# Blue Dwarf Gourami Sick Please Help!!



## Jarakus (Jan 2, 2013)

Hi three months ago I purchased my first 10 gallon marineland tank kit, came with the penguin 100 power filter, heater, LED lighting, and thermometer. I set it up treated the water with Stresscoat + got the filter running and temperature set at 77-78 Degrees three days before adding fish. Water levels tested well so I got three gouramis. Everything was going great for two months untill I came down with a serious viral infection and was to weak to change the water and filter for 4 weeks. A little bit of algae grew on the sides of the tank, but nothing serious happened besides, the fish were happy, eating their food and everything. There was some confusion when I set it up and I added 3 live plants to the mix, later to find out from one of the fish people at petsmart that they probably wouldn't last long so don't bother with plant food, and they managed to survive two months before starting to die. When I had recovered, I changed the filter asap, as well as a 50% water change and removed the dying plants (replacing them with fake plants to add some more cover since one of my fish is just a scardy cat). Water levels were fine scrapped off the algae added the plants and it was looking fine for around 3 days when I noticed my blue dwarf gourami had a red cut near his mouth (first pictures attached). I was worried and sent some pictures to a fish friend of mine and he said it was either a fungus or cut and to watch it. I checked the water it was still fine but added some stresscoat just to help out. No white 'fur' grew and it slowly lost its reddish color and turned skin color. I started noticing my larger gourami had decided to expand his territory and was bullying my blue one so figured it was just a cut, he was still eating fine and everything just more passive towards my larger one. A day or so later I noticed now another cut, this one just on top of his head. It was not red but was white and looked like the scaled had been taken off. Since this one has shown up his appetite has vanished, he just floats at the top of the tanks nibbling at the bubbles, he wont eat, he gets lively if you go look at him or wiggle your finger in the water but mostly just to swim away only to return to the surface shortly later. His color is starting to fade and I have noticed yellowish/white lines appearing along his sides with some small bumps. I purchased some frozen blood worms for him to eat and he ate three of them so far but nothing else. My other fish are perfectly fine and happy as ever, but my blue one is the opposite. I have separated him from the meaner fish and started a dosage of Melafix in the tank (4 days so far one douse a day). I removed my filter and have not changed the water this week for the treatment to stay as per the directions. I have been testing my water frequently and my GH and Nitrate are higher then they normally since I have not been changing the water. I just today started some Prime water treatment to lower the Nitrate levels and its slowly bringing them down.

-Current Water levels-
Temp: ~77 Degrees
NO3: ~80
NO2: ~0
PH: 7.0
KH: 80
GH: 120

My other two fish are still colorful and lively as ever but my blue one is just not doing well I attached some pictures of him, they are not the clearest but I hope they help some. I can go get a hospital tank if needed and any treatment that is recommended. I just hope someone can figure out whats up, I have looked through a lot of the different diseases and such and didn't spot anything that jumped out. The only thing was the hole in the head disease but was not 100 percent positive. I am new to keeping fish but I love animals, I grew up with them and these were my new pets since I moved away for college and I care about them a lot. Any advice would be deeply obliged. The two photos attached were the best I could get between his shyness and my crummy camera, the lines along the sides would not come out at all. If you need more please let me know I am happy to try and get better ones. The first one Fish #1 is the first wound before the head one appeared, the second one is when the head wound appeared. The head wound has not changed and maintains that color and size, the face one has become more skin colored and nothing else (maybe minor healing).


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## BreSeaBear13 (Jan 2, 2013)

I'm not sure what may be causing these wounds but I know of a treatment you can buy for your local pet store, it's called Melafix. It treats many diseases and wounds that can occur to your fish. It may be a few days before you see results of healing but its almost gaurenteed to work. Saved me from loosing my fish from tailrot when I started my first tank. Hope all goes well!


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## Jarakus (Jan 2, 2013)

BreSeaBear13 said:


> I'm not sure what may be causing these wounds but I know of a treatment you can buy for your local pet store, it's called Melafix. It treats many diseases and wounds that can occur to your fish. It may be a few days before you see results of healing but its almost gaurenteed to work. Saved me from loosing my fish from tailrot when I started my first tank. Hope all goes well!


Thanks for the response, my comp froze up in the middle of the post so I thought it got put in but I have had him on Melafix for four days now. Not sure if its helping him, but the others have a ton of energy now lol.


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## butterbean (Feb 10, 2007)

Dwarf Gourmi are very sensitive to bad water. I would do large water changes and stop treatment until you know what is wrong. If it is something like hole in the head the only treatment for that is perfect water you can't really cure it but you can stop it from getting worse but. Perfect water is always the best treatment unless you know what you are dealing with and the specific med to treat it any med is hard on fish and one like you are using is not really even a med it is used more to help them heal not to cure. As far as eating defrost some blood worms and smash some garlic mix it with the blood worms let it set for awhile and feed it to your fish (the garlic soaked blood worms) Garlic will usually get a fish eating when nothing else will and the garlic is a natural kind of med for them. This is just from my experience and what I have learned from others so I hope it is of some help ..good luck


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## Jarakus (Jan 2, 2013)

Today he is not looking good. I have him in his own private area of the tank, hes nibbled on some food but mostly ignored it and the blood worms. My girlfriend noticed that there is a small white bump on his right fin, as well as a white patch on the left side of his mouth, and a bump along his dorsal fin. He is floating up and nibbling at the surface and putting around but then looks like he tires out and just goes and almost lays down at the bottom of the tank before repeating this over again. I got some more photos which hopefully show some more. My water levels have not changed much since my last post, just my nitrate is going down more with the Prime treatment.


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## Jarakus (Jan 2, 2013)

butterbean said:


> Dwarf Gourmi are very sensitive to bad water. I would do large water changes and stop treatment until you know what is wrong. If it is something like hole in the head the only treatment for that is perfect water you can't really cure it but you can stop it from getting worse but. Perfect water is always the best treatment unless you know what you are dealing with and the specific med to treat it any med is hard on fish and one like you are using is not really even a med it is used more to help them heal not to cure. As far as eating defrost some blood worms and smash some garlic mix it with the blood worms let it set for awhile and feed it to your fish (the garlic soaked blood worms) Garlic will usually get a fish eating when nothing else will and the garlic is a natural kind of med for them. This is just from my experience and what I have learned from others so I hope it is of some help ..good luck


Ok I will try that thank you very much. Did a water change so the water is perfect for him. I will get some garlic and soak some of the worms, hopefully that will get him to eat.


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## butterbean (Feb 10, 2007)

How is your little guy doing today? Dwarf Gourami are the easiest fish to keep they are a little on the sensitive side and when they have problems there hard to bring back to health. Please keep us updated on how he and your other gourami are doing.


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## Jarakus (Jan 2, 2013)

butterbean said:


> How is your little guy doing today? Dwarf Gourami are the easiest fish to keep they are a little on the sensitive side and when they have problems there hard to bring back to health. Please keep us updated on how he and your other gourami are doing.


Hes not doing well . He is entirely ignoring the bloodworms w/ garlic, and any other food. He swims a little but gets tired and just floats on down and lays on the bottom of the tank. My other two are doing fine, just they look worried about him keep nudging the barrier by him and looks like they are trying to keep him swimming. I don't know if there is anything I can do at this point its almost three days now no eating, his wounds look like they are healing a bit, but he has no food in him. If there is any other tricks that might peek his appetite I am all ears.


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## butterbean (Feb 10, 2007)

Hi I'm sorry he isn't doing any better today. Above I meant to say "Dwarf Gourami are not the easiest fish to keep" When my fish have been sick I usually do a lot of searching on the net for symptoms and meds here is one of the places that gives some good information. There are places that give pictures that you can compare to what your fish looks like. There are some external parasites like velvet you might want to look at and compare anyway sorry I'm not more help. 

*Aquarium Fish Medication Selection Guide - LiveAquaria.com*

www.*liveaquaria.com/PIC*/*article*.*cfm*?*aid*=*202*


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## Jarakus (Jan 2, 2013)

No you have been great, I have been searching the internet like crazy but shouldn't find anything that was what he has or seemed like what he had so I have no idea what to medicate with etc. The best thing I can think of is just stress from the bullying and cuts inflicted by the other fish, with the water change and seperation I was hoping it would go down but so far no avail. Right now hes refusing to eat so I am guessing it was just to much on him. Thank you again for the help I really do appreciate it.


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