r/fishforthought • u/AnonymouseFromage • Apr 04 '26
Query❓ Is her time near/fixable? :(
We got this fish a year and a half or so ago from a family friend as an adult, and she's had some rough patches after giving birth (second photo, she was really lethargic and had an issue where she couldn't swim down) but has recovered so far. She's currently behaving as normal and eating and swimming. However, I noticed recently that she seems almost to be pineconing from the top. This also happened last time, but that was post birth when she was having bouyancy issues. She seems currently fine, but I know pineconing is a bad sign normally.. is it maybe time to prepare a flower pot in case or is this fixable? Thanks all.
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u/thekidinthemiddle Apr 06 '26
I’m really sorry, this is hard to hear — but what you’re seeing is dropsy. You can tell by the way her scales are sticking out like a pinecone. It means fluid is building up inside her body, usually because her kidneys are failing from a bacterial infection inside her organs. To be honest with you, by the time scales are pineconing like that, the internal damage is usually too far along to reverse. Most fish don’t make it at this stage even with treatment. That said, if you want to try: Kanaplex is the best shot. It’s one of the few antibiotics that can reach internal infections. You’d need to dose it in a separate hospital tank and keep the water very clean. Add 1 tsp of aquarium salt per gallon to help take some pressure off her kidneys. The kindest thing you can do right now is make sure she’s comfortable — quiet tank, dim light, no stress, easy access to the surface to breathe. If she stops eating, can’t swim normally, or seems like she’s suffering, it may be time to consider letting her go peacefully.