Happy fish!

[nonionay]

I had a traumatic moment the other day when I discovered one of my tetras was swelling up and its eyes were popping out. I know dropsy when I see it, and I'd always heard it was a death sentence. But I went to the fish store, planning to get the supplies to set up a hospital tank where it could die without letting the other eat its bacteria-bloated body. Turns out, the clerk gave me some medicine, told me to treat the whole tank, and this morning, Sevastyan Dann the tetra is shrinking. :-D
This is the same fish I thought was pregnant. I don't think I was necessarily wrong, since it got sick because I unwittingly vacuumed away the good bacteria bed. Still, I'm traumatized by the thought I've made my fish suffer.

Comments

[vylar-kaftan.livejournal.com]

Dropsy is treatable. It's ick that can devastate an aquarium. Highly contagious, and the medicine is sometimes worse than the disease.

Anecdote time. I had a tetra who not only survived ick, he survived having his fins and tail eaten off by another fish while he was so ill. He was floating at the top of the tank and I almost scooped him out. But every once in a while he'd wiggle and move a bit. He regrew his tail and fins and lived another two years.

[criada.livejournal.com]

Tetras seem to be very hardy fish. I <3 them.
Ironically, it was poor water quality that caused this, and I've got two otos in there who had their fins nibbled by the puffer in another tank. I hear they need good water quality to grow back, but they're doing marvelously!

In All Seriousness, I'm Impressed By Your Buddha/Christ-like Behavior

[patlandness.livejournal.com]

Though, they're by and large, mindless eating engines forged by nature, you treat them kindly. That's benevolence imbodied. *genuine applause*

You're The New Testament fish-master, while San is definitely Old Testament (without the anti-gay fish stance).

I'll stop babbling now.