# Betta DROPSY. Time to end his suffering?



## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Bad week of aquarium related issues for me. New ember tetra dead, flushed filter down toilet and now Betta issues.

For the past 4 days one of my Bettas has stopped eating and sits on the bottom of the tank all day. I've had him for a month and he was energetic and curious up until this week.

Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite are normal levels and PH is 6.6. 

Weekly 25 - 40% water change.

He lives in a Fluval Spec (2 gallons) and has never had a issue with the current, but now I'm wondering...
Tank is planted with anubias and staurogyne repens with some driftwood. No new plant additions.

He doesn't react to me anymore, but will flare to a mirror. 

Looks normal, scales are good, but he is white so I can't really see if his colouring is off. 

Stomach doesn't look bloated.

Diet of hikari micro pellets and ocean nutrition pellets.

Any ideas? Stumped.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

hi, Atom, I hope that your betta perks up soon. 

If he's a long-finned betta rather than a plakat, I'd recommend turning off the Spec's filter until he perks up. Even if the current is not the actual cause of the problem, it might be annoying to a betta who is in siesta mode, like your guy. 

Hikari pellets are good. I don't know the other kind. If you have any frozen bloodworms on hand, 1 or 2 thawed bloodworms every day or two might be good. That really brought back my betta's appetite when he wasn't eating, and now he eats everything.

I think bettas are a little prone to finrot and to fungus. You'll probably start to notice if the ends of his fins are frayed. I don't know how to tell if a white betta has fungus! (It's usually a grayish patch on their heads or back.) 

Maybe cutting back on food for a couple of days will make him happier to see you? Could it be that he's perfectly fine but taking you for granted?


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## Arcteryx (Nov 23, 2011)

Sorry to hear your week hasn't been going well... hope things pick up and that your betta shakes out of it. Good luck!


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

I've had several bettas in the past but never one that refused food and changed behavior like this without an obvious sign of disease like dropsy or swim bladder issues. I can't see anything physically wrong with him though it is hard with him being all white. Perhaps it's parasitic? 

He swims fine when he does leave the bottom, but he is definitely lethargic and disinterested lately.

I think I will turn off the filter and see if that is causing him stress. He isn't a long fin but he isn't a perfect short fin plakat either. I have noticed his fins are slightly longer than when I first got him so maybe this has affected him.

I will wait and see. Thanks everyone.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Good luck, Atom.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Checked on him this morning and noticed some of the scales on his back is just slightly raised. I'm fearing it's early signs of dropsy. His stomach does look slightly bloated even though he has not fed in 5 days now. I'm afraid he has an internal blockage that is causing a build up of fluids in his body. I would feed him peas, but he wont eat. 

So far added a bit of salt and tetracycline in case it's something bacterial and did a big water change. He doesn't like the meds and is definitely looking sad.

Other suggestions welcome. I'm not entirely sure if it's dropsy at this point, but that's my guess.


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## Arcteryx (Nov 23, 2011)

I know how you feel - hope it all works out Atom. Hang in there.


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Can't really help with anything that you are not doing already. Just sending support and hope he will get better.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Are you adding buffers for him? Sitting on the bottom could be a GH issue.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

You're doing all the right things. Dropsy is the nemesis of every betta and betta owner. Hope it's something that responds to the tetracyline.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Rastapus, I'm not adding any additional GH. What do you recommend?


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi Atom,
Rastapus might not see this so I'll jump in with my opinion (as always, lol). In a planted tank, you can use Seachem Equilibrium to raise the gH a bit. There are also other products.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Thanks Morainy.

It's definitely dropsy! Since this morning he has barely moved and is now more pineconey. I don't know what to do for him.


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Poor thing  Keeping my fingers crossed.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Dang! For some reason, fancy bettas are prone to this condition.

I may be wrong, but I think that once he's pineconing, he is in his last days. I don't think you can do a lot for him except keep the water clean, keep the filter off to save his strength, and if you think that the medicine you have is helping him, keep trying that unless it seems to be bothering him. Bettas like to come up for air, so if he's very exhausted he may feel safer in shallow water or resting on something near the surface. I'd keep the lights dim -- not to cure him, but for his comfort.

I hope that it turns out to be just a bad case of gas! Is he in your Eheim Aquastyle?



Atom said:


> Thanks Morainy.
> 
> It's definitely dropsy! Since this morning he has barely moved and is now more pineconey. I don't know what to do for him.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Dropsy is very common with a low GH, I would try some Equilibrim as suggested but check your levels first.


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## Athomedad (Oct 8, 2011)

I just had a tetra 'pinecone' and I treated him with Melafix & paraguard. After 2 days his stomach returned to normal. 

Dropsy is just a symptom of an illness so knowing the exact cause of it is difficult. 

Good luck.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I just had a thought (but remember, I'm not a fish doctor, so take my thoughts with a grain of chocolate). Recently, you had an ember tetra with a hole in his side. Some bacterial infections that cause symptoms like that can also cause dropsy (aeromonas, for example). Is it possible that your betta was accidentally exposed? If so, treating that disease (gram negative) might help the betta.

I got my information from here: Aeromonas, Vibrio, Septicemia, Pop Eye: Treatment & aquarium diagnosis of.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Morainy, he is in my Spec. I've kept the lights low and the filter off to make him more comfortable. He hasn't gotten better. I wonder if I should do the humane thing or wait and see.

Hmm...I did get the ember around the same time he stopped eating, but I don't recall any cross contamination with equipment or water, but it's possible I assume. Bummer. The other embers are fine, but it's possible my betta was stressed and more susceptible. Great article, but I shouldn't have eaten before hand.

I'll pick up some equilibrium tomorrow. What is the difference between equilibrium and the fluval shrimp mineral supplement?

Thanks everyone.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

His pineconing is worst today. Doesn't seem to be getting better. I hate dropsy. You never know what the cause is that makes it occur. I'm thinking it's something internal like a tumor or kidney failure.

I think it may be more humane to end his suffering. Poor fella. Unless someone has any other solutions/meds they can recommend?

Thanks everyone for the concern and advice.


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

The only time I've seen dropsy was with a betta somebody gave to me to take care of. She was with a big belly and I had it for about 6 months before she developed dropsy. Sadly I could not help it and had to freeze her  It was too painful to see her suffering. Sorry for saying that  I was hoping yours could make it as I know some does... So sorry.


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## Arcteryx (Nov 23, 2011)

If the end is inevitable, yeah. I hated to do it to mine and I felt like crap but it was less selfish. I feel for you man... good luck.

-


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

If you do need to euthanize, use clove oil. It's an anesthetic and will put them to sleep. You can get it at London Drugs or most pharmacies in the essential oils section. Much kinder than freezing.

Betta Euthanasia - How To - Tropical Fish Forums

I hope the little guy pulls through and I'm sorry you have to deal with this.


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Thanks, Elle, good to know if needed


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Thanks Elle and everyone who responded. Sadly he passed before I could put him to sleep a few days ago. Hoping he didn't suffer too much. He developed a red lesion on his side before he died. 

Any suggestions for treating the tank? I know dropsy isn't contagious, but what might have caused it could be. 

Thanks. everyone.


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

So sorry to read that, but I guess it was impossible to do anything in the situation.

As for the tank, if it is not too much stuff and you could bleach it, I think it should be enough. It is a small tank probably?


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## Arcteryx (Nov 23, 2011)

Atom said:


> Thanks Elle and everyone who responded. Sadly he passed before I could put him to sleep a few days ago. Hoping he didn't suffer too much. He developed a red lesion on his side before he died.
> 
> Any suggestions for treating the tank? I know dropsy isn't contagious, but what might have caused it could be.
> 
> Thanks. everyone.


Ah, sorry to hear the sad news bub. Hang in there eh.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Is this the Eheim with the Fluval substrate? (Or ADA, I'm not sure). I don't know how you can sterilize that. 

I'd probably remove the substrate, bleach and double rinse the tank, boil the driftwood and rock briefly. If the substrate could handle it, I'd pour boiling water over it before removing it from the tank, let it sit for a few minutes. (By mixing boiling water with the cold substrate, I'd hope that it wasn't hot enough to crack the tank, but I am not sure.) But the substrate might dissolve, for all I know. I've never tried that with the Fluval shrimp stratum. I tried it with gravel, though, and so I learned this tip: remove your snail first, if you have one! (Mine survived, no thanks to me.)

If it's gravel, then it's easy. I'd boil that, too! 

I don't know how to sterilize plants, but I have heard that soaking them briefly in a light bleach mixture works. Or potassium permangante (?), which I've never had. 

Your tank is going to be beautiful again very soon, Atom. Let me know if you'd like any plants. I've got lots! I don't have that tall grassy plant you had in your Eheim, but I've got pogostemon stellatus and erectus, wisteria, bacopa, some nice-looking green stemmy things, little grassy dwarf chain swords that are very cool, and all the duckweed you need for soup.


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