A Very Sad Day...

[willowstwin]

Yesterday morning, I came into work and my Dwarf Gourami was swimming funny (slightly on his side), but through the day he picked up and was himself.

I come in this morning.. no fish at the glass to greet me, no cute little feelers waving at me through the glass... He's on the bottom of the tank, on his side, mouth barely moving and his eyes moved to look at me as if to say "HELP ME!".

I tested the water straight away... 0/0/50 so no problem there... So I dont understand.

Then I had to make the decision to euthanise. Freezer or Scalpel to the spinal cord. I decided first on the scalpel, but as I got the stuff out of my lab and set it out, I threw up a little and burst into tears. So I scooped him up into a jug of water and into the fast freeze. He hardly moved when I went near him, he tried one little wiggle but couldn't manage anymore.

I hope I've done the right thing. I just couldn't stomach cutting him, even though it would be a fresh scalpel blade and it would be quick.

So I'm sat here at work, putting off taking the tank down, and crying my eyes out in my little prep room... guess my boss got what he wanted :'(

 

[BETTY BOO]

im so sorry for your loss sometimes its hard for us to make a decision like that

 

[Akasha72]

aww so sad sending you a ((hug)) cos it sounds like you could do with one

 

[Rummynose]

Oh no! I'm so sorry for your loss!

 

[Flubberlump]

Aww so sorry to hear this such a hard decision too. You did the right thing. Hope you're ok.

 

[Primous]

I tested the water straight away... 0/0/50 so no problem there... So I don't understand.

Your problem is as clear as crystal glass against a white wall on a beautiful sunny day. Your Nitrates are at 50ppm. Lethal to fish. Heck, if my nitrates are above 0ppm I'm a little upset (but I run a different set up to most.) The testing unit is almost exact but not precise so you need to consider that your nitrates were over 50ppm and hence poisoned your fish. Gouramies are said to be a little bit more sensitive to nitrates.

If they get to 50ppm a week then you are grossly overfeeding. Other than that I'd recommend a large wc asap.

 

[Rummynose]

I tested the water straight away... 0/0/50 so no problem there... So I don't understand.

Your problem is as clear as crystal glass against a white wall on a beautiful sunny day. Your Nitrates are at 50ppm. Lethal to fish. Heck, if my nitrates are above 0ppm I'm a little upset (but I run a different set up to most.) The testing unit is almost exact but not precise so you need to consider that your nitrates were over 50ppm and hence poisoned your fish. Gouramies are said to be a little bit more sensitive to nitrates.

If they get to 50ppm a week then you are grossly overfeeding. Other than that I'd recommend a large wc asap.

No it's not! Personally I don't ever have Nitrates that high either (keeping mine between 10-20, planted tanks) but 50 is not high enough to cause death!

 

[This Old Spouse]

Nitrates at that level are certainly not lethal. Levels of near 100 ppm also aren't generally a huge problem. I believe it died of dwarf gourami disease. How long has the tank been set up?

 

[Desdemona]

Sorry to hear about your fish. Sounds like your boss is no fun.

 

[Primous]

Welp

I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on that point. Everything I have read states that nitrate above 50pp will kill your fish but (although it appears more recent) I cant deny that there are some that say high nitrates are fine. Personally I'd recommend an immediate WC to lower those nitrates. A wise man once said that "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

 

[Akasha72]

C'mon guys don't bicker over nitrates etc. The lass is clearly upset about losing the fish and deserves a bit of sympathy

 

[willowstwin]

its at 50 due to it being overdue a water change. My main tank at home gets to 50 sometimes and the fish in my home tank are fine (the tank at home is planted).

Can DG disease lie dormant? as the fish is well over a year old ad hasn't been with other gouramis since I got him.

RIP Jagger, the touchy feely DG

 

[This Old Spouse]

I had one of my DGs for well over 6 months before he died, so I'm just not sure how long it could lie dormant. I do think that the species gets progressively weaker with the amount of overbreeding that's done with them. Perhaps he just died young. I'm sorry you lost him. I hate losing fish any time, but when I lost my DGs it really upset me because they're such beautiful and interactive fish.

 

[gforce17]

This won't cheer you up but I lost a male dwarf gourami this week. He was beautiful but he's been looking under the weather for a few days - hiding and not feeding very well. This is the second one that I've lost over the past 6 months and everything points to Dwarf Gourami Disease which they are very prone to apparently. They go down very quickly after seeming perfectly healthy and colourful. I doubt if it was water conditions?? SORRY for your sadness!!

 

[KISSfn]

Sorry for your loss...