the dreaded dropsy

[tttnjfttt]

Today, I went to feed my mom's betta, and I noticed his scales are pinconing. I have no clue how long this has been going on for, as I am no longer living at home, just here for the weekend. I know dropsy is highly lethal, and was wondering if there is anything realistic that I can do.

A little history on this fish: He lives in a cycled 2 gal tank, and until a few months ago, my mom insisted he NEVER needed his water changed and the nitrates were off the chart. Now I try to change his water weekly, but its more like every other week, because I just am not home enough. He has been very over weight for quite a while, as he was fed 8+ pellets a day His tank is also over run by snails, which my mom claims she will thin out, but has been saying that for well over a year.

I don't have time to quickly test his water as i need to get ready for church, but if anything is wrong, i will do a water change when I get home. I also let him fast the past 2 days and fed him peas this AM. While he doesn't look like he is suffering, he isn't swimming that well. The best analogy I can give is a 300 pound person trying to walk.

Any advice?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I would test the water quality for ammonia and nitrites as rotting food and large snail populations will cause water quality issues if not dealt with on a regular basis.
As for the treatment of dropsy, make sure his water quality is sparkling clean at all costs and treat the tank with a watered down dose of "anti internal bacteria" by intepet and/or treat him with melafix, also cut down completely on normal foods and just feed him peas as anything that contains protein will make his condition alot more difficult- if need be, take away the fish food from your mum.
I'd also go and kill as many snails as you can, make sure there aern't any eggs stuck to anything as well.

 

[WILDER]

Once the scales pinecone, that it i'm afraid, last stage of the desease, sorry tttjfttt.

 

[tttnjfttt]

I finally got a chance to check the water, and ammonia and nitrite are both at zero. It looks like the snail population has been decreasing (thankfully). I'm trying to figure out if it is chronic dropsy or acute. The reason I'm leaning towards chronic is this fish has looked bloated and FAT for the past few months.

The next dilemma is that I am heading back home, and I do not trust my mom to medicate a fish, even if it is her own. The other week she promised me she could do a 100% water change in two of my betta's bowls, and 4 days later, i was still fighting with her to do so.

Is there anything I can do? I don't believe she can handle treating with antibiotics, as she is too "busy"

 

[WILDER]

Sadly no i doubt the antibiotic will work, it sounds to late, sorry.

 

[tttnjfttt]

i'm almost tempted to get the fish out of the tank and euthanize it right now, simply because even though he doesn't look like he is suffering right now, I know my mom will not euthanize him later if/when the need arises. then let my grandma break the bad news that he "died last night"

 

[WILDER]

If he's pinconing tttjfttt, you can very rarely fetch them back from that stage as it's organ failure, it's sad but he will only go down hill.

 

[tttnjfttt]

ok i just called my mom, and she will check on him when she gets home tonight. I will leave her clove oil and written out directions so she will be able to euthanize him humanily. Poor guy. Hopefully I can steal her tank or take it away so another one won't have to live in the conditions she has subjected that poor little guy to. At one point, his nitrAte was over 150. If she is too busy for a fish (and the minimum responsibility, then don't own one)

 

[WILDER]

Good god that was high bless him, i no if you can't care properly for a fish as your life to busy, you shouldn't really be keeping them, but it happens and the fish end up suffering, so i no how you feel even though it is your mum.

 

[Flashfire]

I've had a huge outbreak of dropsy, it killed over 10 bettas in two months. From what I've heard they are the most dropsy-prone fish. Sorry to tell you this but I doubt it will survive.

 

[tttnjfttt]

Well, here is a quick update. I made it home last night, and the fish is still alive and swimming. He is still looking like a pine cone, and i'm assuming he is still eating. I'm very confused here. I lost one fish to dropsy a few years ago, and once he began pineconing, it was a very swift decline.

Any ideas?

 

[WILDER]

Hows the fish doing tttjfttt.

 

[tttnjfttt]

I havent talked with my mom today, but as of yesterday, besides the pineconing and akaward swimming (think fat man running), he was active. I'm clueless here.

 

[Flashfire]

I've had bettas that have survived dropsy for five days before dying. Even though they're sick they normaly act normal.