# Cardinal Tetra dropsy type disease



## gblaca (Jun 28, 2011)

My Cardinal Tetra is all inflated and has a huge node under it. I was wondering if anyone knows what this disease is and what I can do about it. The fist has been living with it. I had dropsy in a couple of guppies and it seems similar to that. This is one of my favorite cardinal tetras because it has grown from a small size.

Please identify this disease, it's cause, and how to cure it if possible.

Here is a photo of the fish:

Aquarium Gallery - plant_006


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

I'm not sure... could it be a tumor? 

What are the water parameters? (Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate.) 

Is the fish showing any other signs of illness? (Not eating, swimming funny, gasping.) And, are any other fish showing signs of illness?

You said you've had Guppy's with it, which makes me wonder if it could be a water problem, since there have been other fish in your tank with something similar in the past...


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## zero (Mar 27, 2012)

dropsy isnt a dieses its self but a condition of a dieses. it can be from anything from a tumour like you said to intestinal parasites. usually when they start showing the signs ie pike cone type scales its too late. for a tumour i really dont know what needs to be done im afraid.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

My first thought was "that's weird". From the picture, it seems to be a growth of some sort. Only two things I know of will do that - a worm or a tumour. Odds are, that's a tumour. It could be a non-maligant one, given the colour of the fish (excellent). 
What to do?
Nothing. There is no treatment, unfortunately.

Dropsy isn't a disease, as was said above. It's a symptom of kidney failure, brought about by a bacterial infection in most cases. I don't see any signs of dropsy on the fish in that photo.


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## gblaca (Jun 28, 2011)

The fish died. She was one of the largest Cardinal Tetras that I ever raised.


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