# My first Salt Dip



## Pandapop (Dec 29, 2009)

So my blue coral platy has come down with dropsy... which would be my fault, and I feel absolutely terrible. I put too much flaked food into the tank the other day, and it seems as though she's the only one who engorged herself to the point of becoming almost fatally ill.

I wasn't here yesterday and most of today... the boyfriend was, but he wouldn't recognize dropsy. He only knows that she's 'not feeling well' because she's been hanging out at the bottom of the tank, and breathing heavily. 

I've started the salt dip of about 1 tablespoon to a gallon of tank water (which also contains some Melafix -- I treated the tank before I took her out). I read around online to keep her in there for the first 10 minutes, then take her out for about 5, and try it again another 10 minutes.

I really don't know what to do. Everywhere I've gone online has given me different information...

Can anyone help me?


----------



## Pandapop (Dec 29, 2009)

Well... the old girl passed away. I went to check on her and she wasn't moving... nudged her with the net, still nothing. Dropsy got the best of her. 

Although I lost my fish, if anyone could still help me, I'd really appreciate it. I'd like to know what to do in case this ever happens again.


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I've never successfully treated a bad case of dropsy.


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

I was able to treat a betta with mild dropsy using epsom salts for a number of days and then keeping her without food for a few more. I think she got super bunged up. However the dropsy returned in a few months and I was unable to help her.
Is there a difference between being bloated up and not having the scales stick out and 'real' dropsy' which involves scales sticking out in your mind?


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I think constipation is sometimes curable. Sometimes with laxative, sometimes with anti-biotics. But even most of my fish that stopped eating after gorging themselves on frozen worms die within days. I've gotten real careful with which fish get which food and how much. 

And floating upside down from air in the belly doesn't seem to be immediately fatal. Fish often live a long time with trouble maintaining depth. Sometimes fish get better, sometimes they don't. 

'Real dropsy', with 'pine-coning' is often due to organ failure and that isn't something they are likely to recover from. Whenever I've had a really puffed-up fish, it died.


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

I agree but I wonder if pandapops fish had real dropsy or was just bloated?


----------



## Pandapop (Dec 29, 2009)

My platy had real dropsy, her scales were popped out and she looked like a porcupine. She was my favorite platy, I had her for quite a while... but at least her legacy lives on, lol. Her 9 babies are healthy and active.


----------



## mousey (Jan 18, 2005)

sorry to hear that but glad you have her babies.
Sometimes something just happens and you can't stop it.


----------

