How long does 'Dropsy' in fish last usually?

Question

I have a gorgeous male siamese fighter called 'Bruce' (just thought i'd tell you his name!) Who i think has 'Dropsy' ive looked it up on the net and talked to my local aquatic centre about him and we definately think that this is what he has. So i got him some medicine that says to put one dose in, then wait 4 days then another dose. By which time im suppose to be able to see him getting better but he's not! The next dose isn't for another 7 days...Should i just persevere or get a second opinion about what may be wrong?....

P.S. His symptoms are: swelling to the front of his chest area,lathargic (more than usual), just sits on the bottom of the tank in a corner and only moves for air...when he does move he seems to struggle and then he sinks like a brick...hence 'Dropsy'??

Answer 1

Hi,dropsy is a really bad illness.I use esha 2000 its brilliant.

I would get a second opinion but you need anti-bacterial

medicine.Have you got a nursery you could put Bruce in it near the top of the tank then he will not need to use so much energy.

Answer 2

If his scales are not sticking out like a pine cone, he doesn't have dropsy.  It sounds morelike a swim bladder problem or a layrinth organ problem than it does anything else.  Try feeing him simple greens for the next few days.  Peas, spinach, lettuce and see if he feels better.

Also, what is your water quality like?  If you are using tap water test the tap water prior to treating to compare readings.

If he is having a problem with his labyrinth organ, he will need to be moved to a cycled filtered tank with lots of dissolved oxygen.  this will keep him from having to breath air since this air needs to pass over the membranes of the organ for him to breath.

Answer 3

Does your fish look like this from above?  Picture:  http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/O...

If he looks like that, then he has dropsy.  If his scales are not protruding out from his side and his belly is just larger, then this is called 'bloating' and is entirely different.  With dropsy, the scales become raised because of inter-tissue swelling.  Water builds up in the entire fish's body from inner organ failure, usually kidney.  Because dropsy is a result of kidney and other organ failure, it is usually incurable.  If it is treated right away, there is a slight chance that you can anti-biotic-ally kill the bacteria that is damaging his kidneys.  But usually dropsy is lethal.  

When I had a fish with dropsy, Archer was his name, I bought either Maracyn or Maracyn-Two (sorry, I can't remember which one) and he got better.  I bought either the gram-negative or gram positive antibacterial thing, can't remember.  He got better but, then again, I treated the dropsy on its second day.  Not everyone has the same success rate.  

If and when your fish does get better, watch out for opportunistic infections.  Archer (the fish in the photo) survived the dropsy and then died of a fungus.  Picture:  http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/O...

It would be good to add some aquarium salt if you haven't already done so to ward off opportunistic infections.  

Good luck with your dropsy.  I hope it's not dropsy, just bloating, which is easier to cure.  Dropsy is usually fatal if not treated immediately, and it sounds like your medication isn't working.  I'd try Maracyn or Maracyn-Two (ask your fish medication seller which one I'm trying to remember).

And as to the medication you have now, don't add it before it says.  Follow the directions.

Answer 4

Dropsy is caused by a wide array of things. Bacterial, parasites etc. Usually when you see the swelling and pine-cone look usually attributed to dropsy it is to late because the organs have started to fail.

Try raising the aquarium's temperature a few degrees - slightly higher than usual. Adding Epsom salts (Magnesium sulfate) to the water (at a rate of 20 mg/L) helps to encourage the fish to expel unnecessary damaging fluids.

Make sure Bruce is in a tank by himself so he doesn't put unnessasry stress on other inhabitants and you can keep a better eye on him.

I hope that you caught it soon enough and he gets better.

Answer 5

Dropsy is usually fatal, even with antibiotics.  

Answer 6

I'm so sorry, but dropsy is fatal. It would be kinder to put him to sleep rather than let him suffer. :(

Answer 7

It takes a lot of effort to get rid of dropsy. You have to be careful and attentive. Usually raising the water temperature, increasing the circulation, adding a measure of epsom salts, and on top of all that the medication. (I used API Tri-Sulfa and Jungle Medicated Antibacterial Fishfood to treat the fish externally and internally) It took me 30 days to get rid of it in my Black Oranda. (with careful tank cleaning and water changes every 1-2 days) You have to really put that fish in intensive care. As the salt+meds work to draw out the illness/fluids, you need to also carefully remove them

from your fishes' hospital tank environment.

Good Luck & Best Wishes to you and to Bruce!

Answer 8

sorry 2 say but every fish i have had with that ends sadly they die even with the tretment

Answer 9

I was under the impression that fish with dropsy are very hard to treat and cure successfully. I think you should get a second opinion and see about increasing the meds. But you should ask another expert before you increase the meds.

Answer 10

Most experts agree that dropsy is fatal. Once you see the pineconing of the fish's scales, it's too late.

Please don't put your fish in the freezer to euthanize him. That is considered cruel.

There's only two ways that I consider humane - Use MS222, a fish anesthetic (finquel), and graduallly overdose him.

or you can quickly cut off the fish's head, if you have the stomach for it. It's over in less than a second, and the fish won't suffer.

Flushing and freezing are painful ways for a fish to die.

Answer 11

Hi sorry to hear you have dropsy, my danio big mama had dropsy i treated her with esha 2000 she looked like she was getting better but I noticed another with it, in the end i had to euthanize the danioes and purchase another aquarium for such events, I was then told with dropsy the chances of them recovering are very slim. I was also told they are really suffering even though they may be eating. Check and see if you can see red veins in the belly because they will probably be bleeding inside and the pinecone effect.:(  My father is a fisherman and I have been told not to euthenize in the freezer as it is cruel if you can not do this get someone who can cut the fish by the gills right through quick, they suffer from hyperthermia by putting them in the freezer a cruel slow death, my father has 50 years experience in this, now retired.

Answer 12

I'm sorry. How long have you had him? My blue gourami has it, but it's just starting. I've only had him for a week so I am freezing him now as I write this and I'm going to get a new one tomorrow. If your really love Bruce, you'll get it over with now. Wal-Mart has a 90 day return date.