Dropsy? Or Pregnant?

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Madame_X

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
582
Location
Mesa, AZ
I've been thinking that my female Mickey Mouse platy has been getting bigger the past week or so, and I suspected she was pregnant. Tonight, I looked at her and she's enormous. She looks like she's about to explode.

Could she just be pregnant? Or does it sound more like dropsy? She has the pinecone symptom, but I can see how her scales would stick out from being that big due to pregnancy, too. I just don't know.

My black platy never got that big when she was pregnant, but she always had small litters (5 or 6, at least that's all we found).

Water parameters are 0 ammonia/0 nitrite/30 nitrate (kinda high). Although my normal water change day is Saturday, I'm going to do this tank tonight.
 
I just looked at my nitrate test in better light. The chart is really hard to read, as its on a piece of paper rather than a card, but I don't even think I have 20ppm of nitrate in that tank. I just did a water change last Saturday....

I really hope she's just pregnant. Gonna do a water change anyway (just one day early, so...).
 
Could be pregnant, could be dropsy; could also be constipation. Try some daphnia or smooshed, cooked pea and see if it helps.
 
Devilishturtles said:
Not sure, but can you see her gravid spot? It gets dark when they are pregnant...

I looked, but I don't see a dark spot. However, I did a little research and found a site that suggests that you can't always see the gravid spot on platies and mollies. Dunno... :|

I put some epsom salts in the tank, as I had read it can help a pregnant livebearer with labor in addition to its diuretic properties. She's definitely uncomfortable (she seems to be panting) but she swims around. If she's sick, I should probably just put her down but I'd feel really bad if I found out she was just pregnant.

I guess I'll just watch her for a few days and see what happens.
 
Yeah, definitley watch. Does the bloating seem to be getting worse? If it is actually dropsy, you'd be able to tell because she will get fatter and FATTER every day and the pineconing will get progressively worse. If the epsom salts don't work, try the peas. I have had great luck with them. Don't give up yet unless you are positive that it is dropsy and that you have done everything to help but she isn't getting any better. At this stage of the disease, hope isnt gone yet! Let us know and Good luck!
 
It WAS dropsy. I found her dead yesterday morning. :(

I feel bad for letting her suffer...
 
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