shes a balloon!!!!!

[Hurley]

This morning I went to feed my fish and I noticed that one of my neon tetras was a balloon. She is so much fatter then all my other fish. I was worried that maybe its dropsy :sad: but shes not showing the other signs associated with it. ie the pine coneing of the scales, loss of color and pop eye. She still has very bright and vivid colors. So im wondering if this is even dropsy or if it might be something out. Right now shes in a quarintine tank. any thoughts on what else might be causing this bloating?
Thanks - Rachael

[OrionGirl]

Can you get a pic? Where is the swelling centered around?

[Hurley]

ill try and find a camera to get you a picture but the swelling in the mid sections and its even all over. Shes still very active and very colorful.

[OrionGirl]

No swelling along the head? Anything forward of the pectoral fins? Dropsy tends to result in swelling over the entire body, and bulgy looking eyes. Doesn't sound like that.

But--still a number of things it could be. If the swelling is concentrated around the gut area, it could be eggs, or it could be a parasite. The healthy behavior would lead me to think egg-laden more than a parasite.

[Hurley]

I guess I will watch it for a couple days. any suggestions for what I should do in the mean time. Should I try to put a male in there with her to see if she lays her eggs? And is there a way to treat dropsy or a parasite if either ends up being the problem?

[OrionGirl]

Dropsy realy doesn't have a treatment. Parasites--most are treatable, depends on what kind they are. A medicated food is probably your best bet for an internal parasite.

Putting a male in won't make much difference, and may stress her out. If she's carrying eggs, she'll drop them on her own. Without tons of effort, they won't hatch anyway, so no worries.

[Hurley]

Unfortunantly it's dropsy. Her scales are popping out now and shes lost alot of color. While fish have dropsy, are they uncomfortble becuase if she is in alot of pain and there is no cure I will go and buy some clove oil. If not, I think I will let the disease run its course. Also, should I do something in the main tank to prevent my other fish from getting it, or will they be fine. Thank you so much for your help.

[anonapersona]

Check to see your food has never gotten damp. If it is more than 6 months old, toss it and buy more. Buy small sizes to use it up faster and keep buying fresh food.