URGENT: Betta needs help!!
- Thread starter Lexi_D
- Start date
Should I do just aquarium salt or a salt/ maracyn 2 combo for the dropsy? Would that be dangerous?
Dropsy is usually a symptom of another condition-- it suggests organ failure in the fish, sad to say. That having been said, some people have had success if it is caught early. I think that if you are SURE it's dropsy, I would go directly to Maracyn, assuming it is safe for bettas. (that, I don't know.) Still, Lexi, if it doesn't work, know that you have done everything you can to help the poor fish.
Are you positive that it is dropsy? Is the fish pineconing?
Are you positive that it is dropsy? Is the fish pineconing?
Yes, he is pineconing.. 
I'm going to add maracyn 2 immediately. (I've used both maracyns on bettas before, BTW) Thanks for that article, it helped. 
How do I do a salt bath, though?
I'm going to add maracyn 2 immediately. (I've used both maracyns on bettas before, BTW) Thanks for that article, it helped. How do I do a salt bath, though?The same site that I sent you has info on salt baths, Lexi. They suggest, however, doing them with EXTREME caution if the fish is under duress (which he obviously is.) If you do a search for "betta salt baths" a number of them give salt/cup ratios. I think if it were my betta, I would be careful of a salt bath.
I don't think I really want to do a salt bath, I don't want to kill him. Looking at him right now, he's still busy exploring all his new space, lol. I did a waterchange this morning with the turkey baster. Even if the little plastic thingys are fish-safe I'll probably still remove them because it makes the bowl harder to get clean. I gave him a small dose of maracyn 2. Should I add a little salt along with it? I was thinking 1/2-1 teaspoon should be adequate.
i think a teaspoon would be a lot for such a small bowl... especially all at once.
your substrate may be harboring some necessary bacteria. if you are going to be doing water changes daily (which is a good idea) it wont matter so you should take them out for the sake of cleanliness.
your substrate may be harboring some necessary bacteria. if you are going to be doing water changes daily (which is a good idea) it wont matter so you should take them out for the sake of cleanliness.
Well then how much salt should I gradually add? I'm going to remove the plastic pebble things, who knows what they could be leaching into the water if they are not fish safe. The plant will also have some bacteria in it, and I'm going to leave that in.
Sounds like a plan, Lexi. I would let the Maracyn do its thing. If he is exploring his area, sounds like you might have caught the dropsy early. The water change seems to be the big issue here. You will probably see some good improvement from that alone. I really don't know the answer to your salt question with bettas. Hopefully someone else will.
I just removed all of the 'gravel' to make cleaning easier, and he is really active which is great. I will say that this is the biggest betta I've ever seen, even without any finnage (being a plakat). I'm waiting for an answer on the salt, but for now I'm sticking with the maracyn and seeing where that goes. Hopefully we caught it early enough to be treated. Here's a pic of the fully filled bowl after I took the stuff out.. then a photo of the stuff I removed (including the toy flower and little pots).
