Betta Fish looking Sick. PLZ HELP!!!

[LobsterParty000]

Hello. I went on vacation for four days, i was in a hurry and couldnt ask anyone to feed my fish so he went unfed for four days. When i got home he was looking pretty pale and wasnt moving as much as usual, i looked closer and hus gills looked fairly swollen and his scales were sticking out a bit. I immediately fed him but he wouldnt eat. This was yesterday. Is he sick? Is there anything i can buy to help him? Please help!

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[Fishanatic]

This sounds like dropsy to me. The cause is not the lack of food, but instead the poor water conditions and stress factor. Now I dont wanna sound bad but not all fish make it out, so be prepared. There are various methods of treatement. First you wanna make sure the tank stays as clean as possible with near 5nitrates and 0s in ammonia and nitrites. Also, increase the temperature of the aquarium and if able try getting some antibiotics. Some might say it might be too late, but it might be saved. Could we have a picture with the tank dimensions?

 

[Noviceafter2yea]

An EPSOM salt bath can relieve some of the pressure from bloating. Google the exact way to do it. I have read, but am not an expert, that it should be done as soon as possible. Do NOT use aquarium salt as that retains water and would make the bloating worse.

Dropsy is often secondary to an underlying disease, so check for symptoms of other diseases and treat accordingly.

 

[LobsterParty000]

Ok great thanks! Ill try my best to help him out. Hes really special because ive had him for 3 years now. Thanks!!

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[LobsterParty000]

I was too late. Hes gone now.

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[Noviceafter2yea]

I'm sorry . It is so hard to lose a pet.

 

[LobsterParty000]

He wasnt a pet. He was a friend.

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[Noviceafter2yea]

He wasnt a pet. He was a friend.

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You have no idea how much I understand. Again, I am sorry.

 

[Fishanatic]

Sorry for your loss :/ Happens to all of us unfortunately.

 

[LobsterParty000]

Im provably gonna buy a new one soon but still.

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[dragon14]

I am so sorry for your loss.

We lost our betta boy a few weeks ago to dropsy. We lost him about 5 days after first noticing symptoms. We did epsom salt and raised the temp and some pima fix. We weren't able to get any other medicine in time (may not have helped anyway). We miss him terribly. We were very attached to him, he was our little buddy. He's buried in our yard.