Dropsy

[fishguy1978]

Have you tested your water?

No

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

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.

I have lost most of my zebra danios to dropsy and just lost one of my honey gouramis too. I have moved the entire population from my 55g planted tank into the 29g hospital tank that already had 3 doses of kanaplex running for my beat up spotted rafael. Currently do not see any signs of dropsy in the fish and will leave the kanaplex at this level of saturation until Saturday at which point I will drain the tank and start the kanaplex treatment cycle over.
My plan is to leave the 55g empty of inhabitants for a month before moving everyone back. The setup is dirt under gravel. I have been considering redoing the tank so I may tear it down meth blue dip the plants and then replant.

 

[dr exum]

how’d this go?

 

[fishguy1978]

I had to redose the hospital with kanaplex a week later (iirc) and euthanized a single danio. I did 3 more doses of the KP and waited 2 days after the third dose before doing a water change. I was down checking the room yesterday evening and one of the honey gourami is starting to show lifted scales. I am strongly considering ordering some clove oil and euthanizing all of the non-catfish in the tank. I moved the majority of the harlequin rasboras to the cube so I will need to keep an eye on those ones too.

 

[duanes]

The term Dropsy is kind of a generic term for a number of bacterial diseases ( with certain cichlids it is called Malawi Boat).
Not saying you did this ...but
many people (because of the way the protozoal disease ick is treated) believe they should also raise the water temp when treating bacterial disease.
This may do more harm than good, because bacteria often get more virulent at higher temps (especially temps in the mid 80s), so this often exacerbates the disease, and puts stress on the immune systems of fish like zebra danios, because they do best at temps in the 70sF.
Although they can tolerate seasonal extremes, in nature they are often found in fast flowing streams that remain stable in the high 60s, and can be found at altitudes or 1500ft, where temps remain quite low. They are basically minnows.
This may also be the cause in many Malawi Bloat cases, because the rift lakes of Africa are very stable temps, in the mid 70sF, and it seems many aquarists are under the misguided impression low to mid 80s is normal.

 

[fishguy1978]

The term Dropsy is kind of a generic term for a number of bacterial diseases ( with certain cichlids it is called Malawi Boat).
Not saying you did this ...but
many people (because of the way the protozoal disease ick is treated) believe they should also raise the water temp when treating bacterial disease.
This may do more harm than good, because bacteria often get more virulent at higher temps (especially temps in the mid 80s), so this often exacerbates the disease, and puts stress on the immune systems of fish like zebra danios, because they do best at temps in the 70sF.
Although they can tolerate seasonal extremes, in nature they are often found in fast flowing streams that remain stable in the high 60s, and can be found at altitudes or 1500ft, where temps remain quite low. They are basically minnows.
This may also be the cause in many Malawi Bloat cases, because the rift lakes of Africa are very stable temps, in the mid 70sF, and it seems many aquarists are under the misguided impression low to mid 80s is normal.

I did raise the temp in the hospital. I will drop the temp today when I get home.