Need confirmation of dropsy asap please

[FishMama814]

I have a 29 gallon tank with:

2 swordtails: 1F/1M

6 platys: 5F/1M

6 guppies: 4F/2M

Water parameters: (tested using 8-in-one test strips, not sure of the brand)

pH: 7.0

hardness: 250mg/L

ammonia: 0

nitrite: 0

nitrate: 0

chlorine: 0

carbonate root: ~10mg/L

alkalinity: 140mg/L

Tank history and other things to note:

The tank was a 20 gallon but I moved it to a 29 2 weeks ago and at that time, added 3F and 1M guppy and 3F platys. However, 1 Platy and 2F guppies passed. I normally do not add that many fish at once and the guppies normally have a better F/M ratio than they do right now because of the 2 Fs passing. I got excited at the fish store and completely forgot the 3 at a time rule until I was on my way home. 🤦🏻‍♀️ The 29 gallon was cycled for 1 week prior to adding fish using the media from the 20 gallon and I buy precycled water from the (reputable) fish store I frequent. 
 

This tank has babies CONSTANTLY! There was a breeder box in the tank with upwards of 30 babies in it until this weekend. I put the filter for a 6.5 gallon I already had into the 29 gallon filter box for a week, then moved it into the 6 gallon filter with the same precycled water from the fish store. I let that sit for 48 hours, then moved the babies into that tank. I typically  “donate” the babies to my fish store, I just haven’t had a chance to get over there recently. 
 

I bought some vegetables at the grocery store this weekend and remembered I had read something about veggies being good for fish, so I looked more into it. I read raw carrots are fine to give in small chunks so I cut off a few small chunks and threw them in the tank. I also read blanched zucchini was great for livebearers so I gave them a couple pieces of blanched zucchini as well. I’ve noticed a couple of them flicking the past couple days but their water parameters were perfect so I figured they were fine and it was a fluke. 
 

This morning, I noticed the two F guppies, that most recently gave birth to at least 7ish+ babies each, were not looking too good. Now they are at the top of the water shimmying, their bellies are HUGE (bloated) with bright red at the back of their body and anus areas. One of them looks like she has a scar/reddish scales (could be pine cone scales) on the top of her back, too. From what I’m reading, it looks like dropsy. If this is the case:

proper euthanizing methods?

Will all the fish end up with dropsy? The babies? Are both tanks doomed and I’m just waiting for them to all get it and pass away? 
 

I know the sooner I get them out the better chance I have at saving the rest so confirmation of dropsy / a fatal outcome asap would be super helpful!! Thank you in advance for any help! 

Edited June 6, 2023 by FishMama814
Clarification and additions

[Colu]

You kH is on the low side for guppies and platys low kH can cause a lot of health problems in livebearers due to lack of minerals they can start to fall apart what I would do is add some crushed coral or aragonite to raise your KH and I would do a course of kanaplex as that looks like a bacterial infections  @FishMama814

[FishMama814]

Thank you so much. I have 2 cups of your crushed coral in a media bag in the filter. Should I do something different? 

[Colu]

On 6/6/2023 at 4:03 AM, FishMama814 said:

Thank you so much. I have 2 cups of your crushed coral in a media bag in the filter. Should I do something different? 

Typically you need to add half a pound of crushed coral for 10 gallons I would add some to the substrate add half that amount to the substrate and see were your pH and KH goes to or you could add some Texas holey rock that will naturally buffer your tank raising your pH kH GH 

[FishMama814]

Amazing! I actually have a few pieces of Texas holy rock I can add! I just gave my first dose of kanaplex and metroplex and am mixing up some focus with their food for tonight’s feed. 
 

The two pictured fish have been LTR and am hoping if the others have it, they aren’t as far along so the medication will help. Thank you so much for your help. 

[FishMama814]

UPDATE: Treating dropsy AND ich now!! I just now noticed the first white spots. They’ve had one round of metro & kanaplex with focus mixed food. I have your recommended ich treatment saved as a photo, however, can I do it at the same time as I treat the dropsy? And, I have A LOT of live plants in my tank, should I still do the 1 table : 5 gallons (6 tables : 29 gallons-I rounded) of aquarium salt? I’m also moving the temp up 2 degrees every hour till I reach 82. According to package directions, I was planning on doing the second round of metro & kanaplex on Thursday and the third and last dose on Saturday. Best options for adding ich to the treatment plan? Thank you in advance! 

Edited June 8, 2023 by FishMama814
Add pictures and additional questions

[Colu]

What I would do is just treat with metroplex in food feeding a small amount twice a day for upto 3 weeks  and treat the tank with ick X for three days after you see the lasted spots I would also add a small amount of aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 5 gallons as Ich causes massive electrolyte loss and the salt will add back in essential electrolytes kanaplex isn't very effective in food as its poorly absorbed by the intestinal tract so it's better to dose the tank I would  dose the tank with kanaplex if your seeing no improvement after you finish treating with ick X 

[FishMama814]

To clarify:

already treated the whole tank with seachem metroplex and seachem kanaplex. One dose per package directions.

made Seachem Focus food mixture with garlic guard and a few drops of water. 1 feeding so far.

can I do the ich x treatment alongside the kanaplex and metroplex treatment? 
 

Is the 1table to 5 gal (6tables for my tank) safe for the plants? (This is a HEAVILY planted tank) should I change ratio?
 

Should I stick with the Seachem Focus food mixture or switch to the metroplex you suggested?

Thank you so so much!!! 

[Colu]

What I would do is just use metroplex in food while treating the tank  with ick X I wouldn't dose the tank with kanaplex and metroplex while treating with ick X and 1 table spoon for 5 gallons shouldn't harm your plants you can use less salt if your worried about your plants 1 table spoon for 7 gallons @FishMama814

[FishMama814]

Perfect! I will do exactly that. 
 

Do need to anything for the dropsy? Or will the metroplex food work for that? 
 

sorry for all the questions. Thank you for your patience. 

[Colu]

On 6/8/2023 at 2:49 AM, FishMama814 said:

Perfect! I will do exactly that. 
 

Do need to anything for the dropsy? Or will the metroplex food work for that? 
 

sorry for all the questions. Thank you for your patience. 

Dropsy is just a name that cover a multitude of illness such as polycystic kidney disease organ failure internal bacterial infections  lots  these can cause the characteristic pineconing you associate with Dropys what I usually recommend is a combination of aquarium salt to help reduce the fluid buildup metroplex in food that treats aeromonas that can cause some of the symptoms you see with Dropys and kanaplex to treat any possible internal bacterial infections kanaplex is also a good antibiotic treatment for kidney infection that can cause fluid buildup what I would do is just treat with metroplex in food and   aquarium salt and ick X once you have treated the ich then I would do course of kanaplex if your seeing no improvement with the fish with pineconing 

[FishMama814]

I really really appreciate it! I will follow these directions exactly! Will give updates with progress! I can’t thank you enough! 

[FishMama814]

I found the cause. I swear I know every single fish that has ever been in any of my tanks. I have been known to count my fish daily.
 

However, I went to do a water change to add ich x treatment today and a dead fish covered in a cotton ball (fungus) fell from one of the hiding decor pieces. 🤦🏻‍♀️🫣

I seriously, even now, can not account for this fish. No recollection of what it looked, don’t recall ever buying it…so strange. But there was definitely a very dead very fungus infested fish in my tank.

Any change in course of treatment? (*metroplex in food, 6tbls of salt added, ich x every 24 hours until 3 days after the last spots disappear)

[Colu]

On 6/9/2023 at 3:44 AM, FishMama814 said:

I found the cause. I swear I know every single fish that has ever been in any of my tanks. I have been known to count my fish daily.
 

However, I went to do a water change to add ich x treatment today and a dead fish covered in a cotton ball (fungus) fell from one of the hiding decor pieces. 🤦🏻‍♀️🫣

I seriously, even now, can not account for this fish. No recollection of what it looked, don’t recall ever buying it…so strange. But there was definitely a very dead very fungus infested fish in my tank.

Any change in course of treatment? (*metroplex in food, 6tbls of salt added, ich x every 24 hours until 3 days after the last spots disappear)

I would keep up with the treatment I recommended till you have dealt with ich outbreak 

[FishMama814]

@Colu

UPDATE: 

I completed the treatment - 10% water change before every ichx addition + ichx everyday + kanaplex every other day + metroplex in food

treatment was continued for 3 days after all spots and symptoms disappeared. 
 

on day 3 (last Friday), started to see flicking again but had just added the “last dose” of ichx and was going out of town the next day (Saturday). Decided to leave it and see how they looked when I returned today (Monday). 
 

I have seen a couple flicks but could be due to stress cause they’re all pregnant. I have one guppy that has a suspicious couple of cloudy (potentially fluffy) white-ish scales on her back. She’s also much more stationary than usual. Especially for a guppy. Swimming in the same spot, mid area of aquarium.

Should I go ahead and start a round of fungal treatment? I was thinking of following your columnaris or fungal infection treatment. Which one would you recommend or would you do something else completely. 
 

tank is still salted (1tblspn:5gallons) and I am doing the water change today from the last dose of ichx.

[Colu]

On 6/19/2023 at 6:37 PM, FishMama814 said:

@Colu

UPDATE: 

I completed the treatment - 10% water change before every ichx addition + ichx everyday + kanaplex every other day + metroplex in food

treatment was continued for 3 days after all spots and symptoms disappeared. 
 

on day 3 (last Friday), started to see flicking again but had just added the “last dose” of ichx and was going out of town the next day (Saturday). Decided to leave it and see how they looked when I returned today (Monday). 
 

I have seen a couple flicks but could be due to stress cause they’re all pregnant. I have one guppy that has a suspicious couple of cloudy (potentially fluffy) white-ish scales on her back. She’s also much more stationary than usual. Especially for a guppy. Swimming in the same spot, mid area of aquarium.

Should I go ahead and start a round of fungal treatment? I was thinking of following your columnaris or fungal infection treatment. Which one would you recommend or would you do something else completely. 
 

tank is still salted (1tblspn:5gallons) and I am doing the water change today from the last dose of ichx.

It's difficult to tell off your picture does it have a fuzzy appearance 

[FishMama814]

@Colu

UPDATE: 

I completed the treatment - 10% water change before every ichx addition + ichx everyday + kanaplex every other day + metroplex in food

treatment was continued for 3 days after all spots and symptoms disappeared. 
 

on day 3 (last Friday), started to see flicking again but had just added the “last dose” of ichx and was going out of town the next day (Saturday). Decided to leave it and see how they looked when I returned today (Monday). 
 

I have seen a couple flicks but could be due to stress cause they’re all pregnant. I have one guppy that has a suspicious couple of cloudy (potentially fluffy) white-ish scales on her back. She’s also much more stationary than usual. Especially for a guppy. Swimming in the same spot, mid area of aquarium.

Should I go ahead and start a round of fungal treatment? I was thinking of following your columnaris or fungal infection treatment. Which one would you recommend or would you do something else completely. 
 

tank is still salted (1tblspn:5gallons) and I am doing the water change today from the last dose of ichx.

 

it looks like it could potentially be fuzzy. It’s just the two little scales but I know it’s definitely not normally that color and hasn’t looked that way in the past.
 

There was the previous potential case of dropsy in this tank which is what started all of this. It looks similar to this (pictures attached) on the fish that I thought had dropsy and ended up passing. It could be pine coning. She could also very likely be in labor. She is hiding a lot too. 

[FishMama814]

On 6/19/2023 at 2:32 PM, FishMama814 said:

There was the previous potential case of dropsy in this tank which is what started all of this. It looks similar to this (pictures attached) on the fish that I thought had dropsy and ended up passing. It could be pine coning. She could also very likely be in labor. She is hiding a lot too.

@Colu Meant to send this as a reply but it included the whole previous post. Sorry about that. Reattached pictures for convenience. Read quoted portion above.

it doesn’t look fuzzy to me. More like a couple bleached scales. 

Edited June 19, 2023 by FishMama814
Clarity

[Colu]

On 6/19/2023 at 9:36 PM, FishMama814 said:

@Colu Meant to send this as a reply but it included the whole previous post. Sorry about that. Reattached pictures for convenience. Read quoted portion above.

it doesn’t look fuzzy to me. More like a couple bleached scales. 

As you haven't seen any improvement after treating with kanaplex and metroplex it could be a tumor causing the changes to the scales there really common in livebearers due to low genetic diversity if you can I would quarantine and treat with aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 1 gallon for 1-2 weeks give an update in a week 

[FishMama814]

@Colu My response never posted for some reason but it said “perfect! Will do! Thanks!” 
 

however, I lost that fish yesterday. Today, another female guppy with the same symptoms. See attached pictures. It SEEMS to only be the female guppies. Or at least they’re the only ones showing visible symptoms and passing. I’m starting to get discouraged. I feel frustrated that I’m not doing something right. Will this tank ever get back to normal?

😔😩🥺

Edited June 23, 2023 by FishMama814

[Colu]

9 hours ago, FishMama814 said:

@Colu My response never posted for some reason but it said “perfect! Will do! Thanks!” 
 

however, I lost that fish yesterday. Today, another female guppy with the same symptoms. See attached pictures. It SEEMS to only be the female guppies. Or at least they’re the only ones showing visible symptoms and passing. I’m starting to get discouraged. I feel frustrated that I’m not doing something right. Will this tank ever get back to normal?

😔😩🥺

What I would do is quarantine and treat with aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 1 gallon  and do a course of jungal fungus clear fizz tabs containing nitrofurazone