Mystery Fish Death

[Twinklecaz]

My male Honey Gourami died this morning and I have no idea why.

Last night I moved him to a small temp tank of his own because he's been bullying the females. Though the filter wasn't cycled (was going to treat it as a fish-in cycle) the tank was filled with water from my main tank and set to the same temperature.

This morning I came downstairs and he was dead! I did have another Honey die a few weeks ago from some sort of bacterial disease ( I think bought on by the stress of being bullied) but he showed no signs of illness whatsoever. The only thing is that when I found him this morning his mouth was "pouted", kinda like Kissing Gourami do (in fact he's been doing that on and off for a while) and his scales were everso slighly pineconed. But he isn't fat or bloated atall and they cetainly wern't pinconed when I last saw him about 8 hours previously.

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Flagtail]

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Liverbird36]

Oh Caz i'm so sorry to hear about this. All you can allow yourself to dwell upon is the fact that although short, the quality of life you gave him was the best and never forget that. I lost the Guppy today that bought in the Ich. I won't buy fish that have a white body again that's for sure. Just keeping my fingers crossed that i've got the treatment in before to much damage has been done. Really sorry again Caz.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Hi thanks guys

Sorry about your Guppy Liverbird.

I'm starting to think I have some sort of bad bacteria in my tank that makes the fish ill as soon as they get stressed. Does anyone think that's possible? and how do I get rid of it?

The pouting thing is really strange too I think.

 

[Liverbird36]

How are the new females settling in ??

 

[Twinklecaz]

Hi

they seem ok thanks. I thought their colour had gone funny coz they were a lovely pale colour when I first got them and they've gone a bit brownier but then it occured to me that this is prob their real colour come out coz they're settled in

My red honey is still hanging on. The darkness on her tail has gone down a bit so I'm hopefully. She still hides and rests a lot though.

 

[Gilli]

Im sorry you lost your fish - I know how distressing it is - you really get attached to the little buggers especially if they have a personality! I think you may have lost him to Gourami disease - So many of them die within a month or three, and the fish stores keep selling them despite knowledge of the widespread dwarf gourami disease. Infected fish develop a variety of differing symptoms, including loss of color, decrease in activity and appetite, the appearance of sores and lesions on the body, abdominal swelling and finally death. This fish disease is completely untreatable and invariably fatal.

It can appear at any time - I lost my beloved honey gourami Mr Banana to this whom id had for a year during which time he was perfectly well! I was so attached to him I swore id never buy another despite them being a beautiful fish its not worth the heartache

 

[Twinklecaz]

HIya

See I was wondering about this. Does the disease only affect Dwarfs or can other Gouramis get it? Coz if they can then it wouldn't surprise me if that's what it is coz my Platys and Pygmys are perfectly healthy. As are my two yellow/natural Honeys I got on Tuesday but then they just may not be affected yet.

 

[Gilli]

As far as I know it only affect the gouramis- I certainly didnt have any other fish affected.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Yeah but is it just Dwarfs? Coz they call it Dwarf Gourami disease don't they? I always thought other Gouramis were immune from it