I found this on a betta forum. I have read of fish that have dropsy being cured, but immediate diagnosis and treatment is imperative. I don't know if the following are what you should do, but these folks had success.
I hope your betta gets better; I have lost neons and guppies to dropsy.
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]NEW!!!Possible Dro[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]psy Treatment![/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]On 31 October, 2003, I received the following email from Lorena Hazama who successfully treated two bettas who had dropsy:[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]From: Lorena Hazama[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]tenshinokiss@yahoo.com[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]I'm in no way any kind of expert, but I just wanted to share what I learned[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]from a dropsy episode with my fish with the hopes of perhaps helping someone[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]else someday. When my fish first got it, I didn't have any hope, because I[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]had heard that it was difficult to cure.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]With a lot of help and suggestions from people [/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]a betta[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2] forum, esp. Uptongirl[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]and Violetedawn, as well as some other resources, my fish's case of dropsy[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]has been diminished if not "cured".[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]Have no idea what caused his kidney function to fail/decrease. I'm guessing[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]it was bacterial or viral because Kanacyn seemed to do the trick.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]Treatment was in stages as I changed things as I found out about stuff. I[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]have no clue what actually helped--or if it was something I should not have[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]done--so I'm putting everything here:[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]1. Had him in Maracyn II for about a day.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]2. When I got Kanacyn, I put that in the water instead (did not use the 2[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]together).[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]3. Tried to keep temp as warm as possible--was a bit difficult because we[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]have air conditioning and he's at work. Some sites say they upped the water[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]temp to 86C for gold fish. I think his water was probably around 70-72C. But[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]if you're changing temp, please do it slowly as not to stress or harm your[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]fish.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]4. Shielded his tank from stressful light by making a black paper "box" with[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]some air and peep holes cut out. This really seemed to help.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]5. Added some epsom salt to his Kanacyn water. (1 tsp for 5 gallons of[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]water.)[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]6. I was changing his water every other day--100% change. I also kept the[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]water for changes in the same room as the fish tank so it would be about the[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]same temperature when I changed his water.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]Notes: The epsom salt helped his swelling. I was so afraid that he'd burst[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]or something he looked so swollen. I'm sure he probably felt more[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]comfortable, too.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]Read medication instructions carefully and follow them to the T. It mentions[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]not combining with other chemicals unless compatible with the medication.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]This is really important! I used only Kanacyn and epsom salt together in[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]untreated tap water but I could get away with this because our tap water is[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]drawn from artesian wells and is not treated with chlorine. So I didn't have[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]to use water conditioners or anything to prep his water. I would not[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]normally do this, but I wasn't sure if the chemicals would combine OK with[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]the medication.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]If you have to treat your water, you might want to get help from someone[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]who's a lot more knowledgable about water conditioning.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]If you're like me and don't have a 10-gallon tank or water vessel to put[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]your medicine in, we came up with the following:[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]1 capsule of Kanacyn and 2 tsp of epsom salt were mixed in 10 Tbs of water.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]We then used the ratio of 1 Tbs of concentrate to 1 gallon of water for[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]water changes. We kept the concentrated Kanacyn/epsom mixture covered and in[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]a dark place just in case. This may not be the best way to do this, but it[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]seemed to work OK.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]My fish didn't show improvement until after the epsom salt, so it was about[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]a week from when I noticed the dropsy and started treating it to see[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]results. His recovery sped up more after that. So, even if you don't see[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]results right away, just hang in there and give your fishy time to try and[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]kick whatevers ailing him.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]Like I said before, I'm not an expert, not a breeder. Not even an experienced[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]fish owner--I've taken care of a grand total of 4 betta! But for whatever[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]reason, my fish and I were lucky enough to, with lotsa guidance, to be able[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]to kick this.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]NEW!!! A Second Possible Cure of Dropsy![/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]Tammy S. sent me an email stating that she cured her betta of dropsy using a technique similar to the one above. Initially, her fish stopped eating and tended to float to the top of the tank. After a dose of maroxy he started eating a little but was still floating a lot. The next day he started showing the bloated, pinecone symptoms of dropsy.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]She began treating him once a day with maroxy and twice a day with maracyn II for one day every five days. This continued for 10 days. The temperature was maintained at 70-72 degrees F. and the fish was kept in a dimly lit corner. The water was changed every other day.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]On the third day of this treatment she started adding Epsom salt at the rate of 1 teaspoon in 5 gallons, using prtreated water like normal.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]One week after adding the Epsom salt the fish started improving. After that he recovered quickly. Tammy also stated that she regularly exercised her fish by showing it a mirror a few minutes every day. As of two months after the treatment the fish is alive, strong, and showing no signs of dropsy.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]While annicdotal accounts can never replace scientific data, the above two cases suggest that in the abscence of more informed guidance there might be hope for bettas with dropsy. If you have a betta with this disease and extensive research turns up no scientifically verified cure, you might want to give this treatment a try. As with all diseases, a critical factor is early detection and medication. Left to linger for even a few hours, a fish can sustain enough damage to his or her internal organs that even if the disease is cured, the fish may still die. Also, I have read that Epsom salt has sulfer in it so there may be problems using it with sulfa-based medications.[/FONT]
I hope your betta gets better; I have lost neons and guppies to dropsy.
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]NEW!!!Possible Dro[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]psy Treatment![/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]On 31 October, 2003, I received the following email from Lorena Hazama who successfully treated two bettas who had dropsy:[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]From: Lorena Hazama[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]tenshinokiss@yahoo.com[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]I'm in no way any kind of expert, but I just wanted to share what I learned[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]from a dropsy episode with my fish with the hopes of perhaps helping someone[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]else someday. When my fish first got it, I didn't have any hope, because I[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]had heard that it was difficult to cure.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]With a lot of help and suggestions from people [/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]a betta[/FONT][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2] forum, esp. Uptongirl[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]and Violetedawn, as well as some other resources, my fish's case of dropsy[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]has been diminished if not "cured".[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]Have no idea what caused his kidney function to fail/decrease. I'm guessing[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]it was bacterial or viral because Kanacyn seemed to do the trick.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]Treatment was in stages as I changed things as I found out about stuff. I[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]have no clue what actually helped--or if it was something I should not have[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]done--so I'm putting everything here:[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]1. Had him in Maracyn II for about a day.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]2. When I got Kanacyn, I put that in the water instead (did not use the 2[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]together).[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]3. Tried to keep temp as warm as possible--was a bit difficult because we[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]have air conditioning and he's at work. Some sites say they upped the water[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]temp to 86C for gold fish. I think his water was probably around 70-72C. But[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]if you're changing temp, please do it slowly as not to stress or harm your[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]fish.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]4. Shielded his tank from stressful light by making a black paper "box" with[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]some air and peep holes cut out. This really seemed to help.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]5. Added some epsom salt to his Kanacyn water. (1 tsp for 5 gallons of[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]water.)[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]6. I was changing his water every other day--100% change. I also kept the[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]water for changes in the same room as the fish tank so it would be about the[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]same temperature when I changed his water.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]Notes: The epsom salt helped his swelling. I was so afraid that he'd burst[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]or something he looked so swollen. I'm sure he probably felt more[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]comfortable, too.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]Read medication instructions carefully and follow them to the T. It mentions[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]not combining with other chemicals unless compatible with the medication.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]This is really important! I used only Kanacyn and epsom salt together in[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]untreated tap water but I could get away with this because our tap water is[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]drawn from artesian wells and is not treated with chlorine. So I didn't have[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]to use water conditioners or anything to prep his water. I would not[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]normally do this, but I wasn't sure if the chemicals would combine OK with[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]the medication.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]If you have to treat your water, you might want to get help from someone[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]who's a lot more knowledgable about water conditioning.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]If you're like me and don't have a 10-gallon tank or water vessel to put[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]your medicine in, we came up with the following:[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]1 capsule of Kanacyn and 2 tsp of epsom salt were mixed in 10 Tbs of water.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]We then used the ratio of 1 Tbs of concentrate to 1 gallon of water for[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]water changes. We kept the concentrated Kanacyn/epsom mixture covered and in[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]a dark place just in case. This may not be the best way to do this, but it[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]seemed to work OK.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]My fish didn't show improvement until after the epsom salt, so it was about[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]a week from when I noticed the dropsy and started treating it to see[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]results. His recovery sped up more after that. So, even if you don't see[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]results right away, just hang in there and give your fishy time to try and[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]kick whatevers ailing him.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]Like I said before, I'm not an expert, not a breeder. Not even an experienced[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]fish owner--I've taken care of a grand total of 4 betta! But for whatever[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]reason, my fish and I were lucky enough to, with lotsa guidance, to be able[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]to kick this.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]NEW!!! A Second Possible Cure of Dropsy![/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]Tammy S. sent me an email stating that she cured her betta of dropsy using a technique similar to the one above. Initially, her fish stopped eating and tended to float to the top of the tank. After a dose of maroxy he started eating a little but was still floating a lot. The next day he started showing the bloated, pinecone symptoms of dropsy.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]She began treating him once a day with maroxy and twice a day with maracyn II for one day every five days. This continued for 10 days. The temperature was maintained at 70-72 degrees F. and the fish was kept in a dimly lit corner. The water was changed every other day.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]On the third day of this treatment she started adding Epsom salt at the rate of 1 teaspoon in 5 gallons, using prtreated water like normal.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]One week after adding the Epsom salt the fish started improving. After that he recovered quickly. Tammy also stated that she regularly exercised her fish by showing it a mirror a few minutes every day. As of two months after the treatment the fish is alive, strong, and showing no signs of dropsy.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Times New I2]While annicdotal accounts can never replace scientific data, the above two cases suggest that in the abscence of more informed guidance there might be hope for bettas with dropsy. If you have a betta with this disease and extensive research turns up no scientifically verified cure, you might want to give this treatment a try. As with all diseases, a critical factor is early detection and medication. Left to linger for even a few hours, a fish can sustain enough damage to his or her internal organs that even if the disease is cured, the fish may still die. Also, I have read that Epsom salt has sulfer in it so there may be problems using it with sulfa-based medications.[/FONT]
