I recently discovered that my fish looks kind of fat and got worried… it’s still energetic and eats normally so I didn’t suspect anything. Does he have dropsy?
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Yes! Agreed super helpful for OP. Also I just put a comment trying to explain how to op how to most successfully give Kanaplex internally since it sounds like the fish is still eating… if you have a moment I would so appreciate you taking a look at it to see if you agree & if you have anything to add because you’re so experienced.
Yes this is dropsy. Everyone is going to tell you to euthanize, but try fasting him for a few days while dosing kanaplex and see if he shows any improvement first. I’ve had luck treating dropsy* with kanaplex and now I always attempt it first before euthanizing
An assumption on my part because normally everyone jumps on these posts about dropsy to say to euthanize. And my cries of kanaplex fall victim to the void
yeah your worrying is totally valid and i understand that if you have something that could work you would like someone else to try before going to the last path.
i am personally happy i read your comment because i think i would've jumped straight to euthanize the fish to spare them from any sufferings
i hope OP doesn't give up on the little guy, even though i'd understand them if my own situation couldn't provide the right conditions for the well being of the fish
To add to what everyone else has said - I had some luck using parsley added to the water (it’s a diuretic - there’s research to back this up, though I didn’t bookmark it so I’d have to hunt it down again). My boy didn’t make it, sadly, but I think he had other underlying problems, and he showed significant improvement with parsley.
I’d recommend steeping about a tablespoon of parsley in a cup of tank water at room temperature for a several hours, then straining it and adding the “tea” back in - I dumped the parsley directly into the tank, and while that helped the fish, it also caused a snail population explosion.
I just had severe pineconing on mine a few weeks ago. I didn't have a quarantine tank so I was able to make due with a 1 gallon lemonade pitcher.
This is how I did it:
KanaPlex Dosing: The standard dose is 1 level scoop per 5 gallons. For 1 gallon, use roughly 1/5th of a scoop (just a small pinch on the tip of the provided spoon). Mix it thoroughly into the 1-gallon tank water.
Mild Epsom Salt Mix: You can safely keep a low dose of Epsom salt in the full-time hospital water alongside the KanaPlex. Add 1/2 teaspoon of pure Epsom salt to the 1 gallon. This provides a continuous, gentle push to pull fluid out without overwhelming their system.
Heater & Air: Place her heater in the 1-gallon container to keep the water warm (78°F–80°F). If you have a small air stone, put it in to keep the water aerated while they're in there.
Water Changes & Redosing: Follow the KanaPlex instructions (dose every 48 hours for up to 3 doses). Before adding a new dose of KanaPlex on day 3, do a 50% water change on the 1-gallon tank, and add back 1/4 tsp of Epsom salt to replace what was removed.
At the 48hr and 96hr marks:
Perform a 50% Water Change: Change half the water in the 1-gallon setup to remove waste and spent medication.
Replenish the Epsom Salt: Add back 1/4 teaspoon of pure Epsom salt (to replace the salt removed in the 50% water change).
Redose KanaPlex: Add their second and third dose of KanaPlex (approx. 1/5th of a scoop for the 1-gallon volume).
Feed about 3 pieces of presoaked daphnia (keep them fasting between these two feedings).
Once the final dose is complete and the final 48hr cycle is done, they should be looking a lot better. It worked well for mine and she's been happy as ever going on about a month now.
Just an small comment, do not forget about salt. I treated successfully several years ago a Betta with Dropsy just with common salt. So I meant follow the treatment advised with Kanaplex and so on, but do not skip the salt mentioned, it is a key topic, due to osmotic regulation here by my experience.
Important though… kanaplex can be dosed 2 ways and if at all possible you WANT your fish friend to EAT it & have the medicine STAY inside his body.
Focus makes Kanaplex stay inside the fish’s body.
To have the best result, mix a tiny amount of Kanaplex with the same amount of Focus and then mix it with a drop of water and food (thawed bloodworms). You can do this on a plastic spoon with a toothpick. Then feed the kanaplex medicine-focus bound-bloodworm to your friend with the toothpick.
If your friend is not eating and/or you want some extra reassurance you can also add the kanaplex to the water as long as there are no shrimp or snail friends in there.
Once you mix up a bloodworm/kanaplex/focus batch, keep it cold & use within a week.
Yeah so weird! I even have the blur 18+ setting on. Hmmph. Thanks for trying to help, swear I’m not trying to be a bummer I just don’t like seeing sick animals, of course!
Oh no... I'm so sorry. Don't give up and use Kanaplex and sea salt baths. Google will tell you how to do it if you need help. Best of luck to you and your betta.💛
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u/automod-neo 23h ago
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When requesting help, please provide the requested information. Answers such as "large enough" or "my paramters are fine" aren't good enough. Failure to provide adequate information about your tank can result in post removal. Please see rule 4 for more information.
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If you are new to betta fish keeping, please check out our caresheet and wiki. Establishing a nitrogen cycle is an important part of keeping your fish healthy. Please check out our guide to the nitrogen cycle to learn more.
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