dropsy dropsy is a disease of the abdomen
common infectious disease, in which Accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity of the fish comes. The disease can affect any species of fish, but mostly fish with reduced immune defenses are affected. Abdominal dropsy is high contagious and can pass on to the other fish of the stock. Without timely treatment, the disease ends fatally.
The fish appear bloated, the eyes may protrude and the scales stick out from the body. Due to the filling of the abdominal cavity, the fish are impaired in their swimming movements. They either stay on the bottom or stay on the water surface.
Below you will find a List the most common symptoms of dropsy:
– fluid-filled abdomen – apathy and reduced flight behavior – reluctance to eat – exophthalmos (bulging eyes) – uncontrolled swimming movements – staying on the ground or on the water surface – inflammation of the skin – excretion of mucous feces with parts of the intestinal mucosa
Photos and videos for comparison
dropsy in neon tetras © Karolin Wisch
Causes of dropsy
Although dropsy is considered an infectious disease, the causative agent has not yet been identified.
It is amed that it is a viral or bacterial disease is. It is certain that bacteria are involved, which are present in the substrate and in the water of the aquarium. The genera Aeromonas and Pseudonomas have been identified.
Under normal circumstances, these bacteria are harmless, but in sick or debilitated fish, they can act as opportunistic pathogens.
Fish that Stress are exposed – for example by a poor water quality, wrong nutrition or insufficient care – more easily fall ill with dropsy.
Course of the disease
The disease is usually noticed when the fish increases in girth and begins to show uncoordinated swimming movements. Also the protruding of the eyes is already evident in the early course of the disease. In the stage treatment is often successful. The further the disease progresses, the less likely it is to survive. In further course inflammation of the skin appears. Ulcers can form. Secondary fungal infection can occur. If the fish begins to excrete light-colored feces containing parts of mucous membrane, it can be amed that the internal organs are severely affected. If no treatment has taken place, the fish will die kidney failure.
Treatment of abdominal dropsy
If you notice the symptoms of abdominal dropsy in your fish, you should immediately separate it from the rest of the fish and place it in a Quarantine basin implement. The pathogens, which are excreted with the feces, otherwise get into the water and the other fish can become infected.
Treatment of dropsy can be attempted if the disease is diagnosed at an early stage. The active ingredient Nifurpirinol is often used for treatment. Furthermore we can Salt baths are used. For this, dissolve 1 to 5 grams of salt in 1 liter of water and bathe the fish in it. Find out beforehand what salinity your fish species tolerates. The bath helps the fish to release the accumulated liquid. In addition, it can reduce the density of pathogens. After the treatment should be a Partial water change occur and the Oxygen content and reduce the Temperature should be slightly increased.