Dwarf Gourami & Other Problems

[Peteinhull]

Request Help

Tank size: 180L
pH: 7.6
ammonia: 0ppm
nitrite: 0ppm
nitrate: 10ppm
kH:
gH:
tank temp: 28degC

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): One male died last week, other fish have also died including 1 x female Dwarf Gourami, 1 x Female Blue Ram. One lethargic Dwarf Gourami laying on the bottom, then suddenly springs up and swims for a while then goes back to the bottom.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 50% change on Sunday last, 25% 10 days prior.

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Stress Coat added to tap water during change. 25ml of Stress Zyme added after change complete.

Tank inhabitants: 1 x male Dwarf Gourami, 3 x female Dwarf Gourami, 3 x Bronze Corydora , 5 x Serpea Tetra, 5 x Mickey Mouse Platy, 1 x Black Phantom Tetra, 1 x Ember Tetra, 1 x Neon Tetra 1 x Male Blue Ram

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): None

Exposure to chemicals: None

Digital photo (include if possible):

 

[Colin_T]

Did all the fish that die have sores like the one in the picture?

Are any of them rubbing on objects/ ornaments in the tank?

Did you get all the dwarf gouramis from the same petshop?

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If none of the fish are rubbing on objects, and the fish that are dying have sores, then I would say you have the Gourami Iridovirus in your tank.

This is a virus that can affect all species of fish but is extremely common in dwarf gouramis. It generally kills any fish it infects. However, it is a virus and if you can boost the fish's immune system, you might be able to save some of them. To boost their immune system you want to feed them a varied diet consisting of fresh. frozen, live and dry food.

Feed a couple of different dry foods in the morning and some live or frozen food in the after noon and at night. Feed the fish 3 or 4 times per day and do a 75% water change twice a week using dechlorinated water. Gravel clean the tank each time you do the water change.

Raw or cooked prawn is good for conditioning most fishes. Get some prawn/ shrimp and keep them in the freezer. Take one out and defrost it. Then remove the shell, head and gut (long thin black thing inside the prawn). Throw those bits in the bin. Then use a pr of scissors to cut the rest of the prawn into small pieces and offer a few bits at a time. Feed the fish as much as they can eat and then remove any uneaten food.

You can feed fish, prawn, squid, mussel or any other marine food to the fish. Some petshops sell frozen Marine Mix fish food if you can't be bothered cutting up prawn.

You also want to add some vitamins to their diet. A bird or reptile vitamin supplement (in powder form) can be sprinkled over from frozen but defrosted food, mixed in and then fed to the fish. Do this twice a day for a couple of weeks then reduce it to once a day for a couple of weeks.
You should add spirulina powder to frozen food as well.

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Keep the temperature stabile and around 26C (79F). Your current temp is fine for rams and gouramis but the tetras and Corydoras would prefer slightly cooler.

In the morning turn the room light on or open the curtains, then wait 30minutes or more before turning the tank light on.
At night turn the room light on, then turn the tank light off. Wait 30minutes or more before turning the room light off. This will allow the fish to wake up without bright lights and have a bit of room light after their tank light goes out.

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If the fish develop sores you can try treating the sores with medication (anti-biotics) but most of the time it doesn't help and you can spend a lot of money on medication and still lose the fish. If you do use anti-biotics, treat the fish in a separate tank because the anti-biotics will kill the filter bacteria.
Anti-biotics will not treat the virus. They will only help treat secondary bacterial infections and should be used carefully and only as a last resort.

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Depending on which country you are in, you might be able to get compensation from whoever brought the fish in. In Australia gouramis have to be quarantined for at least 4 weeks and must be certified free of the Iridovirus. If someone has brought in contaminated fish and they went through quarantine and have the Iridovirus, then someone has lied to the government and the matter needs to be investigated by the relevant authorities.

 

[Peteinhull]

Colin,

WOW! That was comprehensive. So chances are that all of the other fish could be infected? FFS. At least we know. That does seem to fit the bill. Especially as it is the smaller varieties (excluding Gourami) that have been dying.

Thank's for all of you help. I'll give your recommendations a go, but think that I could be too late.

Thanks a lot Pal.

Pete

 

[Colin_T]

What fish have you lost in total, did you lose tetras too, or mainly dwarf gouramis?

And did it start shortly after getting new fish?

 

[Peteinhull]

Not immediately after, but equally not long after. We lost a couple of Rainbow Tetra, but to be fair put that down to the age of the fish. We have lost two female Gouarmis , one which had got stock in a hole in a piece of bog wood and had to be forcefully removed, and we thought that may have been the cause. Non of the other fish seem in any way bothered. The male Gouarmi has now died also.

 

[Colin_T]

It might be coincidence. Try feeding them more often with more variety of food and do more water changes and see how things go over the next week or so. Hopefully it isn't the Iridovirus and you just got unlucky.

If anymore get sick or show any sores, then photograph them and post on here asap

 

[Peteinhull]

Will do and thanks Colin.