Please don't let it be dropsy, please don't...

I have another betta (also bought at that mass fish market) that hasn't eatin in about a week. Annnd I am pretty sure he's going to get dropsy.... Two days ago I bought Furan-2 by Aquarium Pharamceuticals (if I catch it in time maybe I can save him) and I'm giving him that.

Yesterday I was looking at him and he looked sorta bloated but today man he looks bigger than yesterday. *sigh* I have him in this long 1.5 gallon "fancy tank" with a 5 w heater (i know it's a no no but otherwise he'd freeze at night cause the big room heater is furthest away from him) and I've been really really really careful monitoring it (never goes above 80) . The weird thing though is that he's building these little bubblenests... unles it's normal for sick fish to emit lots of bubbles. He hangs out by the heater and just stays floating at the top.

Here are a couple of pics:

Ok I just got back from taking pics and his upper half is pine coning.... aaaarrrrgghhh not again!!!!

Here he is hanging out by the heater and with his bubbles... see how bloated his head is??

And here you can pine coning where on his upper half... oh honestly I get the goosebumps everytime I see pine coning.. honeslty I don't know why, it freaks me out

It seems all the fishes I got there (except one thank God!) has turned into "give your betta a comfortable last week"

I'm going to keep treating with this furan-2 stuff... let's see what happens...

I'm so sorry about your fish...I know you've been having some troubles lately It looks like a really horrible disease...

I get goosebumps too when I see the pine coning It's very creepy looking

I really hope he gets better

Hi Turbotiber,

I was wondering if this is the first time that you have a betta suffering from Dropsy. If the answer is no, it is possible that the disease originated from an earlier fish, especially if the disease had occurred recently.

Dropsy is very contagious. The scales protrude noticeably because of the accumulated liquid in the body cavities of the infected fish. The fluid from the infected fish will contaminate the tank and infect others later. The spread of the disease can also be caused by shared equipment (e.g. suction tubing, betta scoop / fish net, etc.).

After losing a fish from Dropsy or any other disease, it's always good to sanitize the tank and equipment with Chlorox. This would properly eradicate the germs and eliminate the problem of them returning. However, not everything can be soaked in Chlorox (e.g. rocks, pebbles, gravel, etc.). So items like rocks, pebbles and gravel should be baked.

Faith Granger's article on "How to sanitize a jar or tank that hosted a sick betta" has some useful advice on disinfection.

awww.. i'm sorry to hear that your betta has dropsy!! seems like you are having some bad luck with your bettas. hopefully, everything will turn out well in the end. i wish your sick betta all the best and hope that he will recover!! crossing my fingers...

If the furan does not help, and you go through this again, trying putting 1 tsp of epsom salts in a beanie, or container with that amount of water in it. Re-apply the epsoms salts in clean water and keep the betta in it until it is cured. RP told me about this treatment. I'm just saying IF the other treatment does not work, try this the next time you encounter it.

Yep he has passed on to that great big rice paddie in the sky Saw him this morning and he was head down dead in the gravel but I think it was better because he sure did look awful looked a lot more bloated than yesterday, poor little guy

D Chia thanks a bunch for the link! Wow, I didn't know how to sanatize the gravel, I was just goign to soak it in regular tap water hoping it would ok

If it happens again I'll try the epsom salt bath (that's not the same as aquarium salt right?)... but I really really really hope it doesnt happen again

Thanks to everyone else who kept this lil guy in mind and for all the good wishes

RIP Posa

D Chia, one more question, when does dropsy start to get contagious?

THis betta was in a slightly smaller tank for 1 week. He stopped eating about the 4th day I got him. Then I changed him over to another tank and it wasn't until 4 days later that he started pine coning. It's something like this

Sunday - smaller tank
Thurday stopped eating
Sunday - bigger tank with small heater
Thrusday - pine coning

My question.. will the things in the first tank be infected already? Or does stuff become infected when he bloats and pine cones? Because if it's contagious from before that time... I'm in trouble because I used gravel (rinsed in hot tap water) in another bowl.....

If anyone else knows something.. please tell me!!

turbotiber said:

If it happens again I'll try the epsom salt bath (that's not the same as aquarium salt right?)... but I really really really hope it doesnt happen again 

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Turbotiber,

Dropsy is caused by internal bacteria (e.g. Aeromones hydrophilia, Pseudomenas florescens). Whenever any of my fish shows signs of illness, I would first medicate it with Methylene Blue, a traditional aquarium treatment used to treat a variety of fish diseases.

When signs of internal bacterial infection start to appear (i.e. Methylene Blue didn't work), I would then switch to anti internal bacterial medications like the following two products.

1) Interpet® Aquarium Treatment No. 9 - Anti Internal Bacteria
2) Ocean Free® Super Internal Bacteria & Ulcer Away

The signs of internal bacterial infection varies, depending on the acuteness of the disease. In some cases, the fish will just darken in colour, become listless and die. In others, there will be manifestations like pineconing (dropsy), eye swelling (pop eye), eventual destruction of the central nervous system and then the fish dies.

The contributing factors for internal bacterial infection include poor water quality that stresses the fish, making them susceptable to infection. Fin / body damage will also give the bacteria a site or opportunity to start infecting.

To help keep my fish in good health and to help them recover more rapidly, I use either Stress Coat® or Armour Coat®. These water conditioners contain Aloe Vera and colloids to form a protective coating on the fish and promote healing of the mucous membranes, making them more resistant to infections.

Edited: Links to medications.

turbotiber said:

D Chia, one more question, when does dropsy start to get contagious?

Click to expand...

There is a high possibility of disease outbreak because Dropsy is Very Contagious and we shouldn't be taking any chances.

Disinfect any suspicious tank and watch your other bettas for the signs in order to medicate them accordingly.

This is indeed Germ Warfare and I would like to quote Sun Tze who once taught:

"If you know your enemy as well as you know yourself, you will win a hundred battles."

Captain Turbotiber, you are in command. Watch for the enemy and shoot if you have to.

Oooh thank you very much for the info and the tips!! I think I'll go put a little Meth Blue as a preventative in his tank cause he's the only who hasn't eaten since I got him (Sunday) I hope that gravel isn't infected... should I change it and oven that one?? I already ovened the other one... ooh dear I hope I didn't do anthing stupid

Methylene Blue works very well as a disease preventive.

"Remember!! Better prevent than try to cure!!!"   - Faith Granger

Here're some tips from Faith Granger's Betta Talk on preventive healthcare for bettas. I particularly like the bit about "Wash your hands!!". She made the whole thing sound so very clinical and I started imagining myself wearing mask and latex gloves. Anyway, these are useful advices.

1. Always QUARANTINE new bettas you are bringing home.

2. Always keep your betta’s water clean.

3. Avoid abrupt changes of water conditions. Replace old jar water with newly prepared water with same provenance, temperature, pH, etc...

4. Always add aquarium salt to your water.

5. Don’t overcrowd your bettas.

6. Don’t overfeed and especially don’t let uneaten food rot in his tank/jar.

7. Any dead fish should be immediately removed.

8. Any sick fish should be immediately isolated and treated.

9. Wash your hands!! Don’t spread infections around!!

10. Disinfect sick betta’s jars, tanks, filters, fish nets etc…

11. Don’t play God and terminate sick bettas, they often recover!! How would you have felt if your mother had shot you in the head the first time you had the flu? Yop, a little compassion has never killed anyone! Bettas are living beings and they should be treated with the utmost respect.

12. Stock the following medications and products to be ready to fight a possible future outbreak in your fishroom: Aquarium salt, aquarisol, Maroxy, Methylene Blue, tetracyclin, Neosulfex, Clout, Bettamax etc…

Thanks!!