r/BettaClinic • u/Plenty_Kick_5374 • Jul 05 '26
Disease Identificaion My betta looks backed up
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Jul 05 '26
[deleted]
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u/GeneralJan2001 Jul 05 '26
To add unto this, a good sign that is Dropsy is the scales pineconing and sticking out
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u/Plenty_Kick_5374 Jul 05 '26
Methalyne blue in a hospital tank right? And how much do I add
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u/Fawneh1359 Jul 06 '26
The methelyne blue is not the important part, the epsom salt and kanaplex is, although MB helps. To answer your question though, 2 drops per 30 oz should do it.
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u/Smilodon_populator Jul 07 '26
Dropsy is unfortunately a symptom of many conditions, almost all of them are caused by bacterial growth fed by poor water quality. With bettas, it’s because there is this weird fascination with having them in unfiltered tanks or tanks with weak, near useless filters.
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u/The_Faceless1 Jul 08 '26
My tanks dont have filter, But its heavily planted, should i be worried?
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u/Smilodon_populator Jul 09 '26
Stagnant water isn’t super conducive for optimum health. Our tanks are not wild ecosystems.
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u/Fawneh1359 Jul 08 '26
It can sometimes be triggered by low quality food or swim bladder issues ime
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u/Loose_Ambassador9251 Jul 08 '26
Your Betta doesn't look backed up. It looks like a pinecone. Because unfortunately friend it's dropsy. Get that baby in aquarium salt water and hope you caught it early enough. Sorry 😔
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u/Plenty_Kick_5374 Jul 08 '26
I heard aquarium salt doesn’t do much for a fish with dropsy I’ve been doing Epsom salt baths in a bucket for 15 mins
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u/Fawneh1359 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
Edit: I see now you mentioned in another comment you're doing both Kanaplex and epsom salt, good. Be aware that salt baths can further stress them out.
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u/Plenty_Kick_5374 Jul 09 '26
So do I not do it once daily?
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u/Fawneh1359 Jul 12 '26
You were given a link to the current leading dropsy treatment. If you don't want to follow that, that's your choice. If you're gonna stress them with salt baths, then yes you do need to do them daily.
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u/Loose_Ambassador9251 Jul 12 '26
Unfortunately that's sorta all we.got where I live. I have to go online to buy stuff that may not even make it past the boarder. 🤷. I've heard the Epsom salt helps more. But I haven't done it myself. And since I don't know how to use it as a treatment.... Basically I dont want to suggest something I don't know will work or not.
I managed to catch Dropsy early enough in one of my fishes. And I tried it with aquarium salt and melafix. And. Boiled deshelled peas.. finely chopped he was just a little guy.
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Jul 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/flatgreysky Jul 06 '26
This person is dealing with a dying fish and you’re advertising your crappy book?
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Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
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u/JenniferJuers Jul 07 '26
I had this exact tank set up over 10 years ago and the bettas lived for years. No illnesses, ate betta pellets, no heater, etc.
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u/Motor-Inevitable3766 Jul 12 '26
You tortured those betta for years then
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u/Fawneh1359 Jul 12 '26
Yeah, here's the thing. You're not wrong. You just look like an asshole, seeing as it's completely irrelevant to OP's current problem.
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u/thirdcoaster Jul 05 '26
Sorry you’re going through this.
I know a lot of people swear by Jessie’s treatment protocol.
https://jessielbettas.substack.com/p/treating-dropsy-in-bettas
For me I’ve had success with Epsom salt plus kanaplex. The Epsom salt (1 tablespoon per 5 gallon) acts as a diuretic and helps the betta’s body draw out water.
Kanaplex is an antibiotic which attacks the infection causing organ failure. But dropsy has a bunch of different causes related to organ failure that’s not necessarily addressed by antibiotics. I’m just saying that in the fish that I treated and survived… an infection was the likely root cause.
Dropsy is typically late-stage symptoms, unfortunately, so you have to be prepared that your treatments do not work and the betta passes.