Dropsy/bloat prognosis

[JSkogh]

About a week ago, one of my Tiger Barbs started swimming upside down. First reaction was uh oh, this can't be good. I'm relatively new to the aquarium world, so I kept an eye on him to see how he was doing. The poor fish seemed to be getting worse and worse. He was so bloated, he was almost double his normal width. Everything I read in the computer seemed to point to dropsy. I was expecting him to get the pinecone look any moment (but never did). Everything I read seemed to say he was going to die and I should put him out of his misery. I was very close a few times. I have angels in the tank and another Tiger Barb... I didn't want them nipping at him and making it worse.
I ended up doing a significant water change, about 40%, and tossed some aquarium salt in. My sick fish at this point was almost wedged, upside down, between the glass and the filter. I went to bed expecting him to be dead the next morning (again, I almost removed him from the tank at this point but didn't have the heart).
The next day my barb looked normal! He's been swimming around with his buddy and looks and acts like nothing ever happened! Thank God I didn't put him out of his misery.

My question is: is this normal? Everything I read pointed to the fact he had no chance of living. Do you think he's in the clear, or could he still have an issue and die? (Obviously nobody is God, but I'm asking based on your experience and knowledge)


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[FeatherFin]

Welcome!

It may have been that he was very bloated from constipation or something blocking his digestive tract. After it passed, he normalized. The water change may have also helped him fight off something else and he was able to pass it through his system. Some infections block the digestive tract or cause gas build up. Gulps of air when feeding can cause bloating as well which is why it's often advised to allow pellets to soak in some tank water a few minutes before feeding to remove excess air. Eating too much starch like flakes have can also cause bloating so varying the fishes diet often helps.

One simple cure for bloat in a lot of fish(that are not only carnivorous) is a frozen pea, defrosted, softened, shelled and cut into small pieces. A few seconds in the microwave will usually do it to defrost and soften. Peas are a laxitive and can help clear the fish. Daphnia can be used similarly if you have any or have a carnivorous fish. Another cure is epsom salt baths which involve adding a small amount of epsom salt(usually 1/4 to 1/2 tsp) to at least a gallon of water and leaving the fish(unless very stressed) for a short amount of time. This can help release waste and toxins. It requires more of a process, but is generally effective when done correctly.

Another possibility for bloat is pregnancy or being filled with eggs but this is unlikely from your description. In the instance of it though, the above cures shouldn't hurt the fish that I've heard but shouldn't be needed under normal circumstances.