majority of dropsy cases end badly. You could try giving him a bath of epsom salts to draw out the fluid.
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Akasha72
Warning - Mad Cory Woman
As I said, if it is dropsy - and I suspect it is I don't hold out any hope for him really. Is he going to infect the whole tank though?
Going to see if I can get a piture of him for a diagnosis of someone more experienced. I'd appreciate another opinion
Going to see if I can get a piture of him for a diagnosis of someone more experienced. I'd appreciate another opinion
Its hard to say as the picture is blurry. You can try to feed him a pea, if he is bloated because of constipation he will be skinny again in about 24 hours lol. I really hope it isn't dropsy. Generally dropsy isn't a disease. it is a symptom of other issues. If it is dropsy, and the underlying cause is bacterial or parasitic, there is a chance the other fish could become infected.
The best way to take a picture of dropsy is to put the fish in a clear container and take a photo from above so you can see the scales sticking out.
His fins look pretty clamped and he does look bloated from what I can tell from the pictures.
Like already said, dropsy is a symptom of something, not a disease in itself. Without knowing what you're treating it's a bit of a battle. If his scales are definitely visibly sticking out I think it's gone beyond a pea for constipation, but is it even feeding anyway? A bath of epsom salts might draw the fluid out but wont treat the cause. Anti bacterial medication might help in the short term but in my experience (just my experience before anyone rips it apart) fish treated this way are left very weak and sickly anyway and usually get recurrent problems until they die anyway.
Follow the course of action which seems right to you. Me, personally, I would clove oil the fish, or leave it separate from the tank like I said in your other thread.
His fins look pretty clamped and he does look bloated from what I can tell from the pictures.
Like already said, dropsy is a symptom of something, not a disease in itself. Without knowing what you're treating it's a bit of a battle. If his scales are definitely visibly sticking out I think it's gone beyond a pea for constipation, but is it even feeding anyway? A bath of epsom salts might draw the fluid out but wont treat the cause. Anti bacterial medication might help in the short term but in my experience (just my experience before anyone rips it apart) fish treated this way are left very weak and sickly anyway and usually get recurrent problems until they die anyway.
Follow the course of action which seems right to you. Me, personally, I would clove oil the fish, or leave it separate from the tank like I said in your other thread.
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Akasha72
Warning - Mad Cory Woman
He's tried to eat this morning but just spits it out. He's out of hiding and swimming about but his scales are stuck out still. I really have no idea on this one which is why I'm relying on advice here. If he was layed on the gravel obviously sick and dying then putting him out of his misery would be easy but he's trying to fight and that's why I'm reluctant to interfer just yet.
I'll see if I can catch him today and get a better photo. I don't have any epsom salts or clove oil
I'll see if I can catch him today and get a better photo. I don't have any epsom salts or clove oil
OP
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Akasha72
Warning - Mad Cory Woman
He's now in a jug of tank water. His scales are falling off and I feel really sorry for him. Considering just leaving him there to see what happens. I don't want to put him back with the other fish now as what ever he's got I don't want the other fish to get.
This is so sad. He was my favourite fish of them all
This is so sad. He was my favourite fish of them all
Prime Ordeal
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Dropsy is almost always a consequence of internal bacterial infection. It can be treated if caught early but that's usually impossible. In the state he's in he will have irreperable internal organ damage. He should be euthanised to save more suffering.
Or treat him with an internal bacterial medecine and put him in a salt bath, it might work , but very, very unlikely.
Or treat him with an internal bacterial medecine and put him in a salt bath, it might work , but very, very unlikely.
OP
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Akasha72
Warning - Mad Cory Woman
well ... after I posted ealier I got really upset. I decided to leave him in the jug of tank water and pour in a little more meds and leave him there for a bit. He started swimming round in the jug. After a bit of time watching him swimming around the jug I decided to put him back in the tank - I couldn't leave him in the jug indefinitely, I don't have a hospital tank and I didn't know what else to do. I figured he'd been in there for a couple of days and the tank was possibly already infected (even though the tank has been dosed with the meds too) and the only thing I had to lose was the fish. He's been swimming around the tank ever since. He keeps stopping for a few secs but then goes back to swimming. He's eaten a little bit and he doesn't look as swollen. I'm not proclaiming a miraculous recovery - please don't think that I am - what I'm saying is right here, right now, he seems a little better. Maybe it's not dropsy .. maybe it's something else and the meds are working. I just don't know for sure so I'm letting nature take it's course. If I wake tomorrow morning to a dead fish I'll know I did my best. If he recovers and is left a weak fish then that's nature. I just can't bring myself to kill any of my fish any more than I could bring myself to kill my dog.
I guess I care too much
I guess I care too much
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