Help me with my Dwarf Gourami?

Question

I swear nobody know's the answer to this question about what's going on with my Dwarf Gourami.

Weeks ago he had a sore, small and pinkish in color. I treated the tank with Fungus and Parasite products and he didn't show any signs of improving. Then I was told by Pet store people to try Melafix. Treated for 10 days straight. On the 7th day he developed a hole in the middle of the sore. I took him out of the tank and into his own "sick tank". I was then told I should try Fungus Cure by API, and no difference in the now hole on his side. Now he's starting to get a new sore. I also noticed he's got a small hole in the middle of his tail fin.

I called API and told them what was going on with the fish and they said to try Ferun-2, and antibacterial medication. I've only treated him once (just bought the stuff) and plan on doing the whole treatment and probably a second round.

Anyway anyone had a similar problem and if so what is it and what did you use to treat the fish.

Thank you

Answer 1

it sounds like he's got the dwarf gourami iridovirus. anti-fungal treatments will have no effect. this is an untreatable problem and will kill the fish.

read these articles:

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pf...

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA035

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12033...

Answer 2

Unless your gourami has white fuzzy or hairy looking patches it's not a fungus and that's why the anti-fungal did nothing for him.  It's like treating a sprained ankle with cough drops.

Parasites typically cause slime coat disease or white sprinkles.  Doesn't sound like a parasite to me either, hence the parasitic treatments did not work.

Melafix is good for MILD bacterial infections.  This one sounds pretty far gone so this is why it had little effect on him, that being said however, Melafix is good stuff.  You should consider using it in conjunction with the anti-biotic.

I would definitely be treating him for a BACTERIAL infection.  The small sore could have been a gash on a piece of decoration that eventually became infected with a bacteria or it could have been an ulcer caused from bacterial disease brought on by stressor poor water quality.  Either way you did the right thing by separating him into a quarantine tank.

Make sure the water is super clean but that the tank is big enough with a heater and filter, and try and use some sponge or floss or gravel from the main tank with the plants from the main tank to make it feel more like home and avoid additional stress.  I would add the appropriate amount of aqua salt to the tank, the Melafix and the anti-biotic.  I like Mardel's Maracyn and Maracyn II.  Since it's pretty clear it's a bacterial infection the problem is you don't know if it will respond to gram-negative or gram-positive anti-biotics.  Maracyn is a gram-positive while Maracyn II is a gram-negative.  You can try both at the same time and it should not hurt him.  If you don't want to overload him try one over the other (I'd start with Maracyn II).  Hold off on feeding sparingly every three days or so.  You need the water quality and sick fish aren't too hungry.

Change the temp tank water 25% daily because meds degrade after application in the first 24 hours.

You also need to determine what happened to him.  Do you have larger fish that may have bit him?  It is possible it was a gouge from a decoration?  I would definitely test your water asap for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.  If any of these are off (ammonia & nitrites should be 0 and nitrates less than 20 ppm) this is what caused the bacteria to attack him that caused the ulcer.  Also, if you have other fish in that tank and don't correct the water quality your others will eventually get sick as well.

You correct poor water quality with a 50% ER water change, double dosing the Seachem Prime and monitoring your water with your liquid test kit.  Change 25% every day or every other day until it's back in line.  Hold off on feeding sparingly every 2 days or so until it's in line.

Good luck: )

Answer 3

The reason the fungal medications did absolutely nothing is because you aren't dealing with a fungal infection.  Melafix might be okay at preventing pathogens from infecting fish, but it has little or no use against existing infections, especially of the internal variety (which is what you're dealing with).  This sounds nothing like Iridovirus, which would cause cottony growths (lymphocytis) on the skin as well as abdominal swelling (from an expanding spleen), NOT open sores!

You're dealing with septicemia, which is a systemic blood infection (gram NEGATIVE bacterial!).  Furan 2 will be very helpful, and I would strongly recommend finishing off the treatment (be sure you removed the activated carbon from the filter).  If the fish is eating, try soaking its food in Furan 2 and then putting the whole mixture (food and liquid) into the tank for double efficacy.

Septicemia: http://images.publicradio.org/content/20...

http://www.fish-helpline.co.uk/photos/go...

http://www.aquariumhobbyist.com/guppies/...

Answer 4

I would honestly get rid of the gourami,open sores can be a sign of fish tuberculosis(which is transferable to humans if you have a cut on your hands)and to other fish. Non treatable.