Danio with Dropsy... I need some professional advice.

L

littlewonderfin

Registered Member
May 20, 2013
1
0
0
I have a danio, that I have had for over a year now... I have checked all the water levels- everything is in good range. And I recently got some new fish that came to me with Ick, so I have been treating this tank for the past two weeks it feels like- between water changes, and reintroducing meds (a combination between alternating prima and melaflix... added to the already brackish water/ raised temps, etc.)....I'm worried about my other fish catching it-- or how does that work?? No one else seems to be sick, but I recall my last danio that passed- also had dropsy symptoms (pine cone-like scales), between the two- this current fish is still swimming at food, but spits it out every time I have seen. I'm worried that this fish got it from that one :( I have already read that it is pretty much a lost cause trying to treat... so should I QT him...?? I feel that would stress him out even more... but at the risk of infecting my other fish... I cannot put them in danger. How can I be sure the infection is not occurring in the water still?? Or how does Dropsy work? HELLLPP!!
 
A danio? Brackish water? A: they're schooling fish, so not having them in a proper school will cause them stress, weakening their immune systems. B: they're freshwater fish.

Probably should have quarantined the new fish to begin with. Could be bad constipation. Try a blanched shelled pea.

What size tank? How much ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? Current temp? What other fish in the tank?
 
What do you mean by brackish water?

Dropsy is an infection of the internal organs, like the kidneys. Kidneys control osmoregulation. Freshwater fish that's in overly salted/poor water can have kidney troubles or dropsy. If you're noticing a pattern, I'd change the water chemistry, but it could be something else.
 
I have never heard of Danios being kept in brackish water. Dropsy is one of those afflictions that by the time you notice it, its already too late to do much about it. If they are still eating, you will need to feed antibiotic impregnated food. Survivorship is less than 30%. Pimafix and melafix do nothing for a preexisting condition but can help to prevent some.. (Tea Tree oil) is a great antioxidant when used in strong enough dosages. It can kill your bacteria bed. Quick-cure is another good medication but is very harsh on the fish. And can cause death just like the infection can. Its almost an un-winnable situation. I have to agree with authmul that failure to quarantine may have brought this on.
 
You may want to consider euthanizing the danio. Don't just flush him down the toilet. Either use the clove oil method (which I prefer) or the freezer method.
 
Vodka (cheap vodka is cheap, and great for this purpose) in a vessel, deep enough to completely cover the fish, into the freezer. Works better if the vodka was already in the freezer, so it's already at that temp.

Many issues here, such as why no quarantine of new fish, what are the new fish, why is a danio not in a school and in a brackish tank, and so on.
 
authmal said:
Vodka (cheap vodka is cheap, and great for this purpose) in a vessel, deep enough to completely cover the fish, into the freezer. Works better if the vodka was already in the freezer, so it's already at that temp.

Many issues here, such as why no quarantine of new fish, what are the new fish, why is a danio not in a school and in a brackish tank, and so on.
Click to expand...

I'd just like to add that if you use vodka to euthanize a fish, always knock the fish out with clove oil first. Other than that, Authmal brings up some good points.
 
Melafix and pimafix don't do anything to cure ich, though they will treat the other symptoms associated with it. The best method for curing it is by raising the temp (which you did) and by adding salt. You can use 1-3 tsp of salt per gallon depending on the type of fish you keep (scaleless fish like loaches aren't very tolerant) and in a few days time you'll notice a difference.

As someone else mentioned by the time you see the dropsy, it's usually to late to save the fish. In my experience when any of my livebearers would get dropsy, I would quarantine them or euthanize as I did not want it catching on or for the fish to die and others to eat the body, catching something.


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
I think what they mean by brackish water is that they added aquarium salt in an attempt to "medicate" the fish. While a dip in brackish water can be good for fungus, finrot etc. it is useless here. Pimafix and Melafix are also useless in this case (and some would argue, in all cases).

Epsom salt added to the tank (1 tbsp per 5 gallons) could help in the mildest of cases, but if you're seeing the pinecone scales, you're past that point.

Dropsy is basically fluid retention, a symptom of the internal organs shutting down. It can happen for a variety of reasons...danios are generally hardy fish, I assume you mean a zebra danio? However they have been overbred and are prone to some genetic problems. I used to find mine had a lot of lumps and bumps. That's why I just don't bother with them anymore, preferring pearl danios or any other kind of less common danio.

No question, you should euthanize the fish. By far the easiest way is just to kill it with blunt force. Not for the squeamish, but it keeps you from having to buy an expensive tiny bottle of clove oil from the pharmacy counter and then have that pervasive scent stay in your hands and in your house for a very long time. I had to throw away my ceramic bowl that I used to euthanize fish because it just never stopped smelling like clove oil!

Read this article for more on euthanizing fish: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=5621

Some may call me a monster, but for small fish, I put them in a snack size baggie and dispatch them in one blow with a club hammer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom