Dropsy?????

[AngelMax]

Hi

I have just looked at my tank and to my surprise one of my female platys is like a pine cone!!!!!
I have been looking up Dropsy as I think this is what she has...now everywhere I look the info tells me this is fatal unless caught in the reaklly early stages.
Well last night and this morning she looked fine....fat, but no standy out cales...we thought she was pregnant...not ill.
Obviously we were very wrong.
I have put her in the hospital tank and put an aeration stone in there. I do not have a 2nd filter though. Also I read I should turn the heat up but I have just small heater in there and is set at 24/25, which cannot be changed.

Any advise...... Whats causing it? Is it contagious?

P.s water stats were all zero, with a ph of 7.5

 

[WILDER]

Only contagious if another fish picks at the dead body, sorry once the scales stick out that's the last stage of the desease as it's organ failure.

Not he writer of this informaion below.

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.

You can read more about this disease, treatment, and how to prevent it in the future by reading our article: Malawi Bloat.

 

[daddyfish]

I have lost a couple of fish to Dropsy myself, I've also had a couple that have had it and have got it in time and with the right meds have been able to Cure them.

I don't believe in your case it's Dropsy, Because if the Fish had it, It wouldn' have Disappeared Over Night.
Because in the couple I was Lucky enough to be able to Cure, it took 3-5 before I seen any marked improvement...
In most cases if They Get to this advanced Stage, they almost certainly will die, although there are exceptions. And it never hurts to try to save Them.

Your Fish May have been Severely Bloated from Constipation, And or Over Eating, and Worked all through his System that night.

But in any Event I'm GLAD to hear that he seems to have gotten better.

 

[AngelMax]

She died.... poor lil thing was so big she looked like she would burst.

RIP

 

[Ani]

Sorry angelmax, I lost one of my platies to dropsy on Monday

All other fish seem OK in my tank though so hopefully yours will be too (if it was dropsy)

xx

 

[WILDER]

Sorry for your loss, R.I.P.

 

[daddyfish]

SO Sorry to hear of your LOSS Angelmax.

By God's Merciful Grace the others in your tank won't get it as well.

I'll say a Prayer that the others in your tank will be just fine.