Dwarf Gouramis Rapidly Losing Condition

[fishbone]

Fish one:
Up until now I've been pretty lucky with my dwarf gouramis, I have 6 females, but not long after getting the last 4, i noticed one with an ulcer. I've kept the one with the ulcer in quarantine for the last few weeks. There has been no change to it, besides this ulcer this fish seems quite healthy, eating fine, active, normal poos etc, but I'm reluctant to return her to the main tank so in quarantine she stays.

Fish two:
Day before yesterday one of my others, who I've had for about 2 1/2 months looked a little unsteady and really thin. So this one is also now in quarantine. No ulcers, fungus, or any other indication of disease. She's not overly interseted in food, even tried tempting her with blood worm. I've not seen her do a poo but did see a stringy bit hanging in the plants, which I thought was a peice of my hair fallen in the tank! Could have been a stringy poop. She also doesn't appear to have grown very much since I got her, whereas my others have all plumped out and grown considerably.

So my question is.. what should I try treating her(fish two) with or should I put her out of her misery?
Tank stats: Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5-10, temp. 25/6c (This is the quarantine stats)
Cheers

 

[sylvia]

I suspect it's TB. I have had this happen to a couple of fish myself and it's horrible to watch - they just degenerate - grow skinnier, hollower, stop eating, stay small etc. Eventually they become lethargic and gouramies might start restng on the bottom and not bothering to come up for air which also usually leads to very rapid breathing that looks immensely stressful.

If you are certain the problem is not an internal parasite (stringy white poo but usually not accompanied by a loss of appetite), I would suggest euthanizing with a few drops of clove oil as treating TB is quite pointless. Occassionaly antibiotics work but it's not worth it IMO.

 

[fishbone]

Thanks Sylvia, I think it may well be tb, so I'm off out this morning to get some clove oil. I can't stand to watch the poor fish suffer. I already tried medicating for internal parasite, to no avail.
Will this have spread to my other fish before I removed her? I guess I'll just have to keep a close eye on the others and hope for the best.
Thanks again.

 

[sylvia]

TB is rather contagious but hopefully the others will be ok - like you say, keep an eye on them. Good luck!