Red Oranda goldfish- Scales sticking out?!

[Spizwa]

I just joined and I was hoping someone could help me.

I have two Red Orandas in a 30 gal tank, all the water levels are fine and I feed them every few days alternating between flakes, blood worms and brine shrimp. They are swimming around fine and are eating like normal, but their scales are sticking out. Their bodies aren't puffy or bloated it is just their scales. I have been treating them with Melafix, but the same thing happened a few weeks back and now they have this issue again. I don't know whats wrong with them and I'm so worried about them can anyone help me?
-Spizwa

 

[dkpate]

I would look at pics of dropsy. I just had to put one of my fish down for dropsy, and I still don't know what caused it, since my water parameters are perfect.

 

[Spizwa]

One of them died last night! :'-( I feel so bad.
I went to the fish shop that i got them yesterday and talked to the people. They gave me some antibiotics and some frozen food to mix it in. I also picked up a hard core water testing kit. I tested the water with that and found everything within the correct parameters except for the Ph, it was 8.2. I guess that was the problem? I'm going to keep giving the antibiotics to the remaining fish and doing water changes. Anything more I can do?

 

[dkpate]

I am not sure how to cure dropsy. Maybe someone else will know, or you can find out how online?

Sorry about your fish.

 

[Spizwa]

Thats ok, I will keep looking. Hopefully my other fish will recover. I'll let you know if it works.

 

[dkpate]

I wish you luck!!! My guppy was too far gone when I noticed the scales.

 

[BlackMagic]

dropsy is like cancer, there no cure to it, there only LUCK.
pray n wish.

the chance of a fish with dropsy will cure is 3%.

there r way to slow down the symptom, a salt bath.
it will not be 100% but it will slow it down.

without a pic i cant tell u much, again u r feeding them live stock. so ask urself how much r u feeding them. over feeding on live stock will cause swim bladder.

 

[dkpate]

I found a good article on dropsy, although I believe the pics to be a little extreme, and my fish didn't look like that.
Aquarium Fish - Dropsy - Disease Identification, Diagnosis & Treatment

I attached a pic of my fish. It's the lower one, and you can see it's scales sticking out.

 

[Spizwa]

That was a good article thank you. Well so far my other goldfish is doing fine and there are no signs of dropsy with him. The antibiotic seemed to treat his symptoms. I'm going to be really careful what I feed him, mostly peas I think. That is too bad your guppy died, they look really nice. None of your others have a problem do they?

 

[dkpate]

Nope, no other fish has problems. I still wish I knew what caused it though.
I am glad your goldie is getting better! And since it is, I am not sure it WAS dropsy, unless you caught it just in time, which would be awesome!

 

[Spizwa]

Thats good! Yeah i'm just glad he is ok, must have been a bacterial infection or something.