OP
OP
Worried.
- Thread starter jenis
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*Fishkies*
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Sadly those latest pictures show his scales sticking out.... which means he has dropsy, however it may just be accute dropsy, which is when it shows up quickly...
Take a look through the link below, they give some treatment ideas, however most fish do not recover from dropsy...
Bettas and Dropsy
Take a look through the link below, they give some treatment ideas, however most fish do not recover from dropsy...
Bettas and Dropsy
Leedsboi86
Fish Addict
Anti-Internal Bacteria treatment or Interpet #9
I have just lost a Betta to it, All you can do is try but the chances are slim >., it's a nasty disease.
Mine died very peacefuly tho he just went to bottom and that was it so it seems to be a painless death.
Very sorry and I really do hope he pulls through.
If his scales only just raised ur chances are better then normal.
Just keep him in dark and stressfree area.
Best of luck!
I have just lost a Betta to it, All you can do is try but the chances are slim >., it's a nasty disease.
Mine died very peacefuly tho he just went to bottom and that was it so it seems to be a painless death.
Very sorry and I really do hope he pulls through.
If his scales only just raised ur chances are better then normal.
Just keep him in dark and stressfree area.
Best of luck!
devon_charm
Fish Herder
No worries i know what its like when the lil guys get ill. I have never had a betta with dropsy befor so i'm not sure on what to get.
Ok so i Googled it and this is what i found i really hope it helps some - sorry its a bit long
dropsy is generally a symptom of something else, sometimes digestive, often kidney related. Because of this, Dropsy can often be very difficult to treat, especially if caught in an advanced case in the fish. What the aquarist often observes is a “pinecone†swelling generally caused by fluid building inside the body cavity, for this reason, reducing this swelling is an important step in effecting a cure. This said, besides treatment for a possible underlying infection, you want to take steps to remove the swelling.
Here are the steps I would take:
*Change water! (25% should be fine)
*Perform a medicated bath with Methylene Blue. To prepare this bath I use 1 teaspoon 2.303% solution per 5 gallons (double dose) in a bath of aquarium water from the tank the fish you wish to treat came from, I usually use about a ½ gallon of water, however you may use less. Measurement of the Methylene Blue does not need to be precise as this bath should be used for about 30 minutes (although do NOT overdose). Make sure you keep the water in a warm area, as in a cold room the water temperature can drop rapidly which would stress the fish. Do not pour this water back into your display aquarium when finished. This can be performed twice per day.
*Add one tablespoon of regular salt (sodium chloride) per 5 gallons of tank water and ¼ to ½ teaspoon of Epsom salts per 5 gallons of tank water. Add a Wonder Shell or similar product to add needed calcium. What these minerals will do is add electrolytes and change (and improve) the osmotic balance of the fish vs. the surrounding water to hopefully pull fluids thru the body thus reducing swelling.
Prevention:
The aeromonas bacteria (that is often present in healthy aquariums) can cause infections that will manifest this way in poor water conditions. So maintaining a healthy aquarium with regular water changes, good filtration (if possible, this is why I see more cases of Dropsy in Betta kept in a bowl), good feeding practices (not over feeding and using quality foods), and maintaining proper water parameters (ammonia and nitrites 0, kH 80 ppm, nitrates under 40 ppm). All this goes a long way in prevention of Dropsy and other diseases.
A proper diet makes a large difference here. Do not feed your fish meat based proteins, I recommend aquatic based proteins such as white fish meal, shrimp or even the proteins found in spirulina algae.
As a basic diet I recommend Sanyu or Hikari Betta Gold (there are many other quality foods as well, although I do not recommend flake foods for bettas as their staple diet) Poor quality proteins (or better; unusable amino acids for fish) can lead to digestive problems or Renal failure, which can lead to the symptoms of Dropsy. All proteins are made up of amino acids, some are usable (by fish), and some are not. Those that are not are disposed of by kidneys in the fish. This can lead to renal failure or infection. For more information about proper nutrition, see this article: "Quality Fish Food; What ingredients are needed for proper fish nutrition, growth and health". Also always soak all dry foods in water for 5 minutes prior to feeding as this will remove air that can lead to infections of the digestive tract. I would recommend this as a basic diet for your Betta: Sanyu Betta Gold
Ok so i Googled it and this is what i found i really hope it helps some - sorry its a bit long
dropsy is generally a symptom of something else, sometimes digestive, often kidney related. Because of this, Dropsy can often be very difficult to treat, especially if caught in an advanced case in the fish. What the aquarist often observes is a “pinecone†swelling generally caused by fluid building inside the body cavity, for this reason, reducing this swelling is an important step in effecting a cure. This said, besides treatment for a possible underlying infection, you want to take steps to remove the swelling.
Here are the steps I would take:
*Change water! (25% should be fine)
*Perform a medicated bath with Methylene Blue. To prepare this bath I use 1 teaspoon 2.303% solution per 5 gallons (double dose) in a bath of aquarium water from the tank the fish you wish to treat came from, I usually use about a ½ gallon of water, however you may use less. Measurement of the Methylene Blue does not need to be precise as this bath should be used for about 30 minutes (although do NOT overdose). Make sure you keep the water in a warm area, as in a cold room the water temperature can drop rapidly which would stress the fish. Do not pour this water back into your display aquarium when finished. This can be performed twice per day.
*Add one tablespoon of regular salt (sodium chloride) per 5 gallons of tank water and ¼ to ½ teaspoon of Epsom salts per 5 gallons of tank water. Add a Wonder Shell or similar product to add needed calcium. What these minerals will do is add electrolytes and change (and improve) the osmotic balance of the fish vs. the surrounding water to hopefully pull fluids thru the body thus reducing swelling.
Prevention:
The aeromonas bacteria (that is often present in healthy aquariums) can cause infections that will manifest this way in poor water conditions. So maintaining a healthy aquarium with regular water changes, good filtration (if possible, this is why I see more cases of Dropsy in Betta kept in a bowl), good feeding practices (not over feeding and using quality foods), and maintaining proper water parameters (ammonia and nitrites 0, kH 80 ppm, nitrates under 40 ppm). All this goes a long way in prevention of Dropsy and other diseases.
A proper diet makes a large difference here. Do not feed your fish meat based proteins, I recommend aquatic based proteins such as white fish meal, shrimp or even the proteins found in spirulina algae.
As a basic diet I recommend Sanyu or Hikari Betta Gold (there are many other quality foods as well, although I do not recommend flake foods for bettas as their staple diet) Poor quality proteins (or better; unusable amino acids for fish) can lead to digestive problems or Renal failure, which can lead to the symptoms of Dropsy. All proteins are made up of amino acids, some are usable (by fish), and some are not. Those that are not are disposed of by kidneys in the fish. This can lead to renal failure or infection. For more information about proper nutrition, see this article: "Quality Fish Food; What ingredients are needed for proper fish nutrition, growth and health". Also always soak all dry foods in water for 5 minutes prior to feeding as this will remove air that can lead to infections of the digestive tract. I would recommend this as a basic diet for your Betta: Sanyu Betta Gold
Leedsboi86
Fish Addict
Forgot to add
If you can get him to eat give him high protien stuff like Shrimp and Blood Worm!
anything to give him a boost.
If you can get him to eat give him high protien stuff like Shrimp and Blood Worm!
anything to give him a boost.
Jaded12
The Betta Bug Has Bitten... Resistence Is Futile
unfortunatly 9 times outta 10 dropsy is caused by kidney failure which releases fluids into the abdomen which is what causes the abdomen to swell to the point that the scales stick out. you can try an epsom salt bath to draw out some of the fluids and toxins out of his system unfortunatly his chances aren't very good I'm afraid...
OP
OP
jenis
Fish Fanatic
I feel helpless, I live 45 mins away from the closest pet store and no trnasportation to get there.
I'm not even sure I can get there on the weekend, if i'm lucky i'll be going to Maine and I can go to the Wal-Mart.
Today is the first day that his scales have stuck out, but this is day 3 or 4 of him being bloated.
I read that Epsom salt can be used also, but in addition to the treatment. That's about all I can get right now.
I'm so upset.
Thanks very much for all your help.
I'll let you know how he makes out.
xx Jen
I'm not even sure I can get there on the weekend, if i'm lucky i'll be going to Maine and I can go to the Wal-Mart.
Today is the first day that his scales have stuck out, but this is day 3 or 4 of him being bloated.
I read that Epsom salt can be used also, but in addition to the treatment. That's about all I can get right now.
I'm so upset.
Thanks very much for all your help.
I'll let you know how he makes out.
xx Jen
devon_charm
Fish Herder
Awwwww hun we're all wishin you the best of luck, i know its hard but try to stay positive as i said before it has been beaten by others so there is always hope
OP
OP
jenis
Fish Fanatic
Okay, so I dug around and found some really old epsom salt in a can.
I'm not sure if it is still good.. any epsom salt experts out there?
I'm going to post a picture of his bowl so you can see the size and maybe someone can tell me how much to put in his water.. that is if it's still okay to use.
Thanks.
I'm not sure if it is still good.. any epsom salt experts out there?
I'm going to post a picture of his bowl so you can see the size and maybe someone can tell me how much to put in his water.. that is if it's still okay to use.
Thanks.
OP
OP
jenis
Fish Fanatic
Anyone? I don't want to add too much and harm him and I don't want to wait too long.
Thanks.
Jaded12
The Betta Bug Has Bitten... Resistence Is Futile
I believe the ratio is 1 tsp per gallon for medication purposes and 1 tablespoon per gallon for a salt bath, but I would nt recommend a salt bath as they can be tricky and can kill your fish if not done properly. Any idea of the size of ur tank, looks like about a 1/2 gallon to me but I could be wrong.
OP
OP
jenis
Fish Fanatic
I'd say it was about a half gallon.
OP
OP
jenis
Fish Fanatic
Good news! Going to the pet store today!
I hope I can find what I need, thanks for all your help!
I hope I can find what I need, thanks for all your help!
devon_charm
Fish Herder
How is he today hun?
OP
OP
jenis
Fish Fanatic
Heya, thanks for asking!
He's still bolated, doen't seem to have gotten any worse.. but I wouldn't say it was any better either.
He's still happy, active and eating! So that's good!
I'm giving him his treatment daily.
I'll let you know how he makes out!
Thanks agian!
<3!
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