Gourami Illness & Aggression

[Brouss29]

I have a 55 gal. community aquarium with the following:
2-Flame dwarf Gourami's
1-Blue dwarf Gourami
4-Zebra Danios
1-Pleco
1-Pictus cat

The tank has been set up for about 6 months and I haven't added any new fish in 3 months. I just tested all my water parameters and everything is good. I am fairly new to this hobby and have foolishly taken advice from the people working at the pet stores. Please help!

One of my flame Gouramis has popeye and is acting sluggish and the other has a white spot. Recently they started fighting and I plan on seperating them (the Gourami with popeye is in an in-tank quarantine while I set up my other tank)

My questions are:
How do I treat the popeye (antibiotics?)
What is the spot on the other Gourami? (I will post pics)
Would it be okay to have a lone Gourami in a 10gal tank?

Thank You,
Jessica

 

[Brouss29]

Here is the picture of the Gourami with the spot

 

[TammyLiz]

In my opinion a single dwarf gourami would do fine in a 10 gallon tank.

Are both eyes affected in the one with popeye? If it is only one eye (or maybe even if it is both) it could be injury from your other fish, especially since you have seen them fighting. If it is not severe it may just clear up on its own. If it is severe and in both eyes the fish may have problems eating because it cannot see, and it may be likely to get an infection. I would observe it carefully to see how bad it is before making a decision on which fish you should remove to the smaller tank for treatment.

I don't recognize that white spot on the other fish. Maybe someone else has a suggestion about that. Some sort of body fungus I would guess.

 

[sylvia]

The fish with pop-eye needs to be treated with antibiotics asap. It'll probably die though. Isolate this one as, if it were to die and get nibbled on, you'll find his infection can be rather contagious.

The fish you posted a pic of has columnaris, a bacterial infection. It too can be treated with antibiotics or with a commerical anti-finrot medication (plus lower temperature to below 76 deg F). You can add this medication to the main tank (the other fish may also have the beginnings of it) but montior your water parameters very carefuly - particularly if you use antibiotics for treatment - and make sure you lower the temperature gradualy so as not to cause anyone shock.

One male dwarf in a 10 gallon is fine but it should, realy, be cycled fishless beforehand (or use mature filter media from your running tank - ask if you are not sure about what I mean).