# Dropsy



## poopsie_o_no (Oct 3, 2006)

What is Dropsy and how do i cure it


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## robyn (May 29, 2006)

im no expert, but as far as i know, dropsy is a disease where the the fishes abdomen becomes hollow or swollen and some scales may stick out. its not contagous and can be treated with epsom salt. as far as i know, regular aquarium salt will kill the sick fish, so do not use that.


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Dropsy is a symptom, the cause of which can be many things but is usually attributed to water quality. The fish gets a "pine cone" appearance. Epsom salt will help with constipation but I know of no research that says it helps at all with dropsy. Check your water conditions, test the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates at a minimum, as well as your maintenance regime such as water changes, vacuuming, etc.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Absolutely correct except that its not normally poor water that causes "dropsy" but an internal infection (parasitic, bacterial etc...). Dropsy is almost impossible to cure because the pineconing is the visible sign of the last stage. Once you see this, the fish is all but gone. First stage of treatment is isolation and water a few degrees warmer than the original tank. Then you have to figure out what the fish is suffering from. Treating the wrong disease or infection will likely result in a quicker death.


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## SvenRhapsody (Feb 3, 2006)

I have a goldfish with dropsy right now and so I've done some extensive research recently on it in these fish. I can't speak to whether or not it differs in a different fish. As noted above, dropsy is actually a symptom of an illness which causes the fish to bloat until even the scales are sticking out at angles. In goldfish it's typically caused by a systemic bacterial infection. Supposedly in most cases the bacterial infection is secondary to bad water conditions or abrupt drops in temperature which weaken the fish's immune system. Once the bacteria begin affecting the kidneys the body begins to swell with fluid. Dr. Erik Johnson, a leading goldfish veterinarian, notes that it's 95%-99% fatal, and that he has only seen one case where the fish survived. It's also HIGHLY contagious and the primary concern should be to prevent infection of other fish. I wish you good luck.

Sven


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Damon said:


> Absolutely correct except that its not normally poor water that causes "dropsy" but an internal infection (parasitic, bacterial etc...).


Just a minor point but I didn't say water quality "causes" dropsy, just that it is usually attributed to water quality. Bacterial infections are often caused by things in the water.


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## poopsie_o_no (Oct 3, 2006)

ok thx for that


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