How to cure dropsy?

[alex76]

HI,

the platies in my planted tank one by one died of dropsy... Is the disease infectious? How do cure it or do prevention round?

Thanks

[BFG]

Remove the affected fish immediately when you see them. If they die and the other fish took a bite from the corpse, they will be infected too. No cure at all.

[Johnc]

I've had good success with metronidazole for treating dropsy in bettas. But not sure if it can help with platies. If you feed your fish live-feed, it is very difficult to prevent it.

/John

[alex76]

Remove the affected fish immediately when you see them. If they die and the other fish took a bite from the corpse, they will be infected too. No cure at all.

Does that means I can straight flush the fish down the toilet since I know they r going to die after all? End their life fast rather than let it suffer.

[michael lai]

Hi Alex,
Flushing the platy down the toilet will not end it's journey........

[BFG]

Does that means I can straight flush the fish down the toilet since I know they r going to die after all? End their life fast rather than let it suffer.

If you have other valuable species of fish, get the infected ones out. Whatever you do to them.........unless you want to try to medicate them.

[alex76]

Hi Alex,
Flushing the platy down the toilet will not end it's journey........

Then I wonder how to end their journey in a humane way

[celticfish]

put fish you want to send in a plastic bag with water and send to the freezer.
they will go on their journey painlessly.

[alex76]

put fish you want to send in a plastic bag with water and send to the freezer.
they will go on their journey painlessly.

That way, they will slowwwwly freeze to death... how about pour in boiling water..... short acute pain.....

[celticfish]

they wont slowly freeze to death.
the cold will shut their metabolic system and put them to sleep.
aside from the split second on contact, boiling water is quick too...
here's a question to ask yourself.
would you rather freeze to death or drop in a volcano?
i suppose either way is fine for a small fish.
hot water may not work so well for bigger fish though.

[iwishweallcouldwin]

someone taught me to use yellow powder and epsom salts.... used that for my betta once but all it did was to extend his misery... but then again it stretched his life on for a further two months...

[bryan]

Won't a small container and some icecubes be more appropriate for a platy?

Most recomend treatment of dropsy using medication, epsom salts, high temperature and high aeration.

[celticfish]

the point is to "slowly" put it to sleep as the temparature goes down.
not instant freeze with the cubes and cause distress while not "killing" it immediately.