Dwarf Gourami Injury?

[KateW]

Hi All

I have just been looking at my fish and notice that my male dwarf gourami appears to have something wrong with his mouth. His top lip (do fish have lips?) in particular looks as if it has been cut and is a bit flappy. The inside is a bit pink. He seems to be eating OK, and swimming well.

He does have a bit of long white poo too, don't know if this is a problem.

Any idea what might have happened to him and what to do about it?

Tank mates are five small guppies and three neons (sold to me by the LFS as ideal first in the tank fish, before I knew any better) in a 35 litre tank.

Water parameters are consistent pH 7.4, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 40 - 80, temperature 25 degrees. 30% water change and gravel vac weekly.

I also saw one of the guppies having a little nip at his tail (seemed odd as he is so much bigger) - is this normal? He just swam away.

Any help appreciated!

 

[WILDER]

Your tanks slightly overstocked.

It sounds like the fish might have cut his mouth on something in the tank.
Is there anything sharp in the tank, or sharp edges to plants, ornaments, substrate, etc.

Can you isolate the sick fish.
Use half dose of melafix or myxazin by waterlife.

 

[KateW]

Thanks for the quick reply Wilder. I think the gourami will be the first in to the bigger tank, but that is a couple of weeks away yet. Unless I can get a friend to take him.

Unfortunately I don't have a hospital tank (the intention being to use the small tank as a hospital/quarantine tank when the big one is up and running). Will it do any harm to the other fish to add the medicine you mentioned?

 

[KateW]

I have now got hold of some waterlife myxacyn, so have taken the carbon out of the filter and added a half dose to the whole tank. If this also heals up the guppies' ragged fins, it would indicate fin rot rather than nipping, I suppose.

On the plus side a new forum (not as active as this one) has just started up for my local area and I may have found the gourami a new home, fingers crossed he will be happier there.