# Dropsy and fin rot!



## otter (Aug 10, 2012)

I have a little guppy who is always sick

Today he has dropsy and fin rot.

I put him in a jar with kanaplex, but I felt bad keeping him there so I put him back in the community tank

What will help him?


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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

These are diseases that do not happen out of the blue. Fin rot is usually related to bad water quality. Tell me, do you regularly change part of the water in this tank. How much and how often?

"Dropsy" is probably an internal infection of some kind.

Fin rot will clear up with antibiotic medications, but if the water issues in the tank are not addressed it will come back just as quickly.

Have you ever had this water tested? 

When asking for help, it is requested that you tell us the size of the tank, the kind of fish and number of fish in the tank. A history of the tank (i.e. When was it set up.) A description of your maintenance. Mention what kind of filtration you have and the results of any water testing you have done.

Makes it easier to help.


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## otter (Aug 10, 2012)

okay
The tank is my little sister's so I am not really the one who maintains it most of the time, but I noticed today about the guppy.

There are 3 harlequin rasbora
4 guppies
2 old maid tetra
2 mystery fish
2 cory catfish


no nitrites or ammonia and my testing strips dont have nitrates

I don't change the water because I'm not the keeper of the tank, so I don't know when my sister or dad change the water

I don't think they do that much though

It is a 25 gallon tank

I am going to do a 50% water change now.

I treated the tank with a tiny bit of kanaplex just now


The ph is 9.. much much too high, our water comes from a well, I am going to the store to get peat moss to lower it though


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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

Don't do a huge water change. Just do about 10 percent--couple gallons each day. Do you have a siphon set?

Also, don't worry about the pH right now. I would get a nitrate test kit. I wouldn't expect there to be ammonia or nitrite, but I do think the nitrate will be high.

Also, I wouldn't treat with anything in the main tank. Just try to fix the water problem for right now.

ph of 9 is very high. Are you sure the test result is right?


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## otter (Aug 10, 2012)

i am positive the ph is 9. Every single tank I have has a ph of nine and out filtered water is at 8, which is terrible. He seems a tab better, I am hoping he will be ok. i get really sad when fish die because its my fault really, but he seems a little better. hes hanging out near the top though, which isnt good since Ive had so many Tb epidemics I am hoping that this isnt the problem. He doesn't have a curved spine though so im hoping...


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Hey there Otter,
Bent spine is common for fish TB.. some different things to look for include lesions on the body (little sores), other physical deformities, raised scales, and fin rot among other things. So your mix of symptoms can very well be fish TB.

Sadly, Kanamycin (Kanaplex) is the only drug that stands any hope of curing this disease. He will slowly wither away without. I'd suggest you keep him in the Kanaplex. He will be sort of lonely, but it's best to keep him separated for now in a comfortable habitat.

Are the other fish all healthy?

I would also suggest finding another location to purchase guppies at, or avoiding them entirely if this seems to keep happening.


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## sidluckman (Jan 15, 2012)

Lonely schmonely. Anthropomorphize much!

Seriously, it is much better to isolate sick fish for everybody's sake. First, to prevent possible contamination and infection to healthy fish and second to prevent the affected fish from being picked on by more active healthy fish. 

He not lonely. He has you.


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## otter (Aug 10, 2012)

Thank you all  I will do that, he seems okay I guess, he has been hanging out with another spotted tail guppy, and hes looking a tab better, but I am going to play it safe thanks a lot!


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## otter (Aug 10, 2012)

oh and all the other fish are in tip top shape!


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