Red sore on gourami

[Chen jing kai]

Hi there appears to be a red sore around my dwarf gourami’s ventral or pelvic area. Is this a disease or is it a cut? What should I do about this?

 

[itiwhetu]

He looks like he has been in the wars. What other fish are in the tank?

 

[Chen jing kai]

He looks like he has been in the wars. What other fish are in the tank?

There is only one gourami and most of the fish are not big enough to deal with him. Those that could match his size might be a pleco or SAE. However he does enjoy hiding in a dark place behind this ship decoration. So this wound is not from disease but just a cut? Is there a way to help his wound heal?

 

[itiwhetu]

There is only one gourami and most of the fish are not big enough to deal with him. Those that could match his size might be a pleco or SAE. However he does enjoy hiding in a dark place behind this ship decoration. So this wound is not from disease but just a cut? Is there a way to help his wound heal?

The SAE will have given it a hurry up at night is my bet. If your tank is healthy, it will just cure itself with time, don't panic fish get bumps all the time.

 

[Chen jing kai]

Thank you for the information.

The SAE will have given it a hurry up at night is my bet. If your tank is healthy, it will just cure itself with time, don't panic fish get bumps all the time.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

There is only one gourami and most of the fish are not big enough to deal with him. Those that could match his size might be a pleco or SAE.

Size doesn't matter.
For example, if there are not enough of a tetra species to make a proper shoal, then they get aggressive and nippy towards other tankmates.
That said, I'd be inclined to agree with @itiwhetu at fingering the SAE as a possible culprit.

I maintain a low dose of Aquarium Salt in my tanks, at 1 tablespoon per 5 Imperial Gallon., because this facilitates healing, if wounds occur.
(The salt helps maintain the electrolytes of the fish and assists their immune systems).

 

[vanalisa]

i wouldn't just ignore it. do the salt at least.
what else is going on in the tank? do any other fish have "sores?"
why do you think the fish is hiding? have you witnessed any aggression?

 

[Deleted member 149562]

The "SAE"...are you absolutely 100% certain it is an SAE and not a CAE?

That sort of injury is fairly similar to that of a mature CAE that has attacked a slab side fish like the Gourami for the slime coat. Slab sided fish are slower moving, especially after dark when the CAE is most active.

Juvenile CAE will eat algae but once matured, they thrive on another fish' slime coat, often causing terrible wounds that do not react to treatment thanks to the infection left from the CAE and the victim dies a long, painful death severely stressed, terrified and with infection from its wounds unresponsive to any treatment.

Be VERY sure that you have not got a CAE and if by chance you have been missold one, get it out of the aquarium asap and euthanise it if the shop where you got it from will not take it back. CAE are exceptionally dangerous, vicious fish once mature.

 

[Chen jing kai]

No I do not have a Chinese algae eater and this fish resembles a SAE or like not a true SAE but not a flying fox either. My gourami’s wound has started to grow fungus, what should I do?

 

[Chen jing kai]

Hi I think I may have a reason. The ammonia has not fully gone down. However the last time I had tested the water there was zero ammonia, zero nitrites and Low nitrates

 

[phishshis]

So what's been your results? As I understand red spots on gourami can also be ectoparasites and should be treated with antibiotics. I have a similar issue and I'm pretty worried. Was it all due to high ammonia levels?

 

[Chen jing kai]

The dwarf gourami has died already. I think it was because I only cleaned the tank every two weeks and coupled with the fact that I had ran out of bacteria. The high ammonia levels might have been the cause of this and for the infection of the wound.

 

[Essjay]

Antibiotics should only be used on bacterial infections. If the parasites are not bacterial, a different medication should be used, one which kills the actual parasite affecting the fish. Or in the case if the ich parasite, heat rather than medication.