Honey Gourami....

[philak]

So i arrived at my g/fs for the weekend and immediately noticed one of the 2 honey gouramis is majorly bloated. I've read up on Dropsy and i guess you could say he/she has a slight "pine cone " look from certain angles. Added to that it's eyes appear to be bulging slightly.

It's hanging around near the surface and generally fairly inactive although still stable in the water and occasionally nibbling at flake. I've tried to interest it in a mushed pea in case it's constipated but no joy.

From what i've read of Dropsy it's nearly always fatal and i don't want this chap suffering unnecessarily. Should i euthenase it and if so how? I''m not keen on the idea but if it's best for the fish.....

I don't have a hospital tank to put him in. Any advice greatly appreciated.

( All the other fish appear well. Ammonia and Nitrite are both zero and Nitrates are around 30-40 ,which is how it comes out of the tap btw)

 

[WILDER]

Can you issolate the sick fish to a hospital tank and try a bacterial med.
All you can do is epson salts baths to help draw the fluids out and bacterial med.
If the fish is issolated you can add epson salts to the tank water.

 

[philak]

Unfortunately i have no hospital tank. If it was just a case of a container im sure i could find something but i assume you need a heater and filter.

 

[WILDER]

Yes you need a filter and heater. If no filter you still need an airstone for aeration.
How is the fish now?

 

[philak]

I'm afraid the Gourami is dead now, i took it upon myself to end his obvious misery. Had his eyes bulged anymore they would have popped off and he had totally lost interest in food, hardly surprising given the bloat of his abdomen. He had also occupied the same top corner of the tank, sipping air, for almost two days with barely any movement.

I hope i did the right thing, everything i read tells me it was Dropsy and that there was next to no chance of recovery. I also read that i shouldn't let him die in the tank because any parasite or whatever bacteria that could have started the problem might end up being spread around.

Thanks for the input anyway, i'm only sad it wasn't caught a bit earlier when his chances or survival might have been higher. It's the first fish i've lost in my new hobby of a few months and i hope it doesn't happen again soon.

 

[WILDER]

Bless him. R.I.P.
Water change on main tank. Keep a close eye on the other fish.
Good Luck.