# Bloated yet emaciated blackskirt



## debisbooked (Jan 7, 2012)

I'm in the process of euthanizing this fish by clove oil method. This black skirt suddenly grew a large belly around March 1. He continued to feed and swim with the 7 other blackskirts so I did nothing. Two weeks later the fish is still looking bloated in front yet very emaciated behind the bloat; he slowed down and mostly hung around the heater. Today he has been gasping at the top of the tank (75g). I have never noticed anything like worms or obvious parasites on him or any other fish. 

I netted him out and started the clove oil process because he looks so bad and I have no quarantine tank at present. January 8th I euthanized a very bloated neon. Three days before, on January 5th, I netted out a dead cory that had no symptoms of any disease previously. 

I've looked up the symptoms of dropsy and I suppose this could be it. If so, can I expect the other fish to slowly succumb? It's a 75g tank so I don't see how I could medicate it. 

My weekly 50% waterchange is tomorrow. 75 g planted tank has been established for 6 years or so. pH is 6.2; ammonia 0;nitrite 0; nitrate 40. (I do weekly 50% because of nitrates).


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## Craigo (Mar 10, 2012)

My dwarf Gourami succumbed to dropsy - and according to what I read about it is that is not contagious. The Petco near by said that it is caused by a bacterial infection, and a more reputable LFS said that it could be caused by poor water quality. I'd assume both may be true? 

Essentially what is happening is that - the fish is taking in more water than it can expel, because of this it expands and possibly dies from it - or the fish may recover on its own ...


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

Generally, what you are describing is kidney failure. debisbooked described it well. The two shops are right - dirty water leads to a localized infection which leads to dropsy (fluid retention due to kidney failure). 
It is not an epidemic disease, any more than you or I getting an internal infection would be. But you have to watch your tank conditions and change water. Unless the fish was very old or otherwise unhealthy, the conditions that allowed the infection to take off may still be present in your tank. Water changes..


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## debisbooked (Jan 7, 2012)

navigator black said:


> Generally, what you are describing is kidney failure. debisbooked described it well. The two shops are right - dirty water leads to a localized infection which leads to dropsy (fluid retention due to kidney failure).
> It is not an epidemic disease, any more than you or I getting an internal infection would be. But you have to watch your tank conditions and change water. Unless the fish was very old or otherwise unhealthy, the conditions that allowed the infection to take off may still be present in your tank. Water changes..


Frustrating -I honestly don't see how I could have bad water. Is a 50% water change once a week on a tank that has small community fish, is not overcrowded and who get only a small amount of food fed once a day simply not enough? My husband is starting to mention the rise of our water bill since I have instituted this regimen back in December. 

I'm not sure how old this particular black skirt was. I had five for sometime and added three two months ago -they all look alike to me so I don't know if he was of the old group or the new.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

I can be a pain about water changes because so many people don't do them. But if you do, it was old age or just bad luck. Sometimes creatures just keel over.


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