Water temp. for dropsy fish

Question
QUESTION: Hi Darryl,
It's Julie with the sick comet goldfish with Dropsy. I wrote another question late last night, but forgot to ask you this: I have read conflicting answers as to what the temperature of the water should be with a fish with Dropsy.
I was told that it should be colder, around 70 degrees. Then I read another answer that said to use a heater, to get the temp up to around 78-80. We were using a heater, but Nicole said that Goldfish prefer cold water, and the heat might actually make the dropsy worse. Can you comment on this?  Vanilla is still eating and playing :) but he looks soooo bloated and pineconey! Feel terrible for him and my twin boys. It is so very hard to keep healthy fish! Please let me know what else I should be doing. would metro-med or an antibiotic food help? Which one is best? Thanks for your patience and understanding with me. So sorry to bombard you with questions. I am new to all of this, and just want to learn and help  my fish! Thanks so much.
Sincerely,
Julie
ANSWER: Hey again,

I mentioned in the last reply, 65*f. 70*f is getting warm, 80*f will be terribly problematic. Sick, healthy, or just plain swimming, gold fish need 60's. Higher will make them sick, lower will make them "hibernate".

As for questions, thats what I'm here for! Ask away!

Best wishes.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Darryl!
Thanks so much for all of your time in answering all of my questions. Before I got your reply, I did some more research and found that Metronidazole is helpful for these conditions. I did purchase some in powder form, and was told to mix it with thawed frozen brine, wait for it to soak in for 2 hours, then feed. I decided against the Maracyn 2, only because it didn't really help the last time. I soaked the brine for 2 hours in the Metronidazole, made a paste and put it on a spoon. Can you believe that Vanilla came to the top and actually ate from the spoon? I was talking to him and encouraging him and telling him that he needed this to help him. He ate all of it! Now, am I doing the right thing with the Metronidazole? OMG, I hope so!!! I can get caught up in suggestions on the internet, and wanted to get your opinion on the Metronidazole. Also, do I need to remove the filter since he is actually eating the medicine from the spoon? The medicine is made by SeaChem and it says to repeat every 2 days. So, am I correct in waiting 2 days, then giving him another dose? I desperately want to help him, because I know he is trying his hardest to pull through. It's amazing how attached you can get to a little fish! I was also told to use anti-parasite medicated fish food as well. Is it safe to use both at the same time?
If it was Dropsy, would he still be eating, or is it just a matter of time before he stops?
Please let me know if the Metronidazole was a good choice, and if it's safe to use with the antiparasite food.
Again, thank you so much for your in-depth answers and your genuine concern for our fish. He definitely is a fighter, and is not giving up. So I am not going to give up on him!
Many thanks, Darryl.
Most Sincerely,
Julie

Answer
hey again,

as i just said in the last reply, be careful with the medications. dont mix them either. if he's eating, he has a shot to recover. and by following the directions of the metronidazole, he should work things out. give him a treatment every 2 days as directed, until he starts to improve, then follow dosing as directed or until you feel it's safe to take him off. Again, this is not a promise he will be fine, but as long as he fights, eats, and seems otherwise happy, keep your hope up. He'll know when you give up on him, and thats when things will get bad.

And speaking of bonding with pets, All of my pets outside of the tanks were rescues. They mean the world to me, and i often sacrifice things that i need, to make sure they're happy. It's overwhelmingly depressing when something happens to your pet, and that's why i'm here, to offer help to people who dont know where else to turn! And, as i said the first time, i didnt advise strong meds because they're harder to use and work with. The weaker, common products are much harder to over dose on, and typically have fewer adverse side affects.

The important thing to remember, is to keep from bothering him too much. Stress is a huge factor in fish health, and fluxuations in water quality, heating, lighting, tank tapping, movement, and all the little annoyances of every day life can greatly hinder his healing. In many, many cases, stress alone will kill. So, like i said, keep the boys away for a few days and keep him on the one medicine. Try to keep the water as good as possible, without over changing. Stick to 20% every 8-14 days, or as often as needd to keep the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and other toxins to a minimum.  Best wishes, and good luck. It seems you've got a strong grasp of the situation, and just need a little patience! Patience is important when dealing with fish. Too much too fast will only lead to unneeded stress.

Have fun!