It is not uncommon for new aquarium owners to be caught off guard by tropical fish diseases like dropsy. Before you can learn how to treat dropsy in your fish, you must first learn what dropsy is. Often referred to incorrectly as a disease, dropsy is actually an internal bacterial infection that causes the body of fish to swell. Though dropsy in itself is not typically contagious, the conditions which lead to the contraction of dropsy can have negative effects on other fish in the tank if not remedied quickly.
Symptoms of Dropsy in Fish
Dropsy is a tropical fish disease that commonly affects goldfish and the symptoms are fairly easy to recognize because they involve the swelling of the belly, or in some cases the whole body, of the fish. In addition to swelling, some of your fish's scales may begin to protrude from its body almost to the point where it looks like they might pop off. Fish that have dropsy are also likely to become lethargic, hovering near the top or bottom of the aquarium rather than swimming around, and they may lose their appetite. Some fish may even have sunken eyes or their eyes may begin to swell and bulge.
Causes of Dropsy
In most cases, dropsy is the result of a bacterial infection by the bacteria Aeromonas. Aeromonas is a bacteria that is common in most fish tanks but it can infect fish that are stressed due to overcrowding or poor water quality. Dropsy can also affect fish that have poor kidney function, a condition which may result in the absorption of water into the body cavity which causes the stomach of the fish to swell. Although dropsy is not usually contagious, it is a good idea to isolate any sick fish from those that are healthy so you can treat the ill fish as needed.
Treatment Methods
The first step you should take in treating a fish for dropsy is to isolate it in its own recovery tank. In many cases, dropsy is fatal in fish but if you catch it early enough your fish may be able to recover. First, try to draw out some of the excess water your fish's body is storing up by implementing a salt bath. Add no more than 2.5 teaspoons of Epsom salt per ten gallons of water to the recovery tank. While your fish is recovering, it may help to feed it some antibacterial fish food if the dropsy was caused by an infection. Medications like Maracyn Two have been known to be effective treatments of bacterial infections but if your fish's case of dropsy is caused by a virus or something else, there may be nothing you can do.
How to Prevent Dropsy
As is true of most tropical fish diseases, the best way to prevent dropsy is to maintain good water quality in your tank. Perform routine weekly water changes in your fish tank; changing out between 10% and 25% of your aquarium's water volume. It is also important to give your fish enough space in the aquarium - overcrowding can result in stress and illness. Avoid feeding your fish too much as well because uneaten fish food that sinks to the bottom of the tank will decompose and it may negatively affect water quality in the tank.
To answer the question "what is dropsy" is not as simple as it might seem. Dropsy is a condition which is often fatal in fish and it can be caused by many different things. The key to preventing dropsy is to keep your aquarium clean and as stress-free for your fish as possible. If your fish should happen to contract dropsy, take action as soon as possible to treat the disease. Even if you act quickly, however, there may be nothing you can do to save your fish. The best thing you can do is keep your tank clean in the hopes of preventing your fish from becoming sick at all.
Sources
- "Dropsy," Aquarium Fish Deals
- "Fish Dropsy," About Fish Online.com
Katherine Barrington - Katherine has loved reading and writing for as long as she can remember. When it comes to reading one of her favorite authors is Tamora ...
