Gourami Problems!

[scooterchick]

One thing after another. OK, 17 gal tank, temporary home for fish as the inaccessible 37 gallon tank was killing them. So they're now in a nice clean home but bumping into each other from lack of space. Big tank has now been moved and is looking fantastic but has fish from anotehr tank in it as that tank had to be moved (it's the one that's up for sale). All the fish have suffered from lack of maintenance, us and previous owners, but we're now ideally placed to look after them, all the shuffling about has been done, the tanks are clean, both tanks have great stats and the plan is to move the small fish into the small tank and the big fish into the big tank but cos there are sick fish in both tanks I don't want to cross infect!

Anyway my gourami's. One pearl, one golden. Pearl has been ailing for a couple of weeks, he's perked up since moving into the smaller tank and treating with anti internal bac med (treated cos of unexplained deaths) however he's now developing what looks like hole in the head. Tank is 2 foot and currently is home to 1 plec, 1 angel, 1 gold gourami, 1 pearl gourami, 3 mollies and 4 barbs. Far too many fish but as I say I don't want to cross infect. Since perking up him and the gold gourami are going for it tooth and nail, they're taking turns to bite each others rear ends. They were 'ok' ish in the big tank, but obviously the tight living quarters are proving tiring.

The other tank is 37 gallons and home to 1 RTS, 6 diamond tetras, 4 guppies, 2 black widows, 2 swordtails, 5 neons and 1 khuli loach. 2 of the guppies have finrot and 1 of the diamond tetras is poorly, sunken belly, pale and lethargic. I'm also treating this tank with anti-internal bac med but the tetra isn't really showing any signs of improvement. The gourami would certainly benefit from more space but as I say I'm not sure about cross infecting!

What would you do? (don't have a hospital tank (both tanks are 7.5PH, temp exactly the same, 0ppm for nitirites and amonia and 10 for nitrates).

P.S I thought my gold gourami had a problem with it's eyes, they look a bit bloodshot, but when I googled images they seem to be normal, can someone confirm?

Many thanks for all replies!

 

[WILDER]

Get you some info looks bacterial to me on the head white in the centre with red on the outside.

If you think it is bacterial you will need some pimafix with the bacterial med.


Wounds that are white on the edges and red in the center are most typically Aeromonas. Those that are red on the edges and white in the center are generally Columnaris. Both are gram negative bacteria. The best treatment for this is any sulfa antibiotic with trimetheprim. This can be put in the water and/or mixed with food -- if you can find Romet B use it.

 

[scooterchick]

Thanks Wilder, currently treating with Interpret Anti-internal med, so will have to wait a couple of days before I can start anotehr treatment. The good news is that he's fighting with the other gourami so he must be feeling a bit better plus he's eating a bit better. I'll get the primafix and start that straight away then something for the HITH. Do you think I should start moving the fish? The plec's looking a bit pale in the wee tank, I think the lack of space could be stressing them out too, they've been in that small tank a week now, I wasn't planning on having them in there that long.

 

[WILDER]

Being pale is a sign of stress.
Overstocked tanks cause this and ill health.
I would start to put some of the fish in other tanks, if there no flicking and rubbing.

 

[scooterchick]

Thanks Wilder, tomorrow I'll move the angel, the plec and the gold gourami, that'll leave 4 gold barbs, 3 mollies and the pearl gourami in the 2 foot tank. That will ease things off, don't want to do a water change too soon as they only had their 2nd dose of med today so removing some fish will ease the burden.

In the tank the others are going to there's a couple of guppies with finrot but it isn't speading to the other fish.

 

[WILDER]

Guppies are prone to finrot, keep an eye on them as finrot can be a secondary infection, meaning something else it going on.
Good luck.

 

[ArauraDiscus]

Also protozoans can cause various diseases that induce a greater paleness, mostly due to an increase in mucus coating, enough that it dulls a fish, but not causing it to slough off. I agree to treat for bacterial, but if it doesn't work, then I may even change the treatments to a parasitic one.

Because it could also be

Ichtybodo Necator, a common inhabitant of the skin of most fish that can unexpectantly attack the host and cause sores, dulling of colors due to mucus production, but normally in uneven patches, not the entire fish. Anabatids and most labryth fish seem very susceptable.

It could also be spironucleus Vortens or Hexamita, both which cause hole in the head, common in cichlids and gouramis.

 

[SouthernCross]

I would keep separate your pearl and gold gourami on a permanent basis if possible. I can't tell if your setups are what you plan to be permanent.

Them fighting are only stressing them more and that also means its taking away energy they should be using to get better. If you put them back together when they're better, they will fight again and you might end up with the same trouble all over.

It's not always the best idea to mix gourami species - in particular the gold/blue ones (same species, just colour variants) are particularly aggressive, and pearls are known for being more peaceful.
I can't tell exactly from the pictures, but you may have two males there too, which only exacerbates the problem. No wonder your poor little pearl has copped a beating.

Best way to keep gouramis is one species only (although more peaceful ones can be mixed) in M/F/F trios, or multiples thereof.

 

[scooterchick]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm about to move the gold gourami into the bigger tank, this won't be permanent, he'll be moving back into the smaler tank when the pearl is better and he'll be going in the bigger tank, next thing on my shopping list is a small hospital tank so I can isolate sick fish completely, right now I've got sicj fish in both tanks, arghh!!

As for the gourami's, I can't sex them but I know they're the same, just wasn't sure if they were males or females, so I guess they're males!!! Poor little pearl however is usually the instigator and the gold one flees, however in the smaller tank there's nowhere to run so he's had no choice but to fight!!

Thanks again all xxxx

 

[SouthernCross]

I honestly think you should separate them permanently. Fighting all the time is not healthy for either of them - you'll probably just end up with them sick all over again...

 

[scooterchick]

I honestly think you should separate them permanently. Fighting all the time is not healthy for either of them - you'll probably just end up with them sick all over again...

Hi,

Yes, what I meant was they'll be swopping back, the pearl is the bigger one so he'll go in the big tank. When he's ready for that I'll move the gold back into the smaller tank.

 

[SouthernCross]

Ahhh ok, good! Sorry, I misunderstood your previous post.