Very Sick Dwarf Gourami

[Angelfish23]

Hi, I'm quite a novice and desperately need some advice please.

10US g tank
10 Tetra
2 Corydora
1 Dwarf Gourami

I have read as much info as I can find but am not entirely sure what's wrong.

I had a pair of Gourami for 8 months and one suddenly died 2 weeks ago. The other has been gradually getting more and more fat & bloated. Although it's still eating and swimming normally I'm convinced it's dying and am not sure whether I should euthanise or not.

It really is enormous now. From other posts I've read in this forum I thought it may be dropsy however it doesn't really have all the symptoms e.g. protruding scales. I assume the only other thing it could be is a bacterial infection. I have sought advice from my LFS who suggested Myxazin but 4 days into treatment there doesn't appear to be a change.

I'm prepared to euthanise if necessary to ensure the fish doesn't suffer but can anyone help me guage at what point I should do this?

Thank you in advance.

 

[WILDER]

What your water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.
Being blown up can be constipation through to many dried foods, swim bladder and dropsy.
Try some shelled peas, you can do an epson salt bath to help draw the fluids out.

http/www.fishjunkies.com/Treatments/salt.php

 

[Angelfish23]

Thanks very much for the link on salt baths - I'd read about that earlier today but hadn't found a good description of how to do it.

I haven't done a water reading for a few days but all looked normal last time. I started to panic and have made a couple of 20-30% water changes in the last week but will take some new readings asap.

 

[WILDER]

Frozen daphnia is very good for digesting the fish food.
Cook some shelled peas for a few minutes, let cool down pop out of shell, mush beween fingers and add to the tank.
Good luck.

 

[Angelfish23]

Never thought I'd get so hooked on my fish that I'd be cooking peas for them late in the evening - am off to the freezer for the peas right now!

Thanks again for taking the time to help a newbie.

 

[WILDER]

Lol, gouramis are very prone to bacterial infections, plenty of veg in there diet.
Good luck.

 

[@ombomb]

Dwarf Gouramis are the rednecks of the hobby.

 

[Angelfish23]

Sounds as though I may have been a bit too adventurous taking them on as my first fish.

He was still alive and swimming this morning but absolutely enormous. I'll be trying an Epsom Salt bath tonight - that's for the both of us as I read on the Epsom Salt Industry website that it was great for relieving human stress!

 

[WILDER]

Ok bless him, good luck.