# My Dropsy Drama... he is still alive!



## Mew_chan (Jan 28, 2009)

I have my male betta in a roughly 5 Gal tank (see my sig below, note all the other fish are being moved out within a week or 2) I went away for a night, came back and looked in my tank and swore... It looked like he had the Dropsy and bad... He was hugely swollen, Pale yellow ( this only happened on day 2-3 though, he is normally red), and pineconed like anything.
Pineconing, swelling is not that obvious in this photo(oh and photo is befoer water change after attempting feeding):








He barely moved as I scooped him out of the tank and put him in a small holding tank with just enough water for him sit in so he could get to the surface easily. Anyway knowing that it was possible that it was a bacterial infection, I dosed him with a bit of aquarium salt and a bit of antibacterial medication and then let him be, not feeling very optimistic that he would survive. 

It is now over 9 days later and he is still alive, he has shrunk to his normal size but is still slightly pineconed and his colour has mostly returned... he also seems to have lost a small patch of scales behind one of his side fins... You can see it in the photo... he also seems to have patches of discolouration...
This is him today:









He would not eat for the first 5-7 days but is now starting to eat a small amount daily and he is really sluggish... I have been doing complete water changes roughly every 10 hours and now he is eating again after every feeding, adding new salt and medication.

Twice my Cat Dabby knocked his container off the dresser where it was sitting (I don’t even know how he got into the room the second time because I was cautious after the first time). The first time I came in to discover him in no water, but still damp lying hidden in some clothes on the floor (so the cat had not seen him). I now keep him closed in my cupboard (in total darkness) while I am not in the room.

Anyway after all this he is incredibly weak, I added a bit more water to his container today so the water level is bout 6cm above his head and he seems to struggle to make it to the surface, (EDIT: he was better this afternoon and seemed to have alot more energy). 

What a drama it is having a sick fish... I am still not totally optimistic that he will survive but he is showing promising signs and I am still hopeful... He is a tough old bugger who has been through alot and I hope he pulls through... Although I wonder if he will recover enough to be added back to his soon to be vacant tank...

I might add a few photos later that I took when I first found him and now recently (I got a few interesting ones of light shining through his body)


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## Guest (Oct 2, 2009)

am gladhe pulled through dude! congrats


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