View Full Version: Dropsy And Wasting Syndrome

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Title: Dropsy And Wasting Syndrome
Description: Cures and simptoms


fishkeepergod - January 22, 2007 06:45 PM (GMT)
I have two questions really;
One can you cure Dropsy? and Two what is Livebearer wasting syndrome ?

Robyn - January 23, 2007 04:42 PM (GMT)
Treatment for dropsy is usually futile. The best hope for a cure would be injections of antibiotics which really require a fish vet. Alas, there are none in my entire state (except for the aquarium which won't see pet fish). For a fish with dropsy, the recommendations include using aquarium salt (sodium chloride) or Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) and antibiotics (in food if the fish is eating and/or in the water). Epsom salts are said to work better for some. Either type of salt will reduce the work the fish's body has to do to keep pumping water out of its body. I've tried treating dropsy with erythromycin and minocycline to cover both gram positive and negative bacteria. I've never been able to truly cure a fish of dropsy but have had a few that did reduce in size only to later get fat again. Having a clean tank reduces the chance of a fish getting dropsy in the first place.

Fish wasting disease is fish tuberculosis. I don't know if that's the same as livebearer wasting syndrome. The story with fish TB is similar to the dropsy and has some similar symptoms. My fish either get huge with cheese-like white tumors that eventually burst the body cavity, or they become anorexic with bent spines. Those two seemingly opposite problems are the same disease. It is not curable but the salt and antibiotics may reduce the bacterial levels and help some. One person says Kanamycin works I think it was. Unlike dropsy where a fish with it will die pretty quickly (within a few weeks), fish can carry fish TB for years with no symptoms and once they get symptoms, can live for weeks or months like that. I've had fish with symptoms live almost a year. It is highly contagious to the point that all my fish have been exposed and are carriers even though most seem healthy. I (or rather they) just live with it.

fishkeepergod - January 25, 2007 06:37 PM (GMT)
Ah i see I thought there was no cure for dropsy I find the only way to stop the fish from suffering is to euthanase, I am always reluctant to kill my fish especially my most recent she was my first and only home bread fantail.
The fish TB thing I knew nothing about though and this is interesting.
Aparrantly wasting syndrome causes livebeares to die off for no apparant reason,my male sailfin molly died suddenly one night and he was from what I could see fine the previous day.




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