Pearl Gourami Looks Like She's About To Explode!

Hi everyone,

I hope you can help! I am not sure how many of you may remember me, I used to be quite active on the forum but I went overseas to Europe for two years and gave my fish tank to my brother, I have been back a few months, but it is still with him until I sort out a new place. Anyway, he has been taking great care of the fish until now, as many of the original fish I left with him are still alive.

He called me tonight to say one of my female pearl gouramis (who is now about three or four years old) has blown up like a balloon. I didn't realise how bad it was until he emailed me some pictures just now, which are below.

All the other fish are fine (another female pearl, some white skirt tetras, some neons and some cories), the tank has been established for a long time so I don't think parameters would be causing problems. I can't test the water because I am an hour away. I thought it might be her swim bladder, but apparently she is still swimming upright, not wobbly and can still swim down, although apparently she is spending more time than usual breathing at the surface.

Does anyone know what could be wrong with her, and is there anything we can do to help? He asked if she could be full of eggs, but this seems way too extreme and has apparently happened over a fairly short time frame. Almost looks like she is full of air/gas? Constipated? Would peas help or is this beyond that?




Any advice?

Oh dear!
In my life I've seen many fat gouramis but I've never seen anything like that. I can guarantee she is not gravid. It looks like she has a tumour (even it's very rare for gouramis to catch tumors) It doesn't look like dropsy as she doesn't have the 'pinecone' appearance. TBH I think she's gone too far to save but I'm sure an expert will come along to help.

Poor thing.

Does the swelling feel hard or soft.

All you can do is isolate the sick fish and try an internal bacteria med.
Feed some shelled peas. No other foods for a few days.
Check for when the fish goes to the toilet.
Check also the anus is not enlarged, or red and inflamed.
Keep a look out for red streaking, and red patches.
Epson salt baths to help draw the fluids out.
Also keep a look out for raising scales.

Hi guys thanks for the responses.

I don't know what the swelling feels like, the fish isn't with me, its at my brothers house (hour away). Those gouramis are skittish enough as it is, so I don't think I should ask him to touch it (I have had them throw themselves out the tank before and dart around the tank at high speed and bruise their noses before when frightened)

He did say he would feed her some peas, and that she doesn't look like she has pinecone scales.

We are kind of just playing the wait and see game at the moment, he doesn't have another spare tank to put her in unfortunately.