Neon Dwarf Gourami In Trouble!

[Bristlenose]

Ok, My dwarf gourami has a sore area above his eye and towards his snout! it started off i think as a wound but it has deteriated over the last two weeks. He is also looking very bloated around the gut! looks like he will burst. He has stopped eating as of yesturday and goes up for air occasionally.

I treated using a medication for ulcers, dropsy and internal bacteria, he got no better.
I have left a gap and tried a treatment for hole in the head, but again that did not work.
What should i do?

I have removed the carbon etc. The water quality is perfect and has been so throughout.

The sore looks white and a small amount is pink, i am getting concerned as it is near the eye, and getting deeper.

Last night i netted him and applied some mythelene blue to the wound!!!!!!

Is the bloating dropsy? his scales are not standing out and i tried a treatment. He is trailing solid waste so i was thinking maybe treat him with revitalisation tonic that treats fish for constapation? then see to the wound. Help me please.

 

[Colin_T]

Dwarf gouramis carry a virus that can cause symptoms like sores and infections that don't heal. It is highly contagious to other dwarf gouramis but doesn't normally affect other types of fish. If possible put the fish in a quarantine tank and keep it well fed. Have a broad spectrum medication in the water to prevent further infections and if the fish is strong it might overcome the problem. However many fish succumb to secondary infections or the actual virus.

 

[Bristlenose]

Dwarf gouramis carry a virus that can cause symptoms like sores and infections that don't heal. It is highly contagious to other dwarf gouramis but doesn't normally affect other types of fish. If possible put the fish in a quarantine tank and keep it well fed. Have a broad spectrum medication in the water to prevent further infections and if the fish is strong it might overcome the problem. However many fish succumb to secondary infections or the actual virus.

Thank you i did not know this. What medication would you suggest?

 

[Colin_T]

If the gourami has bloated up and is not eating then it is probably too late. Also when they start to have a long stringy white poo hanging off them for a long time, half a day or so, that can mean there are serious internal problems and the fish has major organ damage. Quite often the virus causes the internal organs to rupture and the abdomen fills up with fluid causing the bloating.

If the fish is easy to catch then you might want to put it down. If the fish see the net and tries to evade it you can try treating it with any broad spectrum medication from the LFS. But chances are the medication will cost more than the fish and might not work anyway.

You are probably best avoiding dwarf gouramis for a while. At least until they manage to find a cure for the virus or supply fish that are free of the disease. There are a number of small gouramis that don't suffer as much from the virus. Things like sparkling gouramis and indian banded or honey dwarf gouramis are usually fine. Not as colourful tho. However, there is the potential for them to contract the virus from an infected tank.

 

[Bristlenose]

If the gourami has bloated up and is not eating then it is probably too late. Also when they start to have a long stringy white poo hanging off them for a long time, half a day or so, that can mean there are serious internal problems and the fish has major organ damage. Quite often the virus causes the internal organs to rupture and the abdomen fills up with fluid causing the bloating.

If the fish is easy to catch then you might want to put it down. If the fish see the net and tries to evade it you can try treating it with any broad spectrum medication from the LFS. But chances are the medication will cost more than the fish and might not work anyway.

You are probably best avoiding dwarf gouramis for a while. At least until they manage to find a cure for the virus or supply fish that are free of the disease. There are a number of small gouramis that don't suffer as much from the virus. Things like sparkling gouramis and indian banded or honey dwarf gouramis are usually fine. Not as colourful tho. However, there is the potential for them to contract the virus from an infected tank.

What do you mean by broad spectrum medication? ive tried a few medications, one for ulcers etc? Could you give me a name of one?
I am worried as i have honey gouramis as well although all is fine at the moment with them.

 

[WILDER]

If you aleady tryed bacterial med it dosn't look good.
Why did you use a hole in the head med?
What is your location?

I agree with colin it dosn't look good if you have aleady treated and the med made no difference.
Epson salt baths help draw fluid out.
Once a fish stops eating bad news.

 

[Bristlenose]

If you aleady tryed bacterial med it dosn't look good.
Why did you use a hole in the head med?
What is your location?

I agree with colin it dosn't look good if you have aleady treated and the med made no difference.
Epson salt baths help draw fluid out.
Once a fish stops eating bad news.

I tried a bacterial treatment, but no luck. Is that what Colin meant by broad spectrum medication

 

[WILDER]

Broad spectrum means covering gran positive and gram negative bacteria's.
What was the name of the bacterial med you used.

Medicated food is the best if the fish is still eating.
http/www.fishjunkies.com/Infections/bacterial.php

 

[Bristlenose]

Broad spectrum means covering gran positive and gram negative bacteria's.
What was the name of the bacterial med you used.

Medicated food is the best if the fish is still eating.
[URL="http/www.fishjunkies.com/Infections/bacterial.php"]http/www.fishjunkies.com/Infections/bacterial.php[/URL]

I used Anti internal bacteria(interpet)

Is that both posative and negative?

 

[WILDER]

Anti internal bacteria med by interpet only works on mild bacterial infections.
Will not work on advanced cases.
There is jbl fluranol but it wipes the benefical bacteria out in your filter, by the time you get the med it could be to late, it already sounds to late as the bacterial infections have mounted up.

Get you some info on the jbl med.

 

[Bristlenose]

Its not looking good is it?

Ok, lets say it is this virus that gourami's get. What do i do. Is it likely to spread or if this fish goes belly up and i remove it will it spread to the other goourami inhabitants?

How do i protect the others from this?

 

[WILDER]

http/www.fishforums.net/content/Gouramis...ami-Mini-F-A-Q/

 

[Bristlenose]

[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/content/Gouramis...ami-Mini-F-A-Q/"]http/www.fishforums.net/content/Gouramis...ami-Mini-F-A-Q/[/URL]

Makes for grim reading.
Under the symptoms of which he has them all it doesnt mention the severe bloating?

So what do i do to protect the rest or are they likely to be ok regardless?

Many many thanks!

 

[Colin_T]

Ok, lets say it is this virus that gourami's get. What do i do. Is it likely to spread or if this fish goes belly up and i remove it will it spread to the other gourami inhabitants?
How do I protect the others from this?

If the gourami has the virus then the virus will already be in the tank. The fish release the virus into the water whenever they breathe or produce waste. The virus can be transmitted to other tanks through cross contamination, using the same net in different tanks, or even on your hands after working in one tank, then going into another. It generally affects dwarf gouramis but will sometimes affect other labyrinths (gouramis & bettas).
Chances are, if you have other dwarf gouramis in the tank they already have it and probably had it when you bought them. If you can keep the fish healthy with a balanced diet and good water quality & temperature, quite often they will build up a resistance to the virus and then it no longer affects them.
It is the same sort of thing that people get when you catch the flu. The body either develops a resistance to the virus or you die. Normally the former. Once you have developed a resistance to the virus you never catch that particular strain again. Unfortunately viruses mutate and that is why you catch a different flu virus every year.

Typically the virus doesn't cause bloating but it can cause organ damage and failure. This is usually what causes the bloating. Also if the fish is run down and has a weakened immune system, then it is more susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections that can damage organs and cause bloating.

 

[Bristlenose]

well i have set up my medical tank and will move the gourami into it. Will continue to treat it. I do not hold out much hope.

went into a local fish shop. They have not stocked gouramis for a year due to this virus they say they are more hastle than they are worth. It is a shame. Other than segregating the infected gourami, is there any other advice? i will do a big water change tomorrow on the main tank!