Regular Member fishy Posted March 19, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted March 19, 2015 Hi, I had 2 large orandas in a 55g for about one year with weekly water changes. I slacked on my water changes for 2 1/2, maybe 3 weeks (mainly due to unforeseen work needs) and the one oranda developed dropsy and died within about 4 days. That was 2 days ago, I had put him in a qt tank in the evening, she/he was gone by morning. My question is-do I need to do anything for my remaining oranda? He/she seems okay-swimming, eating, no raised scales. My other question is-I would like to take down the 55g & put the oranda in with my large fantail which is in a 40g breeder. When would that be okay to do? I know better about the water changes and have learned a sad lesson the hard way. Any advice is appreciated, thank you. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member jmetzger72 Posted March 20, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted March 20, 2015 I would do a 100% water change on the 55 if you haven't already and observe the remaining Oranda for a bit to make sure it is healthy before moving it to the 40. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member fishy Posted March 20, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted March 20, 2015 Sounds good, thank you : ) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Acro Posted March 20, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted March 20, 2015 Why not keep both in the 55? The more water, the better, epically if water changes might be skipped from time to time (even if they are not skipped). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member GoldenSpoiledRotten Posted March 20, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted March 20, 2015 I agree with Acro. Even though it isn't very much more water (A 40B is 45-47 gallons) it still is a bit more. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member fantailfan1 Posted March 20, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted March 20, 2015 I'd put them in the 40. I just love the tank dimensions vs the 55. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member fishy Posted March 20, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted March 20, 2015 Thank you everyone - I am bringing my 2 goldfish from work in a 40 breeder home & space wise 2 40 breeders make more sense if I want to keep them in the family room instead of in the office. I have some figuring out to do this weekend. Thanks again : ) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member DieselPlower Posted March 20, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted March 20, 2015 If the fish are truly large I also would suggest the 55 if possible. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member bagh Posted March 20, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted March 20, 2015 As far as contracting dropsy, (your first concern) dropsy is NOT a disease. It is a symptom of an underlying disease. In 80% of cases, it's not contagious. For example, if you had skipped on water changes, the excessive nitrogenous toxins might have overloaded the liver of a already frail fish (internally), which failed, leading to MOF. The accumulation of water due to failure of kidneys as well as apoptosis manifest to you as dropsy. This is what happened in your case, I presume. You do not need to treat the other fish right now. In case if it were a parasitic dropsy, which we can never be certain of, I'd suggest you to keep an eye on the other fish and observe closely for any symptoms of swelling abdomen for a fortnight. If he shows no symptom, just move both your fishes in the 55Gallon tank. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member DawnMichele Posted March 20, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted March 20, 2015 Sorry for your loss. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member shakaho Posted March 20, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted March 20, 2015 IMO, you are right to keep them in the 40B. The breeder tanks are shallower and have more surface area and are so named because they are preferred by advanced fishkeepers such as breeders. These tanks are designed for fish rather than living rooms. If the tank is primarily an ornamental feature, you want a large viewing area and thus settle for a taller tank that fits close to the wall, like the 55. The 40B has a little more surface area than the 55, and the 55 has a little more volume than the 40B. Depending on the brand, these provide: 40B 4.5 - 4.6ft2 surface area, 45-48 gallons 18 inches of turning space, which allows even a mature large fancy to turn easily. 55 has 4.3 - 4.4 ft2 surface area, 50.1 - 55 gallons 13 inches of turning space, which is OK for a flexible long-bodied fish. Dropsy rarely occurs in more than one fish in a tank/pond at a time, and water quality issues seem to have triggered it in your tank. So, as Jared pointed out, clean water and an observation period are all you need before your move the oranda in with the fantail. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member fishy Posted March 20, 2015 Author Regular Member Share Posted March 20, 2015 Thank you everyone, I definitely received a lot of good advice. I'm not sure which aquarium I will use but I do know I will without a doubt be keeping up with the weekly water changes. I am usually so good about it too. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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