dropsy :(

[ickyfishywishy]

ok,,,, is it just my tank or does dropsy effect Platies and guppies more than any other fish? all my guppies got dropsy one at a time and i had to put them down they actualy looked like they were in pain so i read of a humane way to put them down so what do u guys think? has any1 had anything like that? i mean does it realy effect them more than other fish? and is there a medication that actualy takes it away? i tried some but the dropsy eventualy comes back and the fish goes thru realy excrutiating (spelling?) pain and i just hate watching them like that now my one guppy and platy have dropsy and im thinking of putting them down too so does any1 know a good cure for it? thanx all

[amanichen]

ickyfishywishy said:

ok,,,, is it just my tank or does dropsy effect Platies and guppies more than any other fish?

Not necessarily, but someone will probably come along and provide anecdotal evidence that says otherwise.

and is there a medication that actualy takes it away?

Any treatments for "dropsy" usually focus on a combination of antibiotics and anti-swelling chemicals (salt.) This gives the fish breathing room so it can recover on its own. Note that the bloated abdominal region and raised scales indicate that there is internal organ swelling, and this is what dropsy actually is. Dropsy can be caused by bacteria, parasites or organ failure.

In the case it's bacterial (probably the most common cause), it's not contagious per say, but rather since the fish live in the same water and eat the same food they were exposed at the same time, and were stressed at the same time.

I'd check your water quality as soon as you see any problems in your fish. A water test is cheap and fast and can help you eliminate problems before you go to medicate.

i tried some but the dropsy eventualy comes back and the fish goes thru realy excrutiating (spelling?) pain and i just hate watching them like that now my one guppy and platy have dropsy and im thinking of putting them down too so does any1 know a good cure for it? thanx all

Try a combination of epsom salt and maracyn II (or medicated food.)

By the time you see severe swelling, the fish may have had permanent damage done to its internal organs. You can draw the fluid out of its swollen organs, and kill the bacteria in it but if its organs are damaged it's going to die.

[ickyfishywishy]

thanx for that info, i didnt know about the salt thingy, but the problem is i dont notice it untill i see raised scales, cuz my platy allways has so many eggs in her sometimes i cant tell between bloating and dropsy :S unfortunatly today my poor platy passed away i couldt look at her with all that swelling much longer, she would just lay on the bottom of the tank barely breatheing it was too painful to watch, is it bad i had to put her out of her missery or is there a better sollution

[amanichen]

ickyfishywishy said:

it was too painful to watch, is it bad i had to put her out of her missery or is there a better sollution

Well there's no telling how much damage has been done. It's your call whether to euthanize it or not.

If you need information on ways to euthanize a fish then send me a PM. I'm not going to open up that discussion here because there are too many uninformed and nutty people who pop up in those types of discussions.