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According to Hollywood Fish Farms:'"Epsom salt for treating dropsy Dropsy is a potentially fatal condition in which the kidneys of a fish fail, leading to fluid retention. A fish experiencing dropsy has a bloated abdomen and raised scales. Epsom salt may be used as part of dropsy treatment by...

Have you cycled your aquarium?

I'd be very wary of adding salt. Many freshwater fish have a low tolerance for salt. There are certain fish diseases and parasites that might be cured or ameliorated by the addition of salt, but just adding salt because a fish looks ill is not a good idea.

The biggest problem here, which is only going to get worse, is the size of the tank. You need at least a 250 L tank with the fish you have.

Almost all fish are happier in groups of their own kind.I dislike the concept of centerpiece fish as if fish were cut flowers. The tank will look better and the fish will be healthier. And angel fish and pearl gourami are too big for this tank

If this is a permanent condition I suggest getting a reverse osmosis system. In the long run far cheaper than store bought water.

I agree with the advice of raising temperature, vacuuming the gravel, and changing water. But use ich meds, they work.

Test strlps are notoriously unreliable; use liquid tests instead.

I have received a few shipments with a few dead fish - that's rare, though. But I don't ever recall having fish die within a week if they were alive when I put them in the tank. You don't want to add the shipping water to your tanks - you don't know what's in it. I highly recommend WetSpot

Float the bag for 10 minutes then pour the water and fish into a net. Discard water, add fish to tank.

I've ordered fish online a few dozen times. Usually works fine. Have to pay for shipping but you get a lot more choices of fish. Try Wetspot or Aquarium Fish Sale

Firemouths are easy to breed but they are aggressive fish, so they need to be in a tank of their own. Provide hiding spaces, like flower pots.

I'm not a big fan of single "centerpiece fish." Most all fish are happier in groups. I would suggest green or black neons or some other species of small tetra. That would make an attractive tank.

I might add, depends on where your tap water comes from. If you are on a private well, you probably won't have chlorine

I'm a big fan of acrylic tanks. I've had 20 of them from 20 to 100 gallons and never had a problem. Light in weight, more clarity than glass, no frames to spoil the view, virtually unbreakable. Downside is that they are more expensive. Scratching is not a problem if you are careful and virtually...

Or you can invest in a reverse osmosis setup. Not too expensive. Then you can have whatever pH you need.

Fish explosions? Absolute nonsense. They may break open if injured or via a disease, but not with any explosive force, no matter how much you feed them.

I don't disagree but I still see no reason for skipping a day on purpose.

It is true that fish are opportunistic feeders in the wild, but in a tank, you likely feed them every day at the same time, so their behavior and metabolism become attuned to that routine. I just don't see the point in skipping a day.

I frankly don't see the point of skipping a day of feeding. Just like you, they are used to a certain routine and their physiology becomes accustomed to eating at a certain time. Getting them accustomed to a certain feeding time and then skipping a day seems cruel. If tank clarity is a problem...

The best ways to tell the difference are: White spot/Ich usually appears as white dots no larger than a grain of salt. Epistylis will grow up slightly into the water column from the fish. Epistylis is often clustered. White spot tends to be spread fairly evenly across the body. Epistylis...

I don't like the idea of a centerpiece fish. Most all fish are much happier in groups of their own.

The photo is too small to make a good ID but it's certainly not a flea and I seriously doubt that it came from the driftwood underwater. Don't use any chemicals in the water. Looks like a terrestrial bug that just likes the underside of the aquarium lid for heat and moisture. Look around the...

I'm not fond of the concept of centerpiece fish, as if one were arranging a bouquet of dead flowers. Fish are generally more happy with others of their own species, with some exceptions like bettas. Maybe get a betta or more tetras or barbs.