Listless & Ill Gourami - Please Help

[BFG]

Hi,

Everything has been going so well for a while now, and I thought things had settled. Looks like I was wrong Please help as I've become very attached to my fish and I hate seeing her ill.

Tank size: 180L (40 gal) Juwel Rio
pH: 7.1
ammonia: 0 (full fishless cycle carried out months ago - never saw any ammonia / nitrite)
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 15
kH: unknown
gH: unknown
tank temp: 24.5°C

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):
Female gourami (called Splodge from here on in) has been resting on the floor of the tank (but upright). This has now progressed to lying on her side / leaning up against things (almost sideways). Breathing is regular and doesn't seem more hurried than usual. Just seen her go up to the surface (as they seem to do occasionally) and immediately went back to the floor. Swimming did not seem difficult for her. Her top and bottom fins could possibly be slightly clamped, but not sure. Her two 'side' fins that the gouramis seem to use for moving about when they're going very slowly, are out at right angles from her body. Eyes do not seem cloudy.The other 2 gouramis seem fine at the moment

Volume and Frequency of water changes:
15 to 20l weekly (gravel vac etc)

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:
None.

Tank inhabitants:
3 pearl gouramis, 5 neons, 6 peppered corys, 2 bristlenose catfish, 2 apple snails and 6 amano shrimps

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):
The amano shrimps (as of yesterday)

Exposure to chemicals:
None

I have protozin and myxazin in the house (both unopened!). Will either of these help without killing my catfish and inverts? No carbon in the tank at present. Amano shrimps were added yesterday (no LFS tank water went in the tank) so I had hoped I'd kept disease out.

Thanks in advance for any help. I'm getting desperate here, as apart from an apple snail and a neon on the day of purchase, this could be my first fatality in the established tank.

 

[WILDER]

She has a bacterial infection which is very common in gouramis, once they lay on there sides and heavy breath they are dying i'm afraid, could try a bacterial med, but she might be to weak to handle it, sorry.

Yes add the myxazin, good luck.
http/www.waterlife.co.uk/waterlife/myxazin.htm

 

[BFG]

She has a bacterial infection which is very common in gouramis, once they lay on there sides and heavy breath they are dying i'm afraid, could try a bacterial med, but she might be to weak to handle it, sorry.

B****R. Will the myxazin be ok with the corys and bristlenose? If it doesn't, then it says it doesn't affect the filter, so may try dosing to ensure the others remain ok...

Edit: Sorry, in my rush to reply missed what you put. Thanks for your help

 

[WILDER]

Yes they will be fine plecs and corys more the parasite meds they don't like, increase aeration as med will reduce 02 in the water, and the corys will need it increased with being bottom dwellers.

 

[BFG]

Yes they will be fine plecs and corys more the parasite meds they don't like, increase aeration as med will reduce 02 in the water, and the corys will need it increased with being bottom dwellers.

Thank you. I'll post back with results in the coming days. Off to dose now.

 

[WILDER]

Ok, good luck.

 

[BFG]

Hi Wilder,

Unfortunately Splodge didn't make it , but thanks for your help as one of my other gouramis started going the same way. She seems on the mend now, so I'm glad I dosed when I did.

I'll put activated carbon in my filter at the end of the recommended regime, so hopefully that's the last of the problem.

BFG.

 

[WILDER]

R.I.P. Ok good luck.