Got a new fish

[Aquatictimes]

General cure/ EM rounds and quarantine seemed fine finally added him to my 40 gallon. Instantly started hiding and then this morning I saw this. He is not a Pearl scale. Butterfly Panda Goldfish. I’ll get him back in quarantine start with salt treatment warmer temperatures but is he too far gone to save? Any other medications to try?

He’s such a bute I hate to loose him. 

First pictures are in the store. Then the pictures from this morning. I will have to work on uploading the video as it’s not the right file. Only goldfish in the tank and only in this to grow a little bit before switching over to the indoor pond. The tank water is cloudy because of water change. 

Edited January 31, 2022 by Aquatictimes

[Colu]

Looks like Dropsy the best course of treatment is a combination of  kanaplex in food treat's any possible internal bacterial infection and it treats some types of kidney disease that can cause the fluid buildup and metroplex to treat the water column as it treats aeromonas bacteria that can cause Dropsy and salt 1 table spoon for 2 gallons to help reduce the fluid buildup 

Edited March 26, 2022 by Colu

[Aquatictimes]

Update on the new fish. Have had him rubbed since Monday treating with Marcyn 2 and salt. He’s still up and eating and pooping but he’s also still pineconed. I heard of you don’t see a change by day three to change up the meds. Looks like he may have columnaris on his head now too. Poor dude has the odds stacked against him but he’s still fighting!! So I’m gonna do my best to save him. Just goes to show why you quarantine when you buy a new fish. 

[quikv6]

Sending good vibes. Definitely Dropsy. The white mark doesn't look like Columnaris to me, but even if it did, Dropsy is your main fight here. It is tough. I have not treated it successfully, but I always feel like if the fish is eating, you have a fighting chance. Put the meds in the food. Don't stress over exact quantities....you really need to go with an all-or-nothing approach with dropsy, as it is a believe it is a symptom, and not a disease itself.

[Aquatictimes]

Woke up to see little guy eating not just the pellets disappear so that is great. Going to stop tonight and get focus to attach the meds to the food better. 

Ever seen a case this bad and come back from it? I have hope but I am worried. 

[Colu]

He's how i  dose maracyn2 in food use 1 quarter of a packet of maracyn2 1 scoop of focus one table spoon of pellets one cap of garlic guard and a few drops water feed for 7 days

Edited February 3, 2022 by Colu

[Aquatictimes]

@Colu I went to the pet store and got the focus and garlic guard. I will use it tomorrow as he seems to eat in the mornings even though I tried offering him some food during his epsom salt tubbing. 
 

Here’s what he looks like tonight. Call me hopeful but I think there is a small difference for the better. 
 

I’m getting really attached to this one as he comes over to us whichever side we are on. He’s so super friendly I really hope he makes it. 
 

[quikv6]

It's tough to tell a difference, but don't let that discourage you. I second Garlic Guard to add to the medicated food, to make it more enticing. You want those meds to end up in the gut.

Keep us posted here....I've got my fingers crossed.

[Aquatictimes]

Day 5 of treatment

[Guppysnail]

In my opinion he definitely looks less swollen and the spot on the head appears smaller to me. 🤞🏻 I’m rooting for your cute little one. 

[quikv6]

Those last pictures really seem to show improvement. That is great news. Keep doing what youre doing, and keep us posted. Pullin' for ya!

[Aquatictimes]

I am doing everything I can to get them back to full health. I have spent more in meds than what I did purchasing them and if it works it will be worth every penny. I sit with them every night for 20 minutes during the epsom salt soak and just send good vibes and give them a nice pep talk "You got this buddy" so I will be sure to pass along your well wishes tonight!

 

My question is, if they pull through. Is there a chance of relapse a few months from now and how long should I wait before they go back in the big tank?

@Guppysnail Is that a beautiful bearded dragon in your profile picture?

 

[Guppysnail]

On 2/4/2022 at 11:50 AM, Aquatictimes said:

Is that a beautiful bearded dragon in your profile picture?

Yes he was older and had a tummy tumor. He left me this august. I loved him. His name was Boops and he was my fishkeeping buddy. I used to use oak stands and always made sure he had a spot. He loved watching the fish and trying to catch shrimp 🥰

[Aquatictimes]

@GuppysnailMy rescue girl loves to watch the tanks too. I’m so sorry for your loss. That’s such a huge hole in your heart. They are incredible creatures. I’m glad you got the time with him that you did. They really know how to love. 

[Guppysnail]

On 2/4/2022 at 1:06 PM, Aquatictimes said:

@GuppysnailMy rescue girl loves to watch the tanks too. I’m so sorry for your loss. That’s such a huge hole in your heart. They are incredible creatures. I’m glad you got the time with him that you did. They really know how to love.

She is so beautiful 😍. I used to harness Boops as well. Of all the pets I ever had losing him was the hardest. Mine was a rescue at a show his tail was injured and toe missing and scabbed I seen him in a box on the floor in February!  I took him home  

Edited February 4, 2022 by Guppysnail

[Aquatictimes]

Weekend update. Still alive still swimming!!! We have started kanaplex meds and are putting maracyn 2 in their food  doing all we can to keep them going. Got the focus and the garlic guard, epsom salt baths for 20 minutes daily and keeping up with the pep talks  😝  My husband has officially dubbed this one pinecone despite my objections so i think it’s safe to say, everyone meet Pinecone. 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Aquatictimes
Added info and corrections.

[Aquatictimes]

Trying to read up on how long to keep retreating the fish after he has improved and when it is safe to put him back in the tank only to keep coming across these articles. I do believe that the cause of his dropsy was from the pet store, I think he had gill flukes as well as whatever what spot he came with on his head and maybe the stress of moving from one tank to a quarantine tank caused the downword spiral. My question is tho without those elements now in my tanks will his dropsy return?

His bloating has gone away but is it destined to return???

 

 

[quikv6]

First and foremost, kudos for giving that goldfish love, care, and devotion while treating something very difficult like dropsy. Much improvement is visible from the pictures!

Normally, folks say not to mix 2 different antibiotics at a time, but whatever you are doing is definitely working. It's hard to say if it will come back, as most don't get a second chance. I think a long term goal would be to eliminate any stress that was present before, as dropsy can appear as a symptom when something else is wrong. Stability and a low-stress environment are ideal.

Keep up the good work. Thanks for keeping us posted!

[Aquatictimes]

So here we are on Tuesday 2/9. Not many chances from my last post. I did not do a salt bath last night since most the swelling has gone down. I will look tonight and see if there is any change. If he continues down this path I see a positive outcome. We will see if he has any relapse in the future but as of right now I think I will stop daily updates. I will keep you posted when he moves out of quarantine and how he adjusts to his new tank once that day comes. I still feel like he is a very shy fish. But maybe that is because he is currently alone. Let me know your thoughts on how much longer he should stay in quarentine.

[Mydonkeyfish]

It is great that he is eating and behaving normally! I want to get some goldfish but only have a 20g open right now 😫 

Edited February 9, 2022 by Mydonkeyfish

[jwcarlson]

On 2/2/2022 at 3:49 PM, Aquatictimes said:

 

I've got to be honest, I've never wanted a goldfish or much understood the appeal.  But then I saw this picture, there's something about it that's just awesome... like he's kinda sad about a bad situation, but he's still grinding it out and putting on a brave face.

Hopefully he keeps with the improvement!  Rooting for him.

[Aquatictimes]

@Mydonkeyfish Yeah my other three fancies grew out of all the other tanks I put them in really quickly. They are now in a 90 gallon and seem to be doing well. 

@jwcarlson These guys have the most personality. My other fancies are all extremely different in personalities and I love it! Luna spits at me when she is hungry. Cloudjumper is shy and Toothless is so derpy. I can't wait to watch this little one grow and see what their personality is like. Seems shy right now but I can't tell if that's because he's alone or not feeling well. 

[Aquatictimes]

Here is an updated from yesterday. The only thing I notice is how red the underside of his gills still are. I have continued salt in the hospital tank and salt baths but have stopped medicating the water. He is receiving Maracyn 2 in his food with Garlic guard and focus. Let me know your thoughts on how long he should stay in his hospital tank being treated and when he would be good to go back in the 40 gallon. 

[Guppysnail]

This is just my opinion and how I would handle this. Dropsy is not an actual illness but a symptom. Usually of liver kidney or gill failing due to other issues. That’s why when people treat with different methods some seem to recover but others do not. For me I would keep nitrates as low as possible in the 40 and return when buoyancy and proper swimming returns as well as little to no swelling left. The red gills may be water issues occurring in the smaller tank. I’m not a medication person so again that is just how I would personally handle the situation if they were not showing overt signs of other illnesses. I’m very glad your buddy seems to be doing better. 

[Torrey]

On 2/6/2022 at 3:02 PM, Aquatictimes said:

Trying to read up on how long to keep retreating the fish after he has improved and when it is safe to put him back in the tank only to keep coming across these articles. I do believe that the cause of his dropsy was from the pet store, I think he had gill flukes as well as whatever what spot he came with on his head and maybe the stress of moving from one tank to a quarantine tank caused the downword spiral. My question is tho without those elements now in my tanks will his dropsy return?

His bloating has gone away but is it destined to return???

 

 

I agree with Guppysnail, regarding dropsy as well as the red gills.

I was skimming through, I didn't see if you had used a dewormer for the possible gill flukes? Colu and Odd Duck are the medicine gurus. Typically, salt will eradicate most external parasites, so you might not need a separate dewormer, that is not my area of expertise. 

The reason the Chewy article says the majority pass within a few months, is the majority of fish owners don't change whatever caused the kidney or gill damage to begin with. If the root cause isn't addressed, of course they are not going to survive. 

So I would recommend keeping water as clean as possible. Frequent, small water changes to minimize stress, and help your little fighter get used to your hands being in the tank. 

I would handfeed any of my fish in QT, and all of my bettas, so they learned to associate my hands with yummy food treats (live or frozen blackworms, bbs, and bloodworms) and not the source of stress (makes examinations so much easier!)

I would keep floating plants like frogbit to ensure ammonia, nitrites & nitrates are removed from the water as quickly as the fish poops (mild exaggeration, but it conveys the idea).

You have done an amazing job, glad he came to you for proper care.

[I have had a few bettas live up to 18 months after dropsy. Considering that they typically have ~3 year lifespans, and all but one of my bettas lived past age 3, I suspect old age was a bigger factor in their passing than the dropsy. Water parameters and temperature fluctuations were the leading cause of illnesses in my bettas]