Emergency, please help.

[Arctic Mama]

Unfortunately we mentioned this awhile back, but dropsy is hit and miss to treat even in the best cases, because it tends to involve organ damage that causes the swelling in the first place, other due to infection or pathology of something in the fish’s body. The kanaplex and other meds were a crapshoot to try since you didn’t complete a full course initially, but what’s causing his problems could well not be bacterial in nature.

Euthanizing is probably the best choice if he isn’t responding to treatment, but that’s a very individual decision, as we discussed two weeks ago. If you’re not ready, you can keep trying to make him comfortable. But if his symptoms are worsening it’s less cruel and more responsive to their pain to let them go, sad as it is

[sarah91]

It's so hard to deal with, especially since he is eating and acting like he is full of energy. But yes, I know you are right, the kindest and most merciful thing is to stop his suffering. I need to do it for his sake regardless of how difficult it is for me.

[sarah91]

There is one thing I'm unsure about and that's if I'm going to have enough clove oil. I have a 10 ml bottle of it. I'm wondering if I need to get a lot more. These are some of the dosage recommendations I have found online and they seem to be for small fish:

400mg/L weigh the clove oil

10 drops/L minimal lethal dose

13 drops/L lethal dose

15/50 drops?? /Gallon (4.5L) lethal dose

0.4ml /L don’t add all at once

[sarah91]

I think I'm going to use 10 drops per gallon to anesthetize him and 50 drops per gallon as a lethal dose.

Edit: I'm going to add 3 drops to begin with and add more drop by drop until he's anesthetized. Then I'm going to multiply the number of drops it took to anesthetize him by 5 and use that as a lethal dose. 

[Arctic Mama]

I’ve never measured, honestly. I put the fish into a Tupperware container or yogurt dish, something easy to throw away or sanitize, because the clove oil makes it smell for ages. I dump in a teaspoon full or so. Stir around. When he floats a bit on his side or stops moving as much, I dump in more. Keep fish in it half an hour past the time I see gill movement so there’s total brain death.

I’m sure there is a procedure for it that’s more precise, but I just watch the fish and add more accordingly. And yeah, I’d say my bottle of clove oil is four fluid ounces and that’s usually good for several euthanizations. 

[sarah91]

I let him go that day, thank you so much for all of your help. 

[Arctic Mama]

I’m sorry we couldn’t manage more, treatments are hit and miss with dropsy, unfortunately, and the underlying cause is often something beyond what a home aquarist can manage. Big hugs.