Need Advice

[Azaezl]

Hi,

I'm really concerned about my blue gourami, I posted in the emergency section the other day about a small lump / protrusion she has. When it first appeared it was a very dark colour and it kept going back inside her but now it's permanantely out and looks clear / red and seems to be getting bigger. I've put interpet no.9 in as suggested by another forum member but as of yet it's done nothing. I think it's some sort of prolapse as she was constipated a little while before it and I've seen her poo come out of this lump thing.

If it is some sort of prolapse what should I do?

Here are some pics I've just taken;

My original post with pics from a few days ago;

[topic="179135"]Original post[/topic]

 

[sylvia]

Just a note first - opalines are the same species as blue gouramies (both color morphs of Trichogaster trichopterus) so if your opaline was male, they could breed and it wouldn't be hybridization.

But, anyway - I've never seen anything like this before but all the mention of eggs makes me think this fish has a problem with re-absorbing them as would normaly be done. I've never had gouramies release eggs in the absense of males.

This could be linked to some sort of infection but I would not have guessed parasite myself - more likely bacterial.

Can you isolate her into a cycled hospital tank? Then I'd fast her another day or two as I don't think it's a good idea for her to be eating things right now and treat with an antibacterial med. just to prevent/treat secondary infections.

I'm not certain of what this is though - let me just emphasize that. I'm just saying what I would personaly do.

Oh and that stuff that came out (in the pics) wasn't poo

If she recovers from this, it may be an idea to get a male (if it turns out she was eggbound).

edit: BTW, if it's a prolapse, I have no idea what you should do. I expect it wouldn't be treatable. Some vets will look at fish - have you considered this option? Three-spots can live for a good 7 years and are hardy fish. It might be worth it.

 

[Azaezl]

I haven't got a cycled hospital tank(short on space), I do have a 17l plastic tank that I could put some of her tank water in, I also have a small internal filter(as well as my external) on her tank so i could remove the small internal and put it in the 17l, would that suffice? I have 2 spare heaters so that's no prob.

I don't know what more I can do other than give her the meds, the local vets is only small and they don't do fish. She seems ok, swimming about and she is eating, so she musn't be too stressed by it, just don't want her to die or be in pain.

 

[sylvia]

It's better then to treat her in the main tank as an uncycled container will quickly accumulate ammonia - and that could well kill her.

 

[Azaezl]

Well the protrusion was getting bigger and bigger, it doubled in size, I went out earlier, came back and it was more or less gone. Have no idea if it popped or went back in or what but she seems a bit better, have put another dose of interpet 9 in just incase. Fingers crossed it's the start of her getting better

So if she does get better should I buy a male? Not sure if I'll be overstocked as I have 2 senegalus bichir's, 2 bn plecs, 2 apple snails and the 2 gourami's(in a 240L with external & internal filter)? Plus if I get a male won't the opaline get jealous / feel a bit left out so would I have to get a friend for that too?

 

[sylvia]

Opalines are the same species as your sick female. The only difference is color. So adding a male won't change anything. He'd be able to spawn with either of them equally well. Actualy, these fish don't get 'jealous' anyway lol That's just anthropomorphism. They don't 'make friends' and they don't 'feel left out' either if anything, the two females will probably rather dislike the male when he is first added because he'll be itnruding on their space. later the tables will turn, however

Having said that, what sort of setup do you have? Is it planted at all? It's just that it wouldn't be a good idea to add a male three-spot to a tank which doesn't have adequate cover for the females. I thought you had a community but with the bichirs this might not quite be the case (you wouldn't be overstocked BTW - at least not unless your bichirs grow unusually large - but then they'd eat the gouramies anyway ).

 

[vancouver]

If it ever gets really large like that again you might try epsolm salts.. theyre supposed to flush out things in the stomach..

 

[Azaezl]

Opalines are the same species as your sick female. The only difference is color. So adding a male won't change anything. He'd be able to spawn with either of them equally well. Actualy, these fish don't get 'jealous' anyway lol That's just anthropomorphism. They don't 'make friends' and they don't 'feel left out' either if anything, the two females will probably rather dislike the male when he is first added because he'll be itnruding on their space. later the tables will turn, however

Having said that, what sort of setup do you have? Is it planted at all? It's just that it wouldn't be a good idea to add a male three-spot to a tank which doesn't have adequate cover for the females. I thought you had a community but with the bichirs this might not quite be the case (you wouldn't be overstocked BTW - at least not unless your bichirs grow unusually large - but then they'd eat the gouramies anyway ).

I disagree slightly, when I got rid of my geo(the original setup was a geophagus brasillies, blue gourami, 2 bronze corys, I bought the tank second hand and that's what was in it) the gourami seemed to miss it, she was quite miserable, she swam with my female bichir as much as poss but the bichir liked to lay on the bottom / hide alot and when I added the male she seemed left out and swam around on her own seeming very sad, so that's why I got the opaline and you should have seen the blue gourami(bela's her name) she was clearly very interested & excited. I could just be thinking this is happening(anthropomorphism as you said) but it's just what I've observed, I'm unsure about getting a male as I don't want to upset the harmony of the tank, everyone has there own 'friend', just worried that a male would cause a bit of upset, but if it will make them both happier then I'll get one.

I don't have real plants in the tank at the mo, just a dozen fake one's, 2 caves, a bit of bogwood that the opaline quite often swims under(it's a weird concave shape), another piece of wood that's fake and the 3d foamy background has a few places to hide. I can't see the bichir's growing past 12" and if by some chance they did I couldn't forsee a problem with the gouramis as my bichir's are gentle giants depsite the fact they are supposed to eat smaller fish, the female won't go near food if it's moving and the male is even more fussy over his food(has to be put in a certain part of the tank). Thanks alot for you help

vancouver - thanks for the tip, will make a note of it

 

[sylvia]

Of course gouramies can be social - that's not what I was talking about. The idea that they can be 'jealous' etc is what I was commenting on. They do preffer being with others of their own kind - particularly females. Males are too territorial to like company (except female company obviously). However, this is a safety thing. It's like shoaling fish wanting to be with others of their kind. It's got little to do with being 'friendly' (though perhaps it does manifest itself as this sort of feeling like it does in people - interesting thought). But anyway, you might be better off without the male if the tank's not planted. He could potentialy be extremely aggressive. The bichirs wouldn't be a problem, BTW, unless the fish is about a third their size. The thing is, if your bichirs grow to a full size of around 18" (they rarely get larger than 12"), for example, the gouramies could well be eaten.