Newbie, Is my fish eggbound or does it have dropsy?

bloat can be several things. i do not have experience with fish being eggbound, but i think that if this was the case, she would be releasing hormones that would attract the males to her and they wouldn't leave her alone. it could be constipation. if you have a few green peas on hand, you could take off the outer skins and toss them into the tank. if she eats some, the intestinal blockage should pass rather quickly. the telltale sign of dropsy is, as you know, the pinecone scales. until that happens you can't be sure, and by then it is often too late. dropsy is caused by kidney failure, which leads to a buildup of fluid inside the fish. in people, it is called 'edema'. another problem with dropsy is that it has many causes - exposure to bad water, bacterial infection, or, like in any animal, plain old crappy kidneys. an epsom salt bath can help draw out some of the excess fluid and prolong life, but will not cure the underlying cause - just give you extra time to treat. i lost an old old guppy to kidney failure - she kept eating, swimming, and defending her spot up until the very end. antibacterial medications can help if there is a bacterial cause. another possiblity could be internal parasite infestation, which would explain the loss of appetite. most fish get thin, but a very large load of parasites could be inside of her, causing the swelling.

sorry to hear that