Help me try to treat this shubunkin with dropsy please. I have had it about 4 years.
In the past weeks, I noticed this shubunkin's head is much whiter than normal. Then I noticed some redness and missing fin on it's tail. I figured I would just watch it. But then I noticed that it was getting more swollen and in the right lighting it's scales were starting to stick out.
It was still acting normal and coming to eat and chase food, I even saw it participating in spawning chases, it is a male.
So I put it in my 5 gallon isolation tank with aquarium salt yesterday. It is still interested in food.
I can not tell if it is getting any better, I worry it is getting worse and swelling more. I will try taking pics since I may be biased by having it in full side view versus from above in the pond.
I feel bad that it is stressed in the little tank away from it's home.
Has anyone had a goldfish with dropsy actually recover? If it is just going to die, I would rather it be in it's familiar home with it's usual friends.
I did get scared my water quality was bad, but all results are within normal for my hard alkaline water. No nitrite or nitrate spikes. And all other fish are fine. I have about 5000 gallons, a huge bog, and lots of plants, and an aerator running 24/7.
I suspect it has the tail issues because it is in poor health, but I may have it backwards and the tail issue preceded Dropsy. Do goldfish kidneys just fail sometimes?
Should I treat with anything besides aquarium salt? How much aquarium salt?
How long to treat?
The only other time I had a fish with dropsy, it was a complete pinecone and it died before I could do anything to treat it. So this one is relatively early.........though definitely not it's normal shape. I thought the color change was just aging, but maybe it is a health issue.
Thanks for any tips.
Here is a pic from 2 years ago, same fish. It has been getting whiter and whiter.
In the past weeks, I noticed this shubunkin's head is much whiter than normal. Then I noticed some redness and missing fin on it's tail. I figured I would just watch it. But then I noticed that it was getting more swollen and in the right lighting it's scales were starting to stick out.
It was still acting normal and coming to eat and chase food, I even saw it participating in spawning chases, it is a male.
So I put it in my 5 gallon isolation tank with aquarium salt yesterday. It is still interested in food.
I can not tell if it is getting any better, I worry it is getting worse and swelling more. I will try taking pics since I may be biased by having it in full side view versus from above in the pond.
I feel bad that it is stressed in the little tank away from it's home.
Has anyone had a goldfish with dropsy actually recover? If it is just going to die, I would rather it be in it's familiar home with it's usual friends.
I did get scared my water quality was bad, but all results are within normal for my hard alkaline water. No nitrite or nitrate spikes. And all other fish are fine. I have about 5000 gallons, a huge bog, and lots of plants, and an aerator running 24/7.
I suspect it has the tail issues because it is in poor health, but I may have it backwards and the tail issue preceded Dropsy. Do goldfish kidneys just fail sometimes?
Should I treat with anything besides aquarium salt? How much aquarium salt?
How long to treat?
The only other time I had a fish with dropsy, it was a complete pinecone and it died before I could do anything to treat it. So this one is relatively early.........though definitely not it's normal shape. I thought the color change was just aging, but maybe it is a health issue.
Thanks for any tips.
Here is a pic from 2 years ago, same fish. It has been getting whiter and whiter.
