Betta w/ Dropsy

[winddancir]

Oh, No!!! I've lost one, and thought that everything was contained, but now a second one has come down with it. Does anyone know of what might help? I know there is a small chance that anything I can do will help him, but if there is anything....

[Gill Passman]

"winddancir" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> Oh, No!!! I've lost one, and thought that everything was contained, but
> now a second one has come down with it. Does anyone know of what might
> help? I know there is a small chance that anything I can do will help
> him, but if there is anything....
>
>
> --
> winddancir

I'm very sorry for your loss :-(

When I lost one of mine under similar circumstances I had no clue and most
on this ng put it down to diet - since then my new one only gets a high
protein diet with ocassional peas - what do you feed them?

Gill

[Daniel Morrow]

"winddancir" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> Oh, No!!! I've lost one, and thought that everything was contained, but
> now a second one has come down with it. Does anyone know of what might
> help? I know there is a small chance that anything I can do will help
> him, but if there is anything....
>
>
> --
> winddancir

Freshwater maracyn can cure it apparently, it's by mardel. There are other
medications I am quite sure. I know it's kind of frankensteinish to use
those medications but hey - if it saves the fishes' life then it is worth
it. Good luck and later!

[Elaine T]

Daniel Morrow wrote:
> "winddancir" > wrote in message
> . ..
>
>>Oh, No!!! I've lost one, and thought that everything was contained, but
>>now a second one has come down with it. Does anyone know of what might
>>help? I know there is a small chance that anything I can do will help
>>him, but if there is anything....
>>
>>
>>--
>>winddancir
>
>
> Freshwater maracyn can cure it apparently, it's by mardel. There are other
> medications I am quite sure. I know it's kind of frankensteinish to use
> those medications but hey - if it saves the fishes' life then it is worth
> it. Good luck and later!
>
>
Maracyn (erythromycin) didn't save mine that died last month - he
stopped eating and finally died with "dropsy". I actually meant to buy
Maracyn 2 but grabbed the wrong package and didn't realize until I got
home so I tried it. Heck - who knows what antibiotic to use without a
culture and resistance tests?

If he's still eating and will accept flakes, go with Jungle's
antibacterial food. Otherwise, I'd try Maracyn 2 (what I meant to use)
or kanamycin in the water, but don't hold your breath. Dropsy sucks
because you're usually trying to treat an internal problem in a very
sich fish with external medicine. Not an optimal way to go. Once
you're done treating, be sure to disinfect any hospital tank that's had
antibiotics in the water to avoid growing resistant bacteria.

I wonder why bettas kept in normal aquarium conditions (rather than an
unheated, unfiltered bowl) are still somewhat fragile? Inbreeding,
perhaps? My fish that died was a pet store veil tail, while the healthy
one is a retired delta tail show fish from a local breeder.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Lisa]

Good question, Elaine, and a good point. My big failure in Aquaria is
that I had 5 (out of 5!) dwarf gouramis (flame variety) die of dropsy,
despite rigorous treatment on my part for some (and just "wait and see"
approach on others). It made absolutely no difference in the outcome,
but I am still glad that I *tried*, at least. I had 3 silvery females -
from one LFS - and 2 gorgeous Flame Gourami males (from a different
LFS), and they all swelled up and died, one by one, over a 2-month
period. One week they would be spawning, and the next week they were
swelling and dying. No other fish were ever affected by this condition,
yet all were fed the same diet (except the 3 sick fish I tried to save
with medicated food).

At the time, I put it down to overseas breeding and transport stress. I
have heard and read that DGs are fragile fish, which is a shame because
they seem so hardy when you see them. My other (Gold)
Gouramis/Anglefish/Cardinal Tetras/Corys/Otos are all doing well after
6 months. What happened with my Dwarf Gouramis???? Diet? Bad stock?
Bad water conditions? I wish I knew!Argggh. Frustration!

- Lisa in Central Coast, CA

[NetMax]

"Lisa" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Good question, Elaine, and a good point. My big failure in Aquaria is
> that I had 5 (out of 5!) dwarf gouramis (flame variety) die of dropsy,
> despite rigorous treatment on my part for some (and just "wait and see"
> approach on others). It made absolutely no difference in the outcome,
> but I am still glad that I *tried*, at least. I had 3 silvery females -
> from one LFS - and 2 gorgeous Flame Gourami males (from a different
> LFS), and they all swelled up and died, one by one, over a 2-month
> period. One week they would be spawning, and the next week they were
> swelling and dying. No other fish were ever affected by this condition,
> yet all were fed the same diet (except the 3 sick fish I tried to save
> with medicated food).
>
> At the time, I put it down to overseas breeding and transport stress. I
> have heard and read that DGs are fragile fish, which is a shame because
> they seem so hardy when you see them. My other (Gold)
> Gouramis/Anglefish/Cardinal Tetras/Corys/Otos are all doing well after
> 6 months. What happened with my Dwarf Gouramis???? Diet? Bad stock?
> Bad water conditions? I wish I knew!Argggh. Frustration!
>
> - Lisa in Central Coast, CA


Dwarf gouramis are extensively engineered, first with hormones (as they
don't want females) and then by selective inbreeding to achieve the
flame, coral, blue, sunset etc varieties of the same fish (Colisa lalia I
think).
--
www.NetMax.tk

[winddancir]

If he's still eating and will accept flakes, go with Jungle's
antibacterial food. Otherwise, I'd try Maracyn 2 (what I meant to use)
or kanamycin in the water, but don't hold your breath. Dropsy sucks
because you're usually trying to treat an internal problem in a very
sich fish with external medicine. Not an optimal way to go. Once
you're done treating, be sure to disinfect any hospital tank that's had
antibiotics in the water to avoid growing resistant bacteria.
--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com
I'll stop by a store and see if they havw kanamycin. It's pretty early stages, but advancing no matter what I do. He's normally dark pink, but he looks pale lavander right now. And the scales are just beginning to pinecone. No bloating, yet. He's eating well. I give them all frozen bloodworms and frozen brine shrimp.

What makes it worse, is when I tried to breed him, they both ate all the eggs. So I don't have any fry from him......

[winddancir]

I haven't gotten the Maracyn 2, but I do have Maracyn 1. On the 20th, when I got home, Blaze was huddled by the heater. I did a partial water change with some Maracyn 1. I've been doing half changes every other day. I''ve still been feeding him, but less than I usually do, so that it digests quickly, instead of staying in his stomach and getting what ever is infecting him in it.
Good news! The pinecone effect has gone away with 2 water changes, and last night, Thursday, his color was just starting to come back! I'm still not sure if he's going to make it, but his chances are getting better.