Dwarf Gourami Swimming Tail Heavy

[dmp54]

Help!! I woke up this morning with my dwarf gouarmi behaving very strangely. First thing this morning his body was wrapped around the lower half of my filter, like he was too weak to swim away from it. I gently removed him and guided him to the top of the tank. He has been up at the top all day, barely moving. He is sitting with his head at the top of the water and his tail dragging below him (picture below). My ph is a little high so I'm correcting that now, but my nitrate levels are normal. I just did a water change about 3 days ago. He has never done this before and seemed fine as far as I could tell yesterday. It's a ten gallon tank with 3 other fish in it. Nobody is being aggressive to him or anything. I can visibly see him breathing. I'm not sure if that is normal and I've just never had a fish sit still enough for me to see it before. Please help, I don't know what to do!

 

[outofwater]

What other fish do you have, how long has the tank been established, and how much water did you change recently? What are the exact water parameters at the moment? No recent changes at all in substrate, decoration or anything else new to the tank?

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

The fish is really skinny and looks very unwell.
How long has it been skinny for?

Is it eating normally?
What does its poop look like?

If the fish is not eating and has done a stringy white poop, then it is dying and should be euthanised.

 

[dmp54]

What other fish do you have, how long has the tank been established, and how much water did you change recently? What are the exact water parameters at the moment? No recent changes at all in substrate, decoration or anything else new to the tank?

I have a dalmation molly, a female betta, and a swordtail. All other fish are doing just fine! It's a 10 gallon tank. Nitrate at 0 and pH around 7.4, but was at 7.6 this morning. I changed about 30% of the water the other day. Tank has been established for around 4 months now. Nothing new other than that. Although I did get a gravel vacuum and have been using that at every water change. Do you think the water changes have something to do with this?

 

[dmp54]

Hi and welcome to the forum

The fish is really skinny and looks very unwell.
How long has it been skinny for?

Is it eating normally?
What does its poop look like?

If the fish is not eating and has done a stringy white poop, then it is dying and should be euthanised.

Honestly I've always thought he was quite thin. I think about four days ago I thought he was looking skinnier and worse. This is the first day he has been swimming like this though. I haven't noticed him not eating before today, but he was always the last one to catch on to the food being put in so I haven't paid as much attention to him eating. I'm not sure what his poop looks like. Today he has been avoiding food.

 

[Colin_T]

unfortunately when fish stop eating and can't swim properly (get sucked onto the filter), it's over.

I would euthanise the fish

 

[Rocky998]

I have a dalmation molly, a female betta, and a swordtail. All other fish are doing just fine! It's a 10 gallon tank. Nitrate at 0 and pH around 7.4, but was at 7.6 this morning. I changed about 30% of the water the other day. Tank has been established for around 4 months now. Nothing new other than that. Although I did get a gravel vacuum and have been using that at every water change. Do you think the water changes have something to do with this?

With PH swings like this, it can stress the fish and kill it. Its better tonhave a stable PH than one that goes everywhere. My PH is 8.1 and my fish are happily breeding

 

[DragonScales+Doubletails]

I had the same problem yesterday with my pair of dwarf gouramis (Lupe and Fiasco). unfortunately, Lupe died, I was too late. then I gave Fiasco a salt bath in a quarantine tank. and as of now, he is back to normal. and ONLY the DGs were affected. I also have honeys cohabitating as well.

 

[DragonScales+Doubletails]

I would like to add my gouramis were not skinny in any way!!!