My Favorite Fish Is Not Looking Good...

[Leopardess]

Ok,

So, the past couple of days, my Sexy Betta Boy looked a little more tired than usual. Thought he was maybe just getting a little old (he was full grown when I got him and we've had him for 1 year, 4 months.)

Last night, his tummy looked a little swollen...which worried me. I took him out of his tank and put him in a 3g I have. Today, his scales kind of look pine-cone-ish!

Now, I thought fish only got dropsy from poor conditions or bad diet or stuff like that....He's fed a well balanced diet and his tank is so clean. Plus, there are 6 pygmy cories in his tank that are all fine...and if the tank were dirty they'd be the first to get sick from it.

I just read somewhere that it could also be from a cancerous tumor? Honestly, with his age, that sounds more believable to me than poor water conditions or bacterial/fungal infection. He's never been sick since I've had him.


It doesn't look good at all for him. He can still swim alright for now. Though he's pretty lethargic.

I'm so sad. :( This guy is my favorite fish of all of them


Can fish get dropsy for no reason at all? I mean, his tank is planted, had less than 5-10ppm of nitrates at any given time, temp of 78, its a 10g, and everything else in the tank is fine (adf's and pygmy cories).

I thought at first he was just a little constipated, which would make his tummy scales a little stretched out, but this morning they're definitely all messed up down to the base of the tail:(

sigh....

[mogurnda]

I have had anabantoids get dropsy for no apparent reason. What has often worked for me is the antibiotic-laced food from tetra.

[LittleLoach]

I have found that bettas tend to get dropsy when they're pretty old. Of all the one's I've owned, they would be fine for around 3 - 4 years and then for no apparent reason some would get dropsy.

Before I had any idea that it was a disease (this was when I was about 13) I used to keep the infected ones in the same tank without detriment to other fish. Now I know a little better and don't want to take the risk.

IMHO put him out of his misery after the third or even forth day of not looking any better. The nicest way would be placing him (without water) into a little plastic cup/bag/dish and place it into the freezer for a couple of minutes.

It's horrible to loose a fav. betta. They are so inquisitive once they have been with you for so long. They're part of the furniture.

[Leopardess]

Thanks guys. Maybe he developed it from old age...even though I had expected at least another year out of the little fellow:(

I think that if he continues at the rate he is, that I will put him down tonight (though I always use water in the cup when I use the freezer method). So sad.


Here's Sexy Betta Boy when he was healthy....so beautiful.
http://www.freewebs.com/quoth-the-raven/Betta%20and%20Ricciacrop2.JPG


One more...
http://www.freewebs.com/narcisse529/Sexy%20crop.JPG

[PumaWard]

I'm sorry to hear that Leopardess, I know it's tough. I lost my favorite fish, a female paradise fish (Monster) to dropsy last october, I had had her for 1 year and 2 months. Hopefully you can save him. You might want to try adding 1 teaspon of epsom salt, it might help get any excess fluids out of his body.

Hope he gets better, good luck.

[Leopardess]

Thanks Puma.

One of the places I was reading about dropsy mentioned to avoid putting salt in the water...something about it might actually cause fluid retention...hmm...

I really don't think he's gonna get better....I think he's too far gone. Plus, my car is getting fixed and Chris is at work...which means I wasn't able to get any meds for dropsy. I had thought I had some, but when I went to use it, it was empty (go figure). I guess I'm just waiting for the "right" time to put him down. I can't bring myself to do it yet because he's still acting semi-okay.

Here's to hoping for a miracle.

[NatakuTseng]

Sorry to hear that Leopardess. I lost my last betta to dropsy too, even though I treated him with medication. Epsom salt is also not actually salt, its magnesium. Thats why its reccomended for dropsy, because the magnesium draws fluids out of the body. Sorry to hear about the loss too.

[Leopardess]

Ugh, helps if I read. Sorry, I was all upset and only read the "salt" part. I've even used epsom to dose ferts...duh.

[aquariumfishguy]

While its very possible that he is too far out there to be brought back, I wouldn't write it off as "caused by old age". A betta who is 1 1/2 years old certainly isn't old in my books, but that is JMO. Maybe I am spoiled because my bettas have always lived longer than 3 1/2 years, but thats me. :D

[Leopardess]

I'm not deeming it necessarily as old age. I think I said I was expecting another year (at least) from him. I think he was about a year when I got him, though, and I have had him for 1 yr and 4 months, which makes him about 2.5. Even still, I expected him to live much longer.

I am just really upset that he has seemingly developed this for no apparent reason:(. As I said, all my fish are healthy, his tank is always in great shape, he was spoiled rotten...big dramatic sigh.

I don't know...I'll keep you guys posted.

[aquariumfishguy]

Please do! ;)

I would say if he is able to get air every now and then, and he can eat even a little bit to keep him alive another night. You'd be suprised at how they can bounce back. Dont take mine or anyone else's word on that though, because it's looking pretty 50/50 right now.

[Leopardess]

:( He has died.

I believe it was a more peaceful death than I was anticipating...even if I had euthanised him. As you know, I wasn't ready to do that because he was still going to the surface to breathe and did not look overly pained (whatever that is worth knowing that he did seem to have dropsy).

I hate watching thing suffer...but it hadn't seemed to have been at that point just yet.

Well, I swear it is like that fish knew. I just went to take a shower because I was getting ready to go get some meds for him. He was "okay" when I left.

I just got out of the shower, went to check on him, and noticed that he had passed. It sounds SO stupid but I really think he was waiting for me to leave (I had him here with me near the desk).

So, thanks for your help you guys.:(

[Aquarius0015]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I get really attached to my labyrinths, too, so I know what it feels like.

[travelinman1969]

Sorry to hear about your loss. :( He was my favorite of all your fish.

My favorite is real sick right now too and I don't think he's gonna make it. :shake:

[Leopardess]

Thanks you two.

Travelin...I hope yours gets better! sigh...

[Karlsbad]

Originally posted by travelinman1969
Sorry to hear about your loss. :( He was my favorite of all your fish.

My favorite is real sick right now too and I don't think he's gonna make it. :shake:

Sorry to hear about your beta leopardess.

Good luck with your sick fish dude. I hope he makes it and I hope you don't give up. I had a sick Oscar that you helped me with that didn't seem like he had a chance about a month ago and he made a full recovery and has grown and added new stripes and graduated to krill and taken up interior decorating by pulling up fake plants and attaching them to other fake plants and he's figured out that if he jumps up and bumps the spectrum cychlid pellets that he can get a big helping sometimes :mad:. I don't know what is wrong with your fish but if it applies, I'm totally sold on Maracyn2 and leaving the sick fish where it is even though thats a little pricey, it seems like its easier on the poor guys, and my bio filter never suffered(I test often.) He started to get significantly better after that first double dose and looked all better after the second one and boy was he hungry. I didn't subtract the gravel from the volume of water btw so I think I was giving them like 1.2 * recommended. Maracyn2 is one tab per 10 gallons and double that on the first treatment, its like $5.99 for 8 and $13.99 for 24 at Petsmart and $24.99 for 100 from DrsFostersmith + $7.98 shipping, you being in Southern Illinois and them in Wisconsin you can probably get it the second day after you order it http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4842&Ne=1020&R=11935&Ntt=medication&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallany&Np=1&N=2004+2147013278. Anyway good luck.