Strange Dwarf Gourami Behaviour

[gforce17]

Hi. My orange coloured dwarf gourami is at the bottom of the tank looking as though it's sucking at the gravel but it's been in that position for some time now. It looks absolutely find on the outside and all water parameters are fine with weekly water changes properly dechlorinated. All other fish fine. Do you think it's the dreaded DGD? I've lost two others in the past. Any thoughts?

 

[afremont]

Hi. My orange coloured dwarf gourami is at the bottom of the tank looking as though it's sucking at the gravel but it's been in that position for some time now. It looks absolutely find on the outside and all water parameters are fine with weekly water changes properly dechlorinated. All other fish fine. Do you think it's the dreaded DGD? I've lost two others in the past. Any thoughts?

How's he doing now? Maybe having some swim bladder problem. You could try giving him a pea to see if he's constipated.

 

[gforce17]

Hi afemont, thanks for your concern. Afraid I came down this morning to find him gone. He looked absolutely fine externally. I love these DGs but seem to be experiencing what is described in so many places about their vulnerability and the specific disease which affects them. The only other possibility is the stressing presence of the male betta which I think you suggested might not be the best mix. I don't have any more DGs at the moment and will rehouse the siamese fighter if I get any more.

I was very interested in your detailed knowledge of fish ailments and your use of the microscope to look at them in such detail (read on another post). Have you just built up your knowledge gradually or did you do some special course or study?

 

[afremont]

Hi afemont, thanks for your concern. Afraid I came down this morning to find him gone. He looked absolutely fine externally. I love these DGs but seem to be experiencing what is described in so many places about their vulnerability and the specific disease which affects them. The only other possibility is the stressing presence of the male betta which I think you suggested might not be the best mix. I don't have any more DGs at the moment and will rehouse the siamese fighter if I get any more.

I was very interested in your detailed knowledge of fish ailments and your use of the microscope to look at them in such detail (read on another post). Have you just built up your knowledge gradually or did you do some special course or study?

I'm an OCD kind of person I guess; I like complicated things and obsessively learning about them. I also like to fix things so I can hardly stop myself when I see another "project fish" at some box store. Anything I know or think about fish is from personal experience and/or from what I've read by googling. Youtube is another good source of fish pathology information. I got the microscope because looking is far better than guessing, plus my daughter is finally showing some interest in biology and science. If only I could get her to like math...

 

[gforce17]

I've got a daughter who studied engineering including physics and maths - don't know where she got it from - my wife and I certainly aren't mathematicians - must have been a throw back from previous generations - my dad was useful with figures. Good luck to her though with the biology and science.

Can you direct me to the youtube stuff you mentioned - I' be really interested to have a look.

Regards.

 

[afremont]

I've got a daughter who studied engineering including physics and maths - don't know where she got it from - my wife and I certainly aren't mathematicians - must have been a throw back from previous generations - my dad was useful with figures. Good luck to her though with the biology and science.

Can you direct me to the youtube stuff you mentioned - I' be really interested to have a look.

Regards.

My daughter is seven so she has a way to go still. As for youtube, you could search for the various parasite names along with the word microscope and also things like "fish necropsy" etc. There are also some good videos on handy abilities like doing gram stains.

 

[gforce17]

Thanks!

 

[afremont]

Thanks!

Don't hesitate to get some kind of magnification even if you don't get a microscope, every bit helps and seeing is certainly believing. Believe me the only thing hard about putting some poop on a glass slide and dropping a cover slip on it, is figuring out how to collect the poop intact. It's pretty easy to spot things that shouldn't be there, especially worms since they are so large.

 

[gforce17]

Fascinating stuff!