Chocolate Gourami Almost Dead!

[Carlovel1]

I've got a second gourami on the verge on dying!
I noticed a few days ago, he was staying on the bottom of the tank.
This morning, he isn't eating, he has cloudy eyes, has lost his colour and he isnt moving his tail fins so basically head up tail down sorta floating at the water surface. Kinda like swin bladder. Is it velvet or parasites or something?
HELP

 

[VaegaVic]

Water stats, now, including pH.

Chocs are notoriously hard to keep, so it could just be because of this, but either way, water stats.

 

[Carlovel1]

Amnonia=0
pH=6.9
GH=6
KH=5
Temp=28 degrees

 

[VaegaVic]

Right, in this case this website might give you more information.

http/aqualandpetsplus.com/Gourami,%20Chocolate.htm

I would assume if they're wild caught it would perhaps be the pH, as they do better in the low 6's rather than almost neutral.
I've also read that the lower the pH, the less harmful bacterial count there is, which may play a contributing factor here.

 

[Carlovel1]

But if it was the pH then the other 3 gouramis I have would be dead by now?

 

[the biffster]

But if it was the pH then the other 3 gouramis I have would be dead by now?

its not been bullied as
part of the pecking order
is it Carlovel1 just a thought

 

[VaegaVic]

Could be that you have just one weaker one, natural selection and all.

Chocs are easily stressed, and stress weakens the immune system, they're not exactly hardy as it is.

Could be absolutely anything, don't treat with meds as you will only be making things worse unless you know if they actually have a disease.

Also, I just noticed, "second gourami", was the first chocolate as well?

 

[Carlovel1]

Well I had 5 from my friend, but a few days ago 2 of the gouramis sank to the bottom of the aquarium and I could tell something was wrong. I put them in quarantine but yesterday the first one died and this appears to be the second.
The other 3 have good colour and are swimming and feeding well, and 1 of them is flaring!
Anyway what can I do to save this little fella?

 

[VaegaVic]

Not really I'm afraid, not with chocs.
It may just be one of those things, if you didn't acclimatise them for long enough or if they just plain old don't like you.
Choc gouramis don't have long lifespans in aquaria these days.

Not unless you want to invest in them like a Discus, RO water and additives etc etc.

 

[Carlovel1]

I used the drip method to acclimate them and my friend had them for a few months in a pH of 7.2

 

[Athena]

Symptoms sound like bacterial disease to me, usually caused from stress lowering immune system.

Does he have any increased breathing?

Any body wasting (looking thinner)?

You mentioned cloudy eye - is the eye protruding at all, any blister-like sac around it, or just looks like a whitish film over it?

Regards, Athena

 

[Carlovel1]

He didn't have increased breathing but his eyes seem to have a white film over his eyes, or well atleast compared to the other Chocolate Gouramis which have clear eyes. His eyes are almost black Anyway you can see what I mean in the pics below

The following photo was taken a few mins ago, he is still alive

 

[Athena]

OMG that's not looking good!

He's in total clamp-down. Definitely a sign of bacterial disease. If you have any anti-bac meds you can try treating straight away, but from that last photo I'm afraid I don't hold out much hope, to be honest.

What is causing that water to look so yellow?

Athena

 

[Carlovel1]

OMG that's not looking good!

He's in total clamp-down. Definitely a sign of bacterial disease. If you have any anti-bac meds you can try treating straight away, but from that last photo I'm afraid I don't hold out much hope, to be honest.

What is causing that water to look so yellow?

Athena

Im so glad you know what it is LOL I dont want my other treasures dying because of that!
The reason because the water looks yellow is because of the sand. The sand is yellow but the water is totally clear.
ATM I only have Ich medicine but if I buy some medicine right now and add it later, do you think he may recover?
Also can the disease pass onto other fish?
And are you SURE SURE that its a bacterial disease?
THANKS CARL

 

[Athena]

Hi Carl

I'm 95% sure it's bacterial. Signs of this are: Fin clamping, tail clamping, discolouration (going dark or very pale), disinterested in food, greyish white film over eye(s) and/or body, general weakness, thinning of body mass, sunken belly, sometimes pop eye etc

If you're in the UK, try to get some Myxazin or something similar. It's a good all-round anti-bac medication.

Whilst you're treating this fish, increase the aeration in the tank if possible. Start off with a water change, too, 25-30%, matching as near to tank temp as poss, so as not to shock the sick fish any further.

Regards, Athena

ps - forgot to ask - in the first 3 pics, what is all that white stuff in the tank water? Leftover food?