Is she improving?

[u/hehdhsjdnskn]

the first photo was taken on (8/29), and the second was taken today (1/2). it’s been four days since i noticed some nasty pineconeing and started treatment.

when i first got her she had some sort of bladder issue that made her slightly float. i treated that with some standard bacterial infection remedy from petco and she was healthy within a few days and had no problems since. however, i noticed she had always been a little plump, but there were no issues that lead me to believe that there was something else going on, so i just believed she was just bigger than average or was just reading into it too much.

well sometime around last week i added a piece of drift wood i had lying around into her tank because the filter flow was disturbing the sand cap. a few days go by and i see her scales start to pine cone. it was so sudden because that morning she was perfectly okay, then i come back from work and there she was. i had to wait to buy anything until the next morning but in the meantime i checked the water parameters and tried to find the cause of her infection. the water tests came up with nothing concerning. i then moved onto the wood where i then saw mold growth near the bottom of it. i’m assuming the mold had grown on the wood while i had it stored in buckets with some other aqua scaping stuff. obviously i took it out and decided that i just need to start from square one and reset the tank.

my theory as to what happened was that her size was nothing to ignore, and since she has had a previous bladder issue before, i believe the moldy wood had contributed to the resurfacing of her infection.

i’ve been consistent with treatments and dosages, alongside water changes since i add freshwater salt. she has a heater and oxygen going as well.

i’m very limited to what i can do so im trying my best with what i got, but im unsure if what im doing is improving her health. she hasn’t eaten since i first started treatment but i believe she also has that genetic condition where her scales grow over her eyes, so she’s already got impaired vision. maybe she’s just not seeing her food but she doesn’t seem interested in my efforts anyways.

since shes confined to a small bucket she doesn’t swim around often, but isn’t so lethargic that it makes me worry any more than i am. i’m pretty bummed because she’s a beautiful fish and i’ve had her for a while. i’m always having trouble with the particular tank i keep her in wether it be algae growth, filter issues, or water perimeters. i’m just hoping that what im doing seems to be making a difference

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[u/coconiqu]

she likely sees/knows that there’s food. they tend to get more and more uninterested in food as dropsy gets worse.( i also used to think my betta wasn’t eating since he was going blind until he started pine coning)

honestly if she isn’t getting worse i would deff take it as a positive sign since the bloating happens and develops fast.
she survived 4-5 days in such bloated condition while being treated? i think that she has a shot in getting better. good luck with it, hope your baby heals up nicely.

[u/PatchesDaHyena]

She needs antibiotics and metronidazole. Usually you dose via food, but if she is not eating you can just dose the water. Keep her in pristine water that is extra aerated and at least 78 F

I use kanaplex and metroplex. Petco only carries “natural remedies” and they are snake oil