Help With Gouramis

[kel8el]

i have 2 dwarf gouramis and i think they have both got hole in the head they have qiute large deep holes on the side of there heads there mostly white an a bit red but they both seem happy an are both still eating an swimmig. im not really sure wot to do and im slightly worried about my other fish catching it, i have thought about moving them to another tank but i dont want to cause them stress. iv tested all water levels an everythin seems fine, iv done water changes an syphoned the gravel regular. they also have a diet of flakes, shrimp, algae wafers and blood worm 1s a wk and occasionally peas an cucumber for my pleco but they all eat them lol. not sure wot to do pls help im pretty new at all this and would really appresiate any advice.


http/www.flickr.com/photos/11426885@N08/...57607074996394/
im not sure how to get photos on here but i hope the link works

 

[Corleone]

Gouramis don't get hole in the head, it's a cichlid disease. However, they are quite bad off. It looks like an ulcer from a fungal or bacterial infection. Have you posted in the tropical emergency section? Wilder and a few others are great at helping with diagnosis.

How big is the tank? What else is with it? How long has it been running? What are the water stats (ammonia/nitrite/nitrate especially)?

 

[kel8el]

im not really sure how this site works yet im pretty new to it, i think there in about 60 litre tank theres about 30 fish unfortunalty i did have most of them in another tank but it crackek a couple of nites ago so i had 2 put them all together till i sort them out luckly i have found some one to luck after them for me but most of them are babys an tetras so its not to crowded. there are also corys silver sharks sissor tails clown loach an plecos oh an a fighter fish( i think i saw him trying to eat my dwarfs eye today!!!! im keepin an eye on him) and an angel fish
ph 6.5
ammonia 0.6
nitrite 0.1
nitrat 5
the full set up was second hand has been set up about 2 months

 

[Corleone]

im not really sure how this site works yet im pretty new to it, i think there in about 60 litre tank theres about 30 fish unfortunalty i did have most of them in another tank but it crackek a couple of nites ago so i had 2 put them all together till i sort them out luckly i have found some one to luck after them for me but most of them are babys an tetras so its not to crowded. there are also corys silver sharks sissor tails clown loach an plecos oh an a fighter fish( i think i saw him trying to eat my dwarfs eye today!!!! im keepin an eye on him) and an angel fish
ph 6.5
ammonia 0.6
nitrite 0.1
nitrat 5
the full set up was second hand has been set up about 2 months

Well.. first off, you're extraordinarily overstocked. The clown loaches and bala sharks will get 12 to 18 inches long and need a good sized group in a very large tank. Some species of plec can get 2-3 feet long, do you know specifically which kind? 12 inches is a very conservative size for most of the commonly sold plecs. Angelfish are too big for the tank, and the fighter will likely fight with both the gourami (probably the behavior you describe) and the angelfish.

The ammonia is very severe, and is directly related to the high ammonia - you need to do water changes and get that below .25 very soon. However, with the stocking, considering you're still getting readings like this after 2 months, the filter will probably never keep up. You need to rehome fish immediately - the clown loaches, balas, angelfish, and plecs have to go, even if they're just babies.

In light of the "eye eating" behavior you describe, the gourami's problem is almost certainly wounds from being attacked by the fighting fish, and it sounds like they're infected, which is also related to the ammonia levels - stress from bad water weakens disease defense. Those two will have to be separated, as cleaner water conditions will reduce the stress and bring out more of their natural behavior, which is likely to mean they'll fight more. Bettas aren't generally aggressive with other species, but gouramis, brightly colored fish, and long finned fish are all liable to bring out their worst.