Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Diagnosing the condition
• Part 2 of 4: Treating the symptoms
• Part 3 of 4: Curing the disease
• Part 4 of 4: Return the goldfish to its tank
• Warnings

Dropsy is the result of kidney failure, causing fluid retention and swelling of the goldfish's abdomen. In the late stages of dropsy, the fish's scales will stick out. If you see these symptoms in a sick goldfish, the chances of survival are slim. If dropsy is recognized early, your goldfish can survive. By correctly diagnosing dropsy and treating the symptoms as well as the underlying disease, the goldfish has the best chance of recovery.

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Part 1 of 4: Diagnosing the condition

1. Watch for swelling. Dropsy is the build-up of fluids in the goldfish's body. So the first sign of dropsy is swelling.
   • Watch for an unusual increase in goldfish size.
   • Treating the goldfish at this early stage will give it the best chance of survival.
2. Watch for bulging eyes. Fluid build-up begins in the head of the fish before the body swells completely. As fluid builds up behind the eyes, the eyes will bulge.
3. Notice swollen scales. This is a classic symptom of dropsy. As the buildup of fluid spreads throughout the goldfish's body, its scales will expand. When the fluid build-up has spread all over the body, it will look like an opened pinecone.
   • Pearl scaly goldfish are sometimes mistakenly diagnosed with dropsy because their scales naturally have a raised bump in the center. A pearl scaly goldfish is likely to have dropsy only if its scales are expanded much more than usual.
   • Once a goldfish has reached this stage, it is usually beyond rescue. However, you can always try to treat the symptoms and cure the disease.

Part 2 of 4: Treating the symptoms

1. Isolate the sick goldfish. Dropsy — and its underlying cause — is not contagious. However, the goldfish needs a certain environment to recover that differs from the nominal ideal values ​​of an aquarium. A second aquarium of similar size can serve as an infirmary for the goldfish.
   • The perfect environment must be maintained so that the goldfish's immune system has the best chance of recovery.
2. Fill the aquarium with fresh water. The water should initially be the same temperature as the water in the original aquarium. This prevents the goldfish from going into shock in its new environment.
3. Increase the water temperature gradually. The ideal water temperature for a goldfish with dropsy is 26.5 degrees Celsius. A relatively high water temperature prevents the multiplication of bacteria.
   • Increase the temperature in the aquarium by 2 degrees per hour until the water has reached 26.5 degrees.
   • Use an adjustable aquarium heater so that you can control the speed of the temperature increase.
4. Add Epsom salt. The function of the kidneys is to balance the internal salt value of the body of the fish with the salt value in the water. When the kidneys fail, salt builds up in the goldfish's body. Increasing the salinity of the water helps the goldfish to stay in balance with its environment - which will support its immune system.
   • Add a teaspoon of salt per 3.5 liters of water.
   • Do not add too much salt. Too high a salt content will put more strain on the kidneys of the fish.
5. Change the water regularly. The goal is to keep the goldfish in perfectly clean conditions while it recovers from dropsy. Changing the water regularly will help achieve this goal.
   • Try to change the water every 3 days.
   • Remember to slowly increase the temperature and add salt to the fresh water.

Part 3 of 4: Curing the disease

1. Realize that dropsy can have many causes. Dropsy is a symptom of many goldfish diseases. It can be caused by bacterial infections, parasitic infections, toxins and kidney cysts. It is not possible to determine the cause of a specific case of dropsy. Only the first two cases, bacterial and parasitic infections, can be treated.
   • Since the cause of dropsy cannot be determined, it is good to use all available treatments.
2. Treat a bacterial infection. There are two antibiotics available to treat bacterial infections in goldfish - kanaplex and kanamycin. These each target different bacteria. It is therefore important to start with one, check for improvement and then possibly continue with the other.
   • Add 36 mg kanaplex per 3.5 liters of water to the aquarium. Continue the treatment for 7 days. Keep an eye on the goldfish and check for signs of improvement, such as reduced swelling, more active swimming, and improved appetite. If you don't see improvement, switch to kanamycin.
   • Add 200 mg kanamycin per 3.5 liters of water. Keep the treatment on for 7 days and look forward to improvement.
   • You can buy kanaplex and kanamycin from a pet store that sells fish. If there is no pet store nearby, both antibiotics are also available online.
3. Treat a parasitic infection. There is no established treatment for a parasitic infection. However, liquid praziquantel has shown results. In any case, it doesn't hurt to try.
   • Shake the bottle of liquid praziquantel well. Add 200 mg praziquantel per 3.5 liters of water in the aquarium. Keep the treatment for 7 days and look forward to improvements.
   • Praziquantel is available at most pet stores that sell fish. It is also available in web stores.

Part 4 of 4: Return the goldfish to its tank

1. Watch for signs of recovery. If the goldfish is more active and less bloated, wait another 3 weeks to make sure the change reflects true recovery. If the positive change continues, you can return the goldfish to its original tank.
2. Reduce the salt content of the water gradually. Reduce the salt content over a period of 3 water changes - approximately 9 days - by 1/3 teaspoon each time. With the third change, you don't add any more salt at all.
3. Reduce the water temperature gradually. Over a period of several hours, reduce the temperature of the insulating aquarium to the temperature of the original aquarium, where the goldfish will now return. This will get the goldfish used to the new temperature so that it doesn't go into shock.
4. Return the goldfish to the original tank. To prevent future dropsy outbreaks, change the water regularly and make sure that the water temperature does not fluctuate more than a few degrees during the day.

Warnings

• When adding Epsom salt, make sure you only add pure Epsom salt. Fragrances or other additives, even some essential oils, can kill your fish.