# fire dwarf gourami ill



## toilofday (Jun 29, 2007)

Not quite sure what's up with this fish.

it has a swolen gill, a few scales missing, poor apetite.

It's being treated with aqurasol, salt, and fungus clear.


I noticed something strange in it's water. Some red threadlike objects. I took a picture but it's not very clear. It doesn't look like a worm, but it could be. I didn't notice any worms on the fish or protruding from the fish either. (some of the specs are flake food)

It came out of a 55 gal tank and was placed in a 1 qrt jar + airpump for a day. Now it's in a 1 gal container with a plant and pump.


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## Julie's Julies (Jun 11, 2007)

Do you have a clearer image you can post?


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## JouteiMike (Oct 7, 2006)

I'm guessing Gill Flukes.

Examine the swollen gill closely and describe it. Any white streaks? Is it red and inflamed?


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## toilofday (Jun 29, 2007)

here you can see the open soar mid way down his body just behind the pectoral fin.


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## toilofday (Jun 29, 2007)

In addition I just had an arulius barb die today. He had been swimming a little tilted for a week, but that was the only symptom and I just thought it was a genetic defect. Nothing wrong externaly. He looked very healthy and was eating regularly. I saw it spar a few time with a clown barb I just introduced the other day. I assume it was murdered, but it didn't have any fin or gill injuries so I wonder.

I found it laying in some fake plants at feeding time.

I seem to suck at this aquarium bit.


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## toilofday (Jun 29, 2007)

Hmm.... Reading through I made it sound like my gourami died. It is very much alive and I'd like to keep it that way.

Any help would be great. Thank you.


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## Julie's Julies (Jun 11, 2007)

Sorry to hear about the loss of your little barb. 

First of all, what are the water parameters in your tank? How long has it been established, and how many of what types of fish are in your 55-gallon?

As far as the red thread-like things pictured - are you certain it is not just fish waste from your gourami? My swordtail produces waste that looks very much like your photo. 

Have you researched the gill disorder on the web? I found one site that suggested a thyroid disorder, but since I am a new auquarist myself, I am not one to be doing the diagnosing. As JoutiMike asked, any personal description of the gill - such as color - would be great. The photos you have posted are really good, but you have the advantage of seeing inside the gill cover as well. Look up images on the web of gill flukes and other gill disorders, and see if anything pictured resembles your gourami's gills.

Also, if you do a search here on FishForum for "gill disease," you can find a listing called "gill rot?" by mjjrules (about the 15th down from the top). The fish photoed there looks similar to your gourami, though it's hard to see clearly. 

Anyway, don't get discouraged. The beginning stages of fish keeping can be tiring and frustrating, I have reason to know (unfortunately). But it is well worth the effort to get through the "learning stage" and you will enjoy your fish immensely if you stick it out.


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## toilofday (Jun 29, 2007)

Well, my tank is starting to go through a cycle right now, and with the salt it's not reading the best of numbers. ph is about 8.0, alkalinity 180, hardness 225, nitrite 4.3, nitrite 27

When I pulled out the gourami and put him in isolation the number were all the same except ph at 7.8-7.9, nitrite .7, nitrate 20

So everything was pretty safe, not the best, but safe at the initial time of illness.

The thread like material may just be waste. I'm new to all of this, so I didn't want to assume. For all I know it could be a deadly internal parisite (dum dum dummmm!!!)

I looked inside the gill today. It was a dark red. I didn't see any specs, color variation, or visible parisites.

It almost looks like a chunk was taken off the gill.

The color was shade darker than this. About the color of the first instance of red gill tissue if looking left to right. 










I wonder if it just go beat up and I think it's sick because I've had 4 bettas die on me recently due to a sick female I contaminated my other betta tanks with.

One of the bettas died with a swolen gill so I just assumed it was the same thing.

I can see my gourami nibling at the fake vegitation and it seems to be eating what food I put in now. It's not getting worse anyhow.

What do I do guys. Wait for the cycle and re-introduce him, or keep him quarentined until he's healed. I realy don't think he's sick anymore. Just injured.

excuse my noobness. I'm just sick of losing fish. I'm down 4 bettas and a clown barb from when I started.

BTW, it was the a clown barb that dies not the arulius barb. I'm sure the fish savy who looked giggled at my expense after that picture. 

thanks everybody.


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