# Is my Betta suffering from Dropsy? (Video)



## mkg_aquarium (Apr 5, 2014)

Hello all,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL8QYWBXlHs

Seems like my Betta is dying. Check the video. Looks like dropsy to me based on what I read online. Especially the pinecone scaling that can be observed.

He's been like this for about a week now. Sluggish. No eating. Always on the floor and for most part staying inside a hollow part of a decorative tree structure away from light. 

Suggested course of action ? I want to keep it alive. But I fear the other fish may also get infected with whatever infection this guy may have...


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

dropsy is not contagious.
That being said and it being one week like that I don't think your betta has much longer left.
Usaully by the time you recognise dropsy too much damage has been done to the kidneys/liver(hence the swollen appearence).
I would a good course of action would be to increase your maintenance.
I see no mention of water quality(parameters) or how often you change water.I would start with water changes.


----------



## mkg_aquarium (Apr 5, 2014)

My water is usually pristine . I do 30% water change and filter rinsing every week without fail. I'll upload water parameters and tank details shortly. That being said last week i was out of town for about 5 days. I had auto feeder on...could there be a connection? On return one rainbow fish was partly eaten up and this guy started developing these symptoms.I immediately did part water change since water had started smelling possibly due to the half eaten fish decay.


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

The feeder probly malfunctioned and fouled your water.
5 days is pretty fast but ?
Change water!50% a couple of times regardless of readings.
Your fish would have been better off with no food for the 5 days IMO.


----------



## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

i am afraid to leave my fish alone with no maintenance of food for my summer vacation a week.but if you could i would have tested the dispenser first for about a week at least.or heck,ask a neighbor to come inside your house and feed them for you.but leave a pill dispenser thing for every day of the week.


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

The raised "pineconing" scale are clear to see.
Haven't you had water quality issues before?
Dropsy is really a symptom(not a real diagnosis/disease) that is 95% attributal to poor water quality.When you see the pineconing it is too late 95% of the time.The swollen scales are from internal damage.
Real help will come with supply of info;
Tank;
size,filter,lighting and maint.
water parameters will help ,but I'm sure you are spiking ammonia/nitrite at the moment.
Change %50 x3 in the next 2-3 days then give the parameters.


----------



## discusbreeder (Oct 7, 2014)

Bettas live in sewage ditches in Thialand, (Siam), where they are from. Most bettas on the market now are tank bred and do not have the immune system. They still do not rely on their gills and are therefore not as vulnerable to "dirty" water as other non-labyrinth fishes. The betta is obviously suffering from damaged kidneys but the culprit maybe simpler than most people think. Chlorine and chloramine are usually the culprits in betta tanks. One water change where you forgot to treat the water can be enough depending on your local tap water. The damage may take weeks to manifest and if the tap water is not chemical laden it may be cumulative and take several trips to do the damage. The damage is irreversible and the most humane thing to do is euthanize the victim.


----------



## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

i was thinking 2 to put the poor lil' guy down.but FYI they do not live in sewage ditches.they live in rice puddles that are hundreds of gallons.


----------



## mkg_aquarium (Apr 5, 2014)

ok...here are my tank stats *sigh* so much for "pristine" water comment I made in one of the posts above



Tank Details: 21 gallon (80 liters)
In Operation : Since last October.
Filter: Sobo make WP-1150F 
Heater: Risheng RS 308-C 150W
Tube light : 8W
Fishes
2 young Denison's barbs
1 sword tail male
3 rainbow fishes
2 golden rosy barb 
4 guppies
4 red zebra danios
1 betta *sigh* no longer. 

Plants:
Some needle grass
Java Fern

Test Kit: API Fresh Water Master Test Kit
Water Readings: Reading colors off the chart can be tricky at times...but my estimates are as follows:
PH : 7.8 
Ammonia : Looks between 0 - 0.25 ppm, leaning toward 0.25 ppm
Nitrite: 0.25 ppm
Nitrate: Between 80 - 160 ppm leaning towards 160 ppm I think.

I had done a test in July where Ammonia and Nitrite both were Zero. Nitrate was closer to 80. PH was about the same. It was basically same as my tap water which I also tested separately. I had pretty much the same tank mates then as well. For the last few months I've had no problem with the fishes dying what so ever.

Suggestions please on how to get my tank water properties in order!


----------



## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

oh so you put him down....rest in peace.what was the little guys name?


----------



## mkg_aquarium (Apr 5, 2014)

Yeah...his quality of life was slowly degrading. Why to keep him suffering when he was not going to recover ? He was just my fighter. No other name âº


----------



## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Sorry to hear about the betta.
I would just increase your regular water changes to 50% every week.
Now you need to do a couple 50% changes to get the nitrates down to around 20.
The ammonia and nitrite readings could be false positives or small spikes from the auto feeder malfunctioning.


----------



## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Sorry for your loss.


----------



## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

at least he died in peace.


----------



## discusbreeder (Oct 7, 2014)

Have you been to Thialand? I have, and I have personally seen bettas in sewage ditches, and rice paddies, and mud holes and about every other standing water in the coastal plain and foothills. But for the stock in the pet industry it is practically irrelevant.  Stock bettas are all tank bred and reared and most are fairly inbred. The inbreeding has compromised their immune health.


----------



## discusbreeder (Oct 7, 2014)

A side bar to the previous post: most oriental rice paddies had just as well be sewage ditches, they are fertilized with human waste.


----------

