Dropsy In Tank

[ninjafish421]

Tank size: 10 gallon divided tank
pH: 6.5
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 20 ppm
kH: Not sure
gH: Not sure (How do I find out? The test strips I use test nitrate, nitrite, hardness, alkalinity, and ph, and I have an ammonia reader)
tank temp: 82 degress
 
Volume and Frequency of water changes: 25%-60% once every two weeks

Tank inhabitants: Two bettas

Recent additions to your tank: Added some live plants about two days before J got sick. Also fed him frozen bloodworms for the first time...

Fish Symptoms: (Disclaimer: I'm a major novice when it come to fish-keeping.  I honestly didn't know anything until about six months ago when I realized I wasn't doing things right. Wish I had found this forum sooner. My point is I still don't know much and am trying to learn, and really need help.)

Anyways, I had two bettas in a ten-gallon divided tank. I've had one betta (Twinks) for three years, and we recently bought him a flaring buddy (J). We had J for about two months, when he suddenly starting hanging out on the bottom (which was strange, because he was very active before). It all happened so fast: two days ago he was acting lethargic, yesterday his belly was bloated, today he was pineconing, and then he passed away earlier this evening. At first I thought he was just constipated, so I fasted him, but today I realized something was really wrong and quarantined him. He died about three hours after I moved him. Google has led me to believe that this was a case of dropsy.

I feel awful; I really loved J and his little personality... but now my concern is for Twinks. He's an older guy, and was sharing a tank with a peer that just got dropsy. Should I be giving him some sort of antibiotic? Is there anything I can do to keep him from getting this? Is there anything I can do to prevent this in the future? Should I do a 100% water change?

Thanks!

 

[the_lock_man]

Dropsy is a symptom, rather than a disease, and it can be caused by a number of things, some contagious, others not. So, unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to your question. Just as a precaution, I would probably do a large water change, it never does any harm to do that. I wouldn't dose any medications as a precaution, this can be counter-productive.
 
Just as an aside, can I suggest you invest in liquid drop test kits. The API master kit only costs about £20 on Ebay, and that will give you all the tests you need, and some you probably don't. I personally use Salifert tests, as these are known to be a bit more accurate than the API, but even the API ones are far more accurate than paper strips.
 
Also, you'd be better off doing a 30-40% change weekly, than a 60% change fornightly.
 
One last thing, there are a number of forum members who are addicted (and I mean that literally) to photos of bettas, so when you get a new one (assuming you do), please take some photos of him, and post in the Bettas section. It saves them going Cold Turkey. And welcome to the forum!

 

[ninjafish421]

Thanks for the advice and the welcome, the_lock_man! Yeah, I think a big water change is called for here. Twinks won't like it, but he'll benefit in the end. I really hope he doesn't get whatever J got, but I do understand I'll probably just have to wait and hope for the best.

Did not know that the test strips weren't as reliable vs. the liquid ones. I don't think they sell the ones you specified at the store I go to, but I found the API ones on Amazon, and they'll do in a pinch till I have a bit more discretionary income for the better ones. That'll clear things up a bit!

I've read so many contradictary things on water changes (no offense to you, but my head is throughly spun); 30-40% weekly would be easier than the big ones!

I looooove pictures of bettas; pretty sure that's how I found this forum in happier days. Twinks is an... interesting... looking betta. Orangish with blue fluroscent etching on his scales into his fins, with some brown spots on his head.  Adorable, but kinda grouchy looking. I'm sad about bettas right now, but I do want more, and our tank is set up for it. At the very least I'm going to do a big water change, wait for Twinks to get the all-clear, and get some better tests. There is an importer in town and he has BEAUTIFUL bettas... Thanks again!

 

[the_lock_man]

The API ones are perfectly serviceable for the average fishkeeper, it's just I'm a fusspot! THe vast majority of people on here use them. The nitrate bottle #2 needs the bejaysees shaking out of it to make sure you don't get a false negative, and ammonia test can often be a pain to tell the difference betwenn 0ppm and 0.25ppm, but apart from that, they're great.
 
Now, get that camera going, and give those poor betta-junkies their fix.