Oh wow. I never knew that. lol. Only one of my fish flares, the other one doesn't. And the one that flares has small poops so I guess I just never noticed.
Haha, it doesn't always work but if you have a betta who loves to flare, it IS a good way to get them going without resorting to QT and epsom salt. And of my four males, only one of my guys flares . . . at everything. He flares at me when I feed him. He even flared at his bubblenest the other night, probably mad 'cause it's empty, haha. And all my fish poop on a daily basis except Sherman. My grandfather from Sweden used to refer to constipation as "all stove up" according to my mom.
He's back in his tank and on a pretty regular diet of brine shrimp to help him go. Still looks just a little puffy but it's hard to tell, his long ventrals keep getting in the way. Thank you so much for the advice, DarkMoon, and thanks for helping me keep a level head. When it comes to my baby Sherman, I tend to overreact, as you can tell.
Quick question. What is better to treat a bacterial infection/dropsy, Maracyn II or General Cure because it has metronidazole? Tetracycline also says it treats internal bacterial infections.
That's good to hear. I know what you mean too, Senshi is NOT allowed to get sick. He would give his mom a heart attack D:
Well, I've read a lot of different things about treating Dropsy. To some extent it depends on the "type" and/or severity of the infection. If the dropsy is caused by a gram negative bacteria then you want Metro, MaracynII, Gentamycin or Kanamycin. If it is a gram positive bacteria the Tetracycline might work. In general, tetracycline and Metro really need to be given orally to work. They don't absorb through the gills well. Tetracycline is pretty much useless against dropsy when in solution... Of the two I prefer Maracyn & Maracyn II with Metro in the feed. Metro just doesn't absorb through the skin well enough. I think Kanamycin or Gentamycin might be best for severe infections. I found some premeditated Kanamycin flakes that are working wonders for one of my girls who has an abscess and facial swelling around said abscess. Kanamycin is an effective med for treating most internal bacterial infections.
Listed by preference:
1. Kanamycin in feed--ideal for severe infections--will treat abdominal dropsy w/ popeye
2. Gentamycin (in solution?)--ideal for severe infections--will treat abdominal dropsy w/ popeye
3. Metro in feed and Maracyn II in water-- if dropsy is caught early--if popeye too then use both Maracyn and MaracynII
4. Oxytetracycine in feed--if dropsy is caught early and no popeye
Senshi's not allowed to get sick just because he's so darn beautiful.
So in general, when recommending meds, I should suggest the Anti-Bacterial pellets if they're eating and Maracyn I and/or II if they're not? Where did you find your kanamycin flakes? Would most bacterial infections brought on by weakened immune systems from poor water conditions be gram-negative? It seems like a lot of fish who have been in poor water for a long time get bloated and I offer advice assuming it's from bacterial infections because the symptoms seem too severe to be just constipation. Is this the right thing to assume? The fish usually are extremely lethargic, breathing heavily and not eating. Most don't last long enough for the owner to get to the pet store and get meds. I just want to make sure I'm not leading peole down the wrong path or doing more harm than good. And thanks for the info about the tetracycline and metro. There are a few people on the forum using those to treat dropsy, both because it was what was on hand. I'll let them know to switch to Maracyn II.
That's really a fish to fish situation... Water changes are the most important thing, followed by Epsom salt. If they are bloated but otherwise acting ok then just use Epsom salt. If they are bloated and "off" then start with Epsom (constipation can make them feel crappy) but tell them to get some stronger meds on hand incase it develops into something more serious. If the bloat is severe, they have popeye or the fish is showing signs of dropsy then use Epsom & medications. Increasing the temp to 80-84 is also very important.
If you are going to use medications then my first choice would be Kanamycin in the feed if it is available. It can be combined with oral Metro for a very effective cocktail against internal infections.
If Kanamycin is not available, then use Maracyn I&II in solution and Anti-Parasite pellets -or- pure oral Metro (-or- oral Tetracycline).
If they are not eating then use Kanamycin in solution -or- just Maracyn I &II and hope they feel well enough to eat soon...
Another combo that works is oral Metro and oral Neomycin Sulfate.
I personally don't believe the medicated pellets can stand alone since Metro is not broad spectrum enough. It is best to combine Metro with other meds so there is a higher probability that the bacteria is susceptible. The same goes for anti-bacterial pellets since they don't treat a broad spectrum of bacteria... It would be best to combine those pellets with oral metro -or- oral Kanamycin. I suppose you could combine the anti-bacterial pellets with Maracyn I&II but I think the Anti-Parasite pellet combo might be more effective.
*jots down notes* All right, I think I understand now. Thank you so much, DarkMoon. You're awesome. For pure oral metro, soaking food in a metro/water solution works? I noticed Foster and Smith Aquatics sold metro tablets so I was wondering if they could be dissolved and used as a soaking solution for food.
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You're awesome. For pure oral metro, soaking food in a metro/water solution works? I noticed Foster and Smith Aquatics sold metro tablets so I was wondering if they could be dissolved and used as a soaking solution for food.
