Dwarf Gourami Injured

[aimee]

Hi,
I thought maybe you guys could give me some advice, I thought it would be better to post here as it isn't an emergency, but if you think it would be better there it can be moved...

One of my blue dwarfs swam into a hole/tunnel that runs across a piece of bogwood, but with one opening at the top and the other nearer the floor of the tank. it swam in from the bottom side and so got stuck I think. Anyway it has grazed the top of its head and looks like it might have damaged the pointed back end of his fin, can't quite tell yet but it might have got crushed.
Can anyone advise me as to what to do, do i need to buy medication immediately? (shops might be closed) and what kind of medicine should I use?
thanks very much! aimee

Also if it would help with brands of medicine, i live in London

 

[The-Wolf]

I would do a course of melafix.
this will help seal the graze (think plaster) and promotes the regrowth of cells.

you should keep your eye on it though,
look for signs of white (bacterial/fungal infection),
red (bacterial infection) or black (necrotic tissue) edging to the graze.
if any of those appear then you will need a stronger medication.
but if you treat with melafix this shouldn't happen anyways.

 

[aimee]

thanks Wolf, do you know whether I should try and get some now or can i wait till tomorrow morning?

 

[The-Wolf]

the sooner the better but tomorrow should be ok

 

[aimee]

Hey thanks very much for your help.

 

[Chipie]

Hi,
Also make sure that you have 0excellent water parameters. That helps with the healing. Good luck

 

[sylvia]

I agree with both the above - just wanted to say that you need to keep up with water changes, now, more than ever.

 

[aimee]

Hi again, thank you for your help everyone. I'm a bit worried about him now because I haven't been able to get any medicine as my local lfs is closed and i am incredibly busy, deadlines coming up tuesday! i will change his water now. feel a bit helpless til tomorrow, he has lost his colour a bit and is just staying in the same place really. he did eat this morning though, just not very enthusiastically.

 

[The-Wolf]

how is he doing?

 

[aimee]

Hi Wolf thanks for asking about my gourami. Actually I came back to post on the emergency forum but maybe here will do?

My gourami's missing scales seem to have almost healed which is good, I have been treating him with melafix, but I just noticed he was doing a stringy white poo. I hear this is generally a parasite problem? If so, does anyone know where he is likely to have caught this? also is it infectious?

He has been looking a bit pale for a few days but I thought this was due to his injury. He has also been quiet and not swimming around a lot but he has been eating a little (one day he didn't eat.)

I don't know how to treat it, can anyone help?
Bit worried as it is sunday today and a bank holiday monday tomorrow so I don't know what I can do!
any help would be greatly appreciated.
aimee

 

[The-Wolf]

treatment for internal parasites, indicated by white stringy poo.
octozin by waterlife products. this should be available from any good LFS
which should also be open on a BH (BH= lots of shoppers)
shouldn't cost you any more than a fiver for a small bottle,
enough for 1 course for tanks upto 180 ltr.

there are other meds, ask your lfs for a med that will treat internal (endoparasite) parasites
not external ones (exoparasite) if they don't stock octozin.