Dropsy in Goldfish: Becoming a Fish Doctor at 3 am

Nestled into bed late at night, I tend to get heavily distracted by my "Watch Later" list on YouTube. Unaware of any time passing, my eyes sink into the void of the notorious 3 am dimension. By far, my favorite videos to look at are related to animals and organisms of all kinds.

Speaking of which, that topic is what brings me to the coolest discovery I had the other night.

Drum roll, please!

I would like to introduce the uncommon facts and treatment tips that I learned for the fabulous Oranda goldfish!

Being an animal lover, I genuinely enjoy combing through the niche area of animal care and informational videos created by pet owners. On my front YouTube page, I always get a variety of recommendations surrounding this genre. These videos can range from intricate setups for leopard geckos, a bustling guinea pig enclosure, or an in-depth look into the lives of sea snails. Lately, the Oranda goldfish landed its way into my playlist. Steff J, a pet youtuber living in Mexico, documented her experience with dropsy and how to save a suffering goldfish.

Oranda goldfish, harboring the scientific name Carassius auratus auratus, are descendants of carp. This species looks quite cute, with their round bubbly shapes and crown like caps. Oranda goldies live in freshwater environments, are suprisingly omnivores, and can even live up to 15 years with the proper care. Orandas are wonderful additions to a fish lovers pond or aquarium, which is why they are highly sought after!

I learned that these goldfish are unique for their large size, colorful varities, and the infamous bubble-like sack which grows on their heads. This sack is also called a "wen"! The wen can come in colors like: red, black, yellow, and orange.

Steff J explained that her Oranda fish, Lemongrab, suffered from a wen injury and a bought of dropsy.

Dropsy can be fatal to goldfish, and it is imperitative that pet owners treat this as soon as possible. This condition is caused by organ failure, which leads to an increase in fluid buildup. In Lemongrab, there were visible signs of swelling as a result of an internal infection.

Initially, Lemongrab had only suffered an injury to his wen. Wens can becomed damaged from fungal growth, scrapes, cuts, and so forth. Sometimes, trimming is even necessary if the wen grows big enough to block the goldfish's vision.

For the injury, Steff J placed Lemongrab into an isolation tank. She supplied him with fresh water changes and a combination of meth blue and salt. These are used to encourage slimecoat production, extract bad bacteria, give the fish a better immune defense, and increase the oxygen circulation. Overall, there are many benefits to using a combo of both when treating a blooming infection.

Lemongrab's health declined a few days out from his primary injury, even though his wen healed. To my suprise, dropsy was spotted days only days later while he was kept in the hospital tank. His scales were lifted, so Steff J told the viewers that this meant he was very bloated. Kidney failure could be a life or death situation for the fish!

Treating dropsy meant that more was needed to be added in the water, than just the meth blue and salt alone. To save the Oranda, Steff J added Kanaplex. This is a broad spectrum antibiotic, which was added to Lemongrab's food and daily water changes. Luckily, he saw much improvement from this routine and returned back to normal!

Hooray for Lemongrab!

So, if you ever purchase an Oranda, these are some steps you could take to stop dropsy or an injured wen right in it's tracks. Who knew?