Drops and hex

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Gman9272

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Mar 3, 2016
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Have you tested your water?
Yes
If yes, what is your ammonia?
0
If yes, what is your nitrite?
0
If yes, what is your nitrate?
40
If I did not test my water...
  1. ...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.
Do you do water changes?
Yes
What percentage of water do you change?
31-40%
How frequently do you change your water?
Every two weeks
If I do not change my water...
  1. ...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.
Question will metro treat dropsy,
I have had issues this past week and a half and have lost nearly half my tank.... I noticed white stringy poop from my Honduran red points and bloat as well on some of them plus Molly’s and Odessa barbs. My question is this only due to hex in my tank or is this dropsy as well I have started feeding NLS hex shield and have been dosing the tank with metro
 
Sometimes it can help with dropsy, depends on what is causing it. kno4te kno4te would be better to help you out.

I just had an issue with Hex/HITH, I tried different meds, but I really needed Metro. So if you think it's Hex, don't hesitate on getting the Metro. If your fish are eating, I prefer to add it as a food soak. I add an epsom salt solution and garlic juice as well. Good nutrition is vital and vitamins are always good for HITH. I use Boyd's vitachem since it can also be dosed in the water for fish that aren't eating so well.

Also fyi, one of my fish in the Hex tank bloated up, so it was either the Hex or bacteria that also came with the fish.

Your nitrates aren't horrible, but if you can swing a weekly WC, it would be better for the fish imo.
 
Last edited:
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Metro won’t treat dropsy. I’d suggest adding some Epsom salt to the tank, 1-3 tbsp per 5g. Cont with hex shield and metro. Take pics of the fish.
 
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Will the Epsom salt damage the plants in the tank? And how long should I dose the tank with metro and feed the hex shield for. Also how often should I add Epsom salts. I have kept fish a very long time and have not had to deal with these issues ever
 
Gman9272 said:
Will the Epsom salt damage the plants in the tank? And how long should I dose the tank with metro and feed the hex shield for. Also how often should I add Epsom salts. I have kept fish a very long time and have not had to deal with these issues ever
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Won’t hurt the plants. Feed and cont till the poop and bloat goes away.
 
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Thank you so much! I will add Epsom salt tonight and redose when I do a water change this weekend
 
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A picture of a swollen Odessa barb and a swollen Honduran red point just added Epsom salt to the tank

8DE275C0-629A-47C4-B445-6DC03F853CB0.jpeg

2B114F65-471A-4A45-90F1-756E39A4A1D0.jpeg
 
Idk my barbs, but is she preggers? Just saying because some of my flame tetras were bulgy like that, I was actually worried and turns out they were pregnant females.
 
How much are you feeding? The barb looks over-fed. Honestly, when I see a fish with dropsy, the first thing I notice is a hard to describe translucence between the anus and caudal fin. That's the first area where you can see the impact of fluid build up because there aren't any internal organs there.

Dropsy results from organ failure (kidneys). Just like with people, this causes fluid retention. It can also occur when the fish is having trouble with osmo-regulation. This can happen if your water has really low mineral content, to the point where water is flowing into the fish because the fish has a higher mineral content than the water (this is an oversimplification). Epsom salt will DEFINITELY help with the 2nd situation. Any chance you're using RO water or really soft well-water on fish that prefer harder water?

The active ingredient in Hex Shield is epsom salt, just an FYI. It is useful in treating hex because it helps fish evacuate their bowels and clear protozoans, etc., while creating conditions that aren't that favorable for the little pests.

Metronidazole can cause problems for fish if you treat them with it for too long (longer than the recommended dosing instructions), though it's hard to overdose them on it. I like to add it to fish food (following Seachem's instructions of 1 scoop metroplex, 1 scoop focus, per 1 TBSP of food, mixed in garlic guard and soaked until the food has absorbed most or all of the liquid) if the fish are eating. You can use a combination of large, frequent water changes to help eliminate the protozoans from the environment.
 
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I don’t believe I am over feeding just feeding my usual amounts, it’s only a couple of fish showing the bloated symptoms. Since I added the Epsom salts to the tank the swelling has gone down. My water is on the hard side it is not soft at all. So far this week no other fish have died swelling of abdomens have gone down a little. And the eggs from my last spawn of Honduran red points hatched.. all of my females are gone now so the father which is the dominant fish in the tank is protecting the fry
 
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