Comment by Robert Jango on January 23, 2013 at 6:39pm

I googled "dropsy betta" and came up with some interesting literature. Dropsy is just a symptom - the cause is is usually a bacterial or parasitic infection that stops the kidney from doing its job - hence the bloating from fluids in the blood that leach out into the body of the fish. A bath in anti-biotics and aquarium salt seems to be the common thread running through my search.

I wish I had some first-hand knowledge but I don't. Although I seem to remember reading somewhere that Bettas are more prone to infection in waters that are very soft and acidic. Good luck, but its a tough disease to cure as you'll probably find out.  

Unfortunately, Bettas are kept in tiny jars. In these size containers conditions can go south within hours. I don't understand why this practice persists despite all we know about keeping fish these days. I'd be willing to bet that dropsy affects Bettas more than any other fish for this reason.

Comment