Help. scales are standing up, very strange

[amatharu147]

1~What type of fish is afflicted? In addition, please describe what is wrong with the fish to the best of your ability (i.e. cotton like growth, bloated, etc.).

Zebra Dino. The scales on the the fish look like they are standing up and the fish is all swollen up and fat. Just like when you skin is in the water to long and your skin gets fat. Kinda the same thing. Very strange.

2~What are your tank parameters (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, temp, pH)? Temp is 79 dones know anything else

3~ How large is the tank? 30 L How long has the tank been set up?2 Years
4~What type of filtration are you using? Aqua something 150

5~How many fish are in the tank?5 Zebra, 3 Angels 1 Marble Molly, and a PLeco, all very small size.

6~When is the last time you did a water change and vacuum the gravel? 2 weeks ago.
How often do you do this? once a month.
How much water do you remove at a time?25-30%
7~How long have you had the fish? about 8 months.

8~Have you added anything new to the tank--decor, new dechlorinator, new substrate, etc.? No.

9A~What kind of food have you been feeding your fish, have you changed their diet recently? Just a Basic Flake and no changes,

Any thoughts?

Thanks
i tired to take a pic but it was too small.

Help, i have taken him out and out him a small beta tank.

 

[rubysoho]

Sounds like Dropsy to me. Unfortunatly at this point there are very few fish who make it. If you can, QT this fish as soon as possible. If you can't I suggest you euthanize the fish to prevent other fish from nipping at it which can spread the cause of the disease (usually a bacterial or parasite infection). So sorry to hear this happened to you.

You need to either go purchase a test kit or take a water sample into your LFS to have it tested (usually for free). Come back with those results and we can help you from there as far as making sure the rest of your fish will be okay. For now, do a 20 % water change including vacume the gravel if you can. Let us know if any other fish start acting peculiar.

 

[FMJnaX]

I'll second dropsy here. If the fish is starting to look like a pinecone (which it sounds like it is), then it's in the later stages of the disease. It nearly a 100% mortality rate on dropsy. I've only heard a few cases of a cure. The disease is also infectious so I would QT or euthanize. You may also want to treat with some "Tetracycline, Maracyn AND Maracyn 2, Kanacyn, or broad spectrum antibiotic foods".
http://www.petfish.net/dropsy.htm

Good luck!

 

[amatharu147]

Wow... I never heard of Dropsy before. what cause it? Everything has been fine for the longest time. Only small out breaks of ICk. The other fish are not showing any signs of this, how can i help protect them? I fish has been QT and i will dispose of him later. but he only cost me 49cents about 6 months ago. Also one of the other Zebra Dino has a Clouded yet. Could this be a sign?


Thanks
Aaron

 

[rubysoho]

hmmm... outbreaks of ich are a sign of (usually) poor water conditions because the fish are stressed and become more susceptable to it. I see that you are changing your water once a month. Does this include vacuming the gravel? Honestly, you should probably be changing your water a little more often, at least every two weeks, but every week would be better. Vacuming the gravel helps pull up all the gunk.

Dropsy is really a secondary symptom that is a result of almost anything. Usually it can be caused by internal parasites or a bacterial infection but it can also be related to poor water conditions. It is very contagious and any fish showing symptoms (the "pine cone" effect) should be removed immediatly. I would not add any new fish for the next 4-6 weeks just to make sure your tank isn't harboring anything.

To protect the other fish, 1st take a sample of your water and set it aside until you can go to the LFS. Then change 20% of the water including vacuming the gravel. Clean water is the best therapy for your fish in my opinion. I never use meds on my tanks and the two times I've had a sick fish (usually if I've been lax in my cleaning schedule), a water change has kept things under control.

As for euthanation, there are a few methods you could use and I'll list them.

1. Put the fish in a baggie of water and freeze it. This causes the fish to slowly fall asleep as the water chills and then kills the fish painlessly.

2. take a sharp knife and cut the head off (hard on little fish like danios)

I suggest the first. Then you can dispose of the fish however. Again, let us know if you see anything suspicious in the rest of your fish.

 

[amatharu147]

Ruby,

Thank you for the advice. Every month when i change the water, I us a Vacum to clean the gravel and get out all the crap. The last outbreat of Ick, was about 9-10 months ago. But i had put new fishes in the tank and i think they where just stressed. It cleared up with a little Temp increase and salt.

The fish has been authantize by frezzing. and i did the same with another Danio that looked suspicious. Didnt want to take the chance. I am going to get the water tested this in the next couple of days at the LFS.



Thanks
Aaron

 

[FMJnaX]

Watch the rest of your fish carefully. Dropsy is infectious and, usually, when they start to pinecone out, they're beyond saving.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Puriti]

If you catch it really early before it spreads throughout the whole abdomen you have better chances. I saved one of my danios that way when i noticed only raised scales in the front and back of its body. Got better and is doing great. Good luck with your fish!

 

[rubysoho]

puriti, how did you treat the fish with dropsy? It will be good to know "just in case"

 

[greenmaji]

The only treatable form of dropsy is caused by a bacterial infection.. to try to save the fish use antibiotic medications.. HTH