Sick Dwarf Gourami

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scuba_jez

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hey my gourami is sick. :(

he is bloated, not moving much and not eating...

any ideas on what it may be?

could it be something to do with the pH?

thanks :)
 
Why are you asking about your pH? Did yout ry to change it? If you are/were doing so, stop. It's unecessary and stressful for all the fish. They'll do better if you let them adapt to a stable, if not perfect, pH. As for whether it's the cause of the problem, no.

Your gourami is most likely suffering from an internal bacterial infection. You should isolate him and treat with antibiotics immediately. Let me emphasize the isolation part - don't try to treat in the main tank. That'll only cause problems for your other fish. If you don't have an isolation tank, a heated bucket (cover it so he doesn't jump) will do as long as you change the water daily. Alternatively, a large plastic storage box that is food-safe or one of those 2 gallon plastic critter keepers would serve the purpose.

Ok now, I'm assuming it's a bacterial ifnection simply because dwarf gouramies are extremely prone to them and almost inevitably succumb to such diseases at some point or another. However, I can't be certain without more info. For a start, how long have you had him? What color is his poo (keep an eye out for it)? When did he stop eating? Are there any signs of abnormaly rapid gill movement? Does he go up for air at regular intervals? Are there any red streaks or blemishes on him? Any sign of cotton wool-like growths or ulcers? Are the scales sticking out, resembling a pinecone somewhat?

Lastly, what size tank do you have, what other fish are in it and state your water parameters for ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte and, since you mentioned it, pH.

Meanwhile, try feeding a de-shelled smashed green pea in case the problem is just constipation and work on getting an isolation tank ready for him. Also, feed peas to all your fish so the gourami does not eat anything else that may make his condition worse (ie dry flake food).
 
Why are you asking about your pH? Did yout ry to change it? If you are/were doing so, stop. It's unecessary and stressful for all the fish. They'll do better if you let them adapt to a stable, if not perfect, pH. As for whether it's the cause of the problem, no.

Your gourami is most likely suffering from an internal bacterial infection. You should isolate him and treat with antibiotics immediately. Let me emphasize the isolation part - don't try to treat in the main tank. That'll only cause problems for your other fish. If you don't have an isolation tank, a heated bucket (cover it so he doesn't jump) will do as long as you change the water daily. Alternatively, a large plastic storage box that is food-safe or one of those 2 gallon plastic critter keepers would serve the purpose.

Ok now, I'm assuming it's a bacterial ifnection simply because dwarf gouramies are extremely prone to them and almost inevitably succumb to such diseases at some point or another. However, I can't be certain without more info. For a start, how long have you had him? What color is his poo (keep an eye out for it)? When did he stop eating? Are there any signs of abnormaly rapid gill movement? Does he go up for air at regular intervals? Are there any red streaks or blemishes on him? Any sign of cotton wool-like growths or ulcers? Are the scales sticking out, resembling a pinecone somewhat?

Lastly, what size tank do you have, what other fish are in it and state your water parameters for ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte and, since you mentioned it, pH.

Meanwhile, try feeding a de-shelled smashed green pea in case the problem is just constipation and work on getting an isolation tank ready for him. Also, feed peas to all your fish so the gourami does not eat anything else that may make his condition worse (ie dry flake food).

Hey thanks for the detailed reply.

no i didnt change the pH i just noticed it was quite acidic.

he has some blue ulscers and goes up for air quite often. his poo is clear. it started a few days ago and he has gotten worse.

i have a problem with the second tank becuase the water i get here needs to be cycled before i put any fish in it. it seems to have too much ammonia in it (i have tested it). it looks like ill be using the tank water.

ammonia 0 nitrates 0 nitrites dont know because i lost the test but they will be low becuase i did a 1/3 water change 3 days ago.

im about to go to the LFS and get some antibiotics but i doubt he'll make it. he's often resting against a plant instead of swiming. the problem is that i have been working the last 6 days and when u work 8:30 to 5:30 it doesnt leave much time to go shopping.

sorry i didnt answer all of your questions. there are no cotton wool type ulscers, but blue blemishes the left side of his face and gill. he is breathing rapidly too. the scales are not sticking out at all. he is looking bloated and pale.
 
First off I need to get something straight - you say you have 0 ammonia (which is good) and 0 nitrAtes - are you sure you have 0 nitrAtes? This isn't normal for a cycled tank unless it is extremely heavily planted and only lightly stocked. Also, you say nitrItes 'should be low' because of your water change - no they shouldn't, there shouldn't be ANY nitrItes. Water changes are to keep nitrAte low. Ammonia and nitrIte should always be 0 - anything higher is dangerous for your fish (and may have played a role in making your gourami ill).

About the gourami now, he won't make it. I'm realy sorry. He sounds too far gone to recover. You can try treating if you like but it'll cause more harm than good if you can't isolate him (as it may mess up your tank's biological filtration). It would be better to simply euthanise him now and save him and your other fish from suffering. Just get some clove oil for this - place him in a bowl of tank water and add a few drops, leve him in for an extra hour or so after his gills stop moving. Do a search in this forum for 'clove oil' or 'euthanasia' as I recall writing out relatively detailed instructions on how to humanely euthanise a gourami in another thread. Feel free to try treatment first if you like and see if there's any improvement (though, like I said, I doubt it).

Good luck...
 
One last effort you may want to try: do as Sylvia wrote, put the Gourami into a small bucket. If you do have a problem with nitrItes, add some fresh water to bring nitrites down. Hit it with a heavy dosage of TC (double what it says).

If it is a bacterial infection, you may see some improvement in three hours.

It probably will not work in the end (sometimes does). Firstly, when you kill the bacteria, their toxins remain for a while and continue their work; and Secondly, the fish is probably too damaged already to make it; but you don't have much to lose.

Good luck...
 
thanks but after a few hours, and more dollars buying a vase and some antibiotics he died. i must have got nitrates and nitrites mixed sorry, the tank is healthy and fully cycled. the other fish in the tank are completely healthy.

this is life. i now have a siamese fighting fish in the vase which looks really pretty and just bought a sail fin molly (i think its a molly - its a livebearer at any rate) but i havent found too much information on them. not to worry the bloke at the fish shop seemed pretty good, if there was a problem i would be able to return him but hes healthy and happy. i also got some bloodworms for the fish. that may have been the problem for the gourami... an incomplete diet.

thanks anyway it was worth a try. the antibiotics will hopefully help my girlfriend's fighting fish that is looking a bit sick now... there must be something in the water :p

aw well

edit: me fail english that unpossible (i prob still have a few typo's but what can you do)
 
i now have a siamese fighting fish in the vase which looks really pretty

Not one of the ones whre you never do a water change and it 'eats the roots' or something ridiculous like that? A vase is not a good home at all, it is too small and is much taller than long.
 
If you get another one, try feeding it peas too. It's great for digestion and swim bladder from what I hear. I read you can feed peas to dwarf gouramis, platys, and plenty other fish. Give it a shot, it may take a few tries. Just boil the peas for a few minutes, let it cool, take the shell out, and feed it to them after breaking it up a bit.
 

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