Q&A for How to Cure Goldfish Dropsy

It may be possible to cure a fish in the early stage of being infected by dropsy (bloat, evidenced by such symptoms as a huge, swollen belly and skin lesions on the fish) but the hard truth is that it is difficult to cure. The difficulty is that by the time the fish shows signs of dropsy, its immune system has already been compromised and it is not a healthy fish (healthy fish don’t get dropsy). If the dropsy is diagnosed very early in the infection and prompt treatment is given, it may be possible to cure it through isolation from healthy fish, using appropriate antibiotics, a healthy diet and low stress; follow the instructions above if you’re trying to cure your fish of dropsy.

Dropsy itself is not infectious. However, the environmental factors that may have contributed to it could cause other fish to become infected if not addressed (such as spikes in ammonia or nitrite, poor water quality, improper water temperature, stressors such as putting wrong fish together, inadequate nutrition, etc.). The reason a dropsy-infected goldfish should be separated during recovery is to ensure that it isn’t stressed by other fish and you can tweak its environmental needs to aid healing; also, some of the treatment conditions needed for the fish with dropsy are not good for the healthy fish to be subjected to.

It is unclear what problem you want to “treat,” but here are some suggestions that might answer your concern. First, if you’re dealing with your goldfish dying, read How to Save a Dying Goldfish . If you want to know how to to cure goldfish ich, see How to Cure Goldfish Ich . If you’re concerned about goldfish dropsy, read through the article above. Finally, if you need to know how to handle a goldfish, check out How to Handle a Fish with Care .

One cause of goldfish losing scales is through scraping or banging them on something in the tank, such as on equipment or in-tank decorations. Another cause may be as a result of a bacterial skin infection or a reaction to stress. In some cases, another fish might be biting off the scales, either as an act of aggression or in an attempt to clean or scavenge off algae on the goldfish. Observe your goldfish's behavior and health when trying to work out why your goldfish is losing its scales.

When the fish's scales stick out, that's when the mortality rate is at its highest.

Up to seven to ten days. After that, if the dropsy isn't cured, you have to do a large water change and move on to a different treatment. Sadly, dropsy is very hard to cure.

You want them to be comfortable but cold cycles are better usually drop the temp by two degrees until it reaches 72 for tropical fish and 69-70 for coldwater fish but do not go lower than that. This causes the swelling, the fish and the bacteria to become more dormant. You just have to remember dropsy is just a symptom not a disease or injury so it could be things as far as kidney failure or the common bacterial infection.

You should not put epsom salt in a tank. You should treat your fish in a separate container.

Yes, they are of the same species.

If it is severe, contact your vet for advice immediately.

Aquarium water should be changed with fresh, dechlorinated water once or twice a week. Make sure to regularly test your water with a test kit such as the API Master Freshwater Test kit to be sure that your aquarium is under control.

It really depends on the type of fish you have, but between 72 and 80 degrees is normally good.

Are you sure the "goldfish" was not black originally? When goldfish breed in a pond, the temperature is lower that of an aquarium and many will be black for the first year or so. In summertime, as the temperature rises, the fish will gradually turn gold, starting from underneath first and finishing with the top fin last. Could this possibly be the case?

Yes. Each is an antibiotic and they target different types of bacteria. It's important to start with one, check for improvement, and move onto the other.

You add salt after you move the fish, preferably Epsom salt. Make sure the new tank and the water are clean before adding the fish.

Kanaplex should be given separate from Epsom salt. Kanaplex is an antibiotic that needs to consistently stay in your tank and/or be fed to your fish. Constant exposure to Epsom salt may lead to anemia. To decrease bloat, give your fish an Epsom salt bath for 20 minutes 2-3 times a day, and then return him into the bowl with the Kanaplex.

You can find them at your local pet store or online.

5-10 years is pretty common, though they can live quite a bit longer than this if properly cared for.

It could be dropsy, but it could also be a swim bladder problem; both can cause these symptoms.

No.

Try feeding it as you normally would. If the fish doesn't eat or doesn't have the energy to, you may want to try "hand feeding" it. You would place the food right by his/her mouth, making sure s/he sees it and eats it.

Unfortunately, yes. Goldfish with dropsy are literally having their bodies filled with fluid. Also, in severe cases, the fish cannot eat, so it slowly starves to death.

Fish need aqarium salt for their kidneys to function properly. Don't put table salts in the tank, because that might kill the fish.

Look closely at the belly of the fish. You should notice: The belly is bloated in a good way, not too fat. And there are tiny lumps in the belly. If you see only the first symptom, that might mean your fish has swim bladder disease.

You will only cause major pain and stress the fish out, don't do that. Follow the tips on the guide and your fish will have a high chance to make it out fine.

No, be sure to only use 100% dye-free fragrance free Epsom salt. Normal salt can and will hurt the fish.