He has dropsy and he's been hanging in there for five days now. All he wants to do is sit at the bottom of the tank on his side, he hasn't moved for two days but he's still breathing. I got him to eat a little bit yesterday. He also has torn and inflamed fins, and popeye.

Ammonia: 0mg/L
Nitrite: 0mg/L
Nitrate: 0mg/L
Ph: between 7.0 and 7.3

Tank size: 37 gallons (running for about six months)
Filters: Emperor-280 and Penguin 125

I change 25%-50% of the water every 30 days (I changed it two days ago)

There are three goldfish in the tank (including the sick fish) and they are each about two or three inches.

Water additives and conditioners: Leaf Zone
Stress Coat
Stress Zyme
Aquarium Salt (freshwater)
Jungle Correct Ph

Medications: I gave him a mild salt bath with Pimafix and Melafix in a bucket.

There's no new fish.

I feed them a waterflea gel and flakes.

He's probably going to die, but if anyone knows of anything that can help please post.

If you look in the Treatment section you will see a few treatments for dropsy. I suggest you read them first and post back with any questions. Good luck.

A fish with both dropsy and popeye has a very poor chance of survival. As Fishmerised mentioned, there are some treatments for dropsy in the Treatment section.

One thing I would like to point out, though, in reading through your information: you mention that you change 25 - 50% of the water every 30 days.

It would be much better for the fish if you changed your water more frequently. I find a 25-30% water change weekly to be the best routine for goldfish. Unlike tropicals, goldfish really benefit from weekly water changes.

I am really sorry about your fish

He's still alive but dying slowly and painfully. Do you think I should euthanize him? I can't stand to see him so sick and he's not showing any signs of recovery. I'm at the point where I wish he would just die...

PS: I couldn't find the treatment page, it probably doesn't matter anyway. I know I should change the water more often, but you know how you just keep putting it off another day and before you know it it's been a week etc. At best I could probably do it every two weeks...

When you click back to the diagnosis forum you will see "pinned" topics at the top it is there you will find the treatment.

I will let you know though, it is tough treating a fish with dropsy. It requires daily care for a long time.
And I will also warn you that once a fish has dropsy it will always have problems. I am not trying to discourage you from treating him but I do want you to know what you are in for.

Either way good luck and let us know how it turns out.

He's not breathing very well. He'll gulp and wait about 30 seconds before taking another gulp. He moved to a different part of the tank yesterday, he's still sitting on the bottom though. He doesn't look much like a pinecone anymore, he still looks a little bloated but his scales are only raised a little bit behind his gills. He hasn't eaten in two days.

Overall he looks like a normal fish, his missing scales are growing back, the torn fins are growing back and they aren't as inflamed anymore, the only thing wrong with him is he won't eat or swim around and all he wants to do is sit at the bottom.

I can't tell if he's dying or getting better...

I want to try treating him with Maracyn Two, Petsmart is the only local store I know of that will carry it, but this particular petsmart usually doesn't have all the things they sell online. I would order it online but I'm afraid it will get here to late. I guess I'l just see what happens...

It is very difficult watching a little friend suffer. If you feel he or she is suffering and you can't help him, you should consider euthanasia. There is a pinned topic on ways to do it that are less pain for him and you.

Good luck.

I just got home from school and he still isn't breathing as often as he should. He's moved to another part of the tank again but he's still sitting on the bottom. He now has little red splotches on his skin, kinda like a rash.

Any idea what that is? Do you think Maracyn Two will treat it? I'm just leaving for the store to see if they have Maracyn Two, I hope they do...

Im so sorry!
Personally id do the marcyn2 and if you can get medi-gold antibiotic food aswell
Try raising his temp as the treatment threads sugested to you say.
The red rash(without seeing it) can mean its going internal, thats not good...but if he is swimming and eating then I would keep treating
Just my opinion

*praying for your fish*

I got the medicine yesterday afternoon, I was going to set up the quarantine tank after I finished my homework. While I was doing history my sister walked in and told me he had died. I told her he hadn't been breathing right so maybe she was mistaken, so my Mom went and checked.

She came back and asked me if I wanted to flush him myself or if she should do it. I want to remember the way he was before he got sick, and I couldn't bear to see him dead, he was always the healthiest and liveliest fish in the tank. So my Mom flushed him.

I still can't believe he lived so long, even after he got sick he hung in there until the end. He was my first goldfish...

I am so sorry. He was a lucky goldfish to have had you for an owner. You loved him and cared for him so well.

Thanks for all your help and support everyone. Now I know what to do if one of my fish get dropsy, and I have the medicine for it. I'm going to Petsmart this weekend to see if there's any fish I like.

I'm so, so sorry for your loss. I know it is hard to lose a fish you really care about.

I am soooo sorry for your loss.