Please help!!

[queeniechimp]

Hello,

My son has a very sick dwarf gourami. We have had the fish for 14 months with no problems. For the last few weeks the poor little fishy has been leaning over on his side up against the plants in the tank and for the last few days he has been laying flat on his side on the bottom of the tank. I have checked the water and all is well. The other 2 fish in the tank are doing great. Neon - that's the sick fish's name- has now been moved to a hospital tank. He has stayed in the same spot laying on the bottom on his side for 12 hours. He is breathing so is still alive. Please help..... he looks normal just isn't acting normal. My son is heartbroken worrying about his fish. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[The-Wolf]

The most likely cause is a swim bladder problem,
Try feeding him a cooked, deshelled pea.
This acts as a laxative and also a cleanser.

Also what are your water parameters?
(pH, ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels)

 

[Doggfather]

Unfortuantly a lot of dwarf gourami carry nasty diseases such as Tuberculosis due to the mass inter-breeding of the species in the various fish farms of the world. Although it does sound like a swim bladder problem, as wolf mentioned, you can't rule out the possibility of TB altogether.

Try wolfs suggestion, hopefully it will work

 

[queeniechimp]

I have checked the water condition with test strips and everything (PH, nitrate etc....) is showing ideal.

I fed him a very small amount shortly after I posted here last night and he hasn't eaten any of it. In fact he still hasn't moved from the same spot he has been in since noon yesterday (we're pushing 24 hours) and now there is a flake of food laying on top of him and has been on top of him for at least the last hour.

I would like to try feeding him a shelled pea - but unfortunately he won't eat it right now. Can you forcefeed a fish??

 

[queeniechimp]

If it turns out he does have TB is there nothing we can do to fix him?? Or make him feel better for awhile??

 

[Doggfather]

If he does have TB, try ringing up a local vet, they may be able to help you futher by giving you something something to give the fish and ease it's pain.

 

[queeniechimp]

I made him 2 peas and broke them in half. He might have nibbled off of part of one - but I am not certain. I reached into the tank and put the pieces really close to him and one right by his mouth - that tells me how sick he is.... he didn't swim away from me. An hour or so after I put the pea in he did try to swim a little bit after I moved a piece closer to him again as it was moved too far away for him to reach. I tried to find help from a vet today - none of them deal with fish at all. I have a few more to call tomorrow.
I appreciate the help

 

[sylvia]

If he isn't eating at all, try tempting him with live foods or his favourite and then give the pea once he's eating again. Is he not showing any other signs of illness other than this behaviour? I suppose tb is a possibility but I think there are usualy other symptoms as well... never seen a fish with tb myself so I'm not sure of what to look for though I have heard that bent spines are a symptom in more severe cases. Has this fish been sick recently with anything else or has he been exposed to any diseases that you know of?

 

[queeniechimp]

Neon died last night. Thank you all for your help. If I had found this site a week earlier maybe he could have gotten better then. I really appreciate the help.