Rainbow Shark With Dropsy

[tidytourniquet]

My brother just got back from being away from his tank for 5 days, our grandmom has been feeding his fish for him with pre measured food. He noticed his albino rainbow shark has dropsy, he actually just called me a few minutes ago saying it looks like a blowfish. I have had a black moor with dropsy and was actually able to get the swelling down and he was fine for around 6 months and he got dropsy again but that time I wasn't able to save him. So I do have some basic knowledge of treatment but this was a few years ago so I want to double check and his tank it also a lot larger and has other fish, while my goldfish was by himself.

I do a water change in his tank once a month, 50% at a time with a python, I actually just did it 2 weeks ago. He bought a new fish around a month and a half ago which had ich, (didn't see it until it was already added, I know about quarantining but don't usually do it) he treated it with salt and it was only the new fish that had anything visible. I have only done the one water change since the salt was added so there is still salt in there. When I treated my fish I know I used Maracyn but I don't remember if I used 1, 2 or both 1 and 2 and I also had some epsom salt in there. I am already planning on doing another water change before any treatment is started but I would like to know what I should tell him to buy and any other info that will help his fish. I already told him we may not be able to save it.

The last time his tank was tested was I think 2 months ago, it doesn't get tested often since it has been cycled for almost a year.
120 gallon tank
Temp- around 80
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- around 40, out of the tap is usually around 20
Ph - either 7 or 7.5

If any other info is needed just let me know.


Just saw the consult form.


Request Help

Tank size: 120 us gallons
pH:7 or 7.5 don't remember
ammonia:0
nitrite:0
nitrate:40ish
kH:n/a
gH:n/a
tank temp:80

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): bloated with scales sticking out

Volume and Frequency of water changes:50% once a month

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: like water conditioner? I use Prime and the media is what goes with a Rena filstar

Tank inhabitants: not my tank so I'm just trying to remember what he has- 1 albino rainbow shark, 4 silver dollars, 4 clown loaches, I think they are tetra (some are green, I think some are tuxedo and maybe another color), upside down catfish and I think another type of loach

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): 2 clown loaches

Exposure to chemicals:none

Digital photo (include if possible): None now but if needed I can probably get one

 

[WILDER]

Has the whitespot gone.
If you can't do a water change every week I wouldn't leave it more than a fortnight.
All the water results just be done.

Once scales stick out last stage or dropsy organ failure.
Can you issolate the fish as if it dies and the fish peck as his body it can pass onto the other fish,.
All you can do is epson salt baths. You are already using a bacterial med.

 

[tidytourniquet]

Yes the ich is gone and has been gone for at least 2 weeks now. I'm actually not using any meds yet, besides the salt that is still in from the ich. Should I tell my brother to get some, even if it can't help the shark, just incase what ever caused the dropsy is still able to infect the other healthy fish?

 

[WILDER]

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.

 

[tidytourniquet]

My brother and I went out last night and picked up Maracyn 1 and 2. He said if it dies it dies but I know he doesn't want it to. We used to have fish as kids and he just got back into it and this was the first fish he bought for his brand new 120 gallon tank. Since he is still sort of new to fish, I do everything to his tank but feed the fish, we brought the shark over to my house to put it in a quarantine tank and so I can keep an eye on it. I just took a pic of it, it likes to hide and I didn't want to stress it more by making it come out so it isn't very good but you can see the scales sticking out and it looks like he has pop eye but only his left eye. I hope I can save it but I'm not very optimistic

 

[WILDER]

He looks in a very bad way.
It might be kinder to end his misery.
Once fish lay like that on the bottom of the tank they rarely make it.

 

[tidytourniquet]

He actually isn't laying on the bottom, he is about 1-1 1/2 inches above the bottom. When he was in my brothers tank last night he wasn't near the bottom at all but in the quarantine tank the only place for him to hide is under that fake rock thingy so he is hovering just under it. Since he isn't my fish I can't just euthanize him without talking it over with my brother and he has only been medicated for around 18 hours now so I would like to at least give it a chance to work.

 

[WILDER]

Sorry I thought he was on the bottom of the tank near the pot.
Is that a fish then or I need my eyes testing lol.

 

[tidytourniquet]

LOL, yeah it's a fish next to a heater and an ugly fake rock with an even uglier fake plant attached to it. It's all I could find in a hurry last night while I was setting up the tank. The picture was taken from above the tank to see how swollen he is and it was the only angle that I could actually see him. The last time I checked on him, a hour or so ago, he was starting to come out of hiding. From what I could see it looked like his eye wasn't sticking out as much but it could just be wishful thinking since he still looked just as swollen. I'll try and get a better picture.

 

[WILDER]

Is that a red tailed shark with raggy tail fins.

 

[tidytourniquet]

It's an albino rainbow shark and yes the fins look a little ragged. I have no idea how long they have been like that, I just though maybe the other fish in the tank were picking on him since he became sick. Oh and the fish I thought were tetras are barbs.

I did take 2 more pics. In the first one it looks like the swelling may have went down a little but it could just be the pic. In the second one you can see his fins better and what looks like a little discoloration of the gill. Sorry the glass is so dirty.

 

[WILDER]

Are scales sticking out.
Are you sure the shark just not constipated.
What do you feed the fish.
What does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.


If scales are sticking out all you can do is keep going with the med.
He dosn't look very bloated.

 

[tidytourniquet]

Yes his scales are sticking out, that is the whole point of making this thread....

He could be constipated. I haven't seen any poop since he has been at my house and he also hasn't eaten since he has been here. I did try feeding him yesterday though, he just didn't seem interested. I can try feeding him some peas and hope that he eats them. I don't think, even if he is constipated, that's what is making his scales sticking out since he also has pop eye.

 

[WILDER]

Just wanted to check with you that's all if scales were sticking out.
As he dosn't look bloated to me.
Popeye closely related to dropsy because of the build up of fluids.
How is the shark any improvement.


Take a look here.

http/www.fishjunkies.com/Diseases/dropsy.php

 

[tidytourniquet]

I hope this picture is a little more clearer so you can see the scales sticking out. It also looks like both eyes have pop eyed out instead of just the one.