Betta in community tank had dropsy

[Phoenixphire55]

My female betta in my molly / corie tank just died of dropsy (99% sure it was dropsy). Poor little thing. Anyway, my mollies, cories and the pleco all seem fine, but I'm worried that whatever caused the betta's dropsy is infecting the other fish as well. Can someone give me some info on what causes dropsy and also what I should do for my other fish (even though they're not showing signs of sickness)?

 

[An t-iasg]

I'm sorry to hear about your betta. Dropsy isn't a specific disease in iteslf but rather it's a symptom of a disease. Some possible illnesses that could cause dropsy are tumors or kidney disease that causes fluid build-up. A digestive system malfunction can also cause bloating, which can turn into dropsy.

A lot of my bettas, once they got older, had bloat to some extent. I don't know how susceptible the mollies and cories are to bloat. I wouldn't medicate for a specific illness in the other fish since they look fine. I'm guessing that whatever affected the betta isn't going to cause a tank-wide outbreak. Still, a few extra water changes will not hurt along with watching the fish closely. You could give them some extra fiber to ensure the health of their digestive system. Plecos love veggies like broccoli stalks and zucchini. The mollies and cories will probably like some peas. Boil frozen peas for 4 1/2 minutes in the microwave - in tapwater is fine. Cool and remove the skin. Cut the rest of the pea into small pieces that are the same size as their regular food and they should eat it. My bettas go crazy for peas!