Dwarf gourami

[Galvin88]

Hi guys,
Hadn't seen one of my dwarf gourami for a couple of days.
just gone to feed the fish and seen him on the bottom like he was stood on his tail, he looked dead so I went to fish him out, he swam a little bit but facing towards the top.
anyone any idea what's up and if there is anything to save him. I have posted pictures as I don't know how to post a video. (The pictures are cuts from the video)
The first picture he swam into the rock then just dropped to the bottom
The 2nd and 3rd are kind of how he is swimming.

 

[Galvin88]

Hopefully this works

 

[Slaphppy7]

Dwarf Gourami Disease: Everything You Need To Know Here

The the dwarf gourami disease only infects the dwarf gourami fish and has no known cure, but there are a few things you can do which I will go through today.

helpusfish.com

Iridovirus Dwarf Gourami Disease - Symptoms and Treatment - The Aquarium Adviser

Having a disease can be healed with proper medication and exercise. However, a condition with no remedy at all is alarming. If placed in a tank, the

theaquariumadviser.com

 

[Naughts]

poor thing. Do you have a hospital tank? He is getting picked on so it would be kinder to separate him.
I don't know what is wrong but the usual advise to do a large (75%) water change will not do any harm.
Can you add info about the tank/ tank mates/ water parameters and conditions/ maintenance?

 

[Galvin88]

I have never seen him being picked on tbh. And I don't have a hospital tank unfortunately.
Tank info
63 gallon
Tank mates
11 tiger/green babrs
3 oddessa barbs
3 botia Dario loaches
1 red tail shark
1 electric blue acara
1 other dwarf gourami
I do a weekly 75% water change but recently got rid of some plants and I'm getting abit of ammonia and nitrate, so might have to change to 2 smaller changes per week.
Parameters (just checked)
Ammonia between 0.25 and 0.50
Nitrite 0
Natrate between 0 and 5

 

[Slaphppy7]

Tiger barbs will harass the other fish constantly, they belong in a species-only tank, IMO

You may not catch the harassment, but I can almost guarantee it's happening....probably at night

That being said, the DG is in bad shape in many ways...and ANY ammonia in the tank is adding to the suffering...you need to do large WC's with a good conditioner (Seachem Prime or API Tap Water conditioner) daily, until the tank is free of ammonia (cycled)

 

[Galvin88]

Tiger barbs will harass the other fish constantly, they belong in a species-only tank, IMO

You may not catch the harassment, but I can almost guarantee it's happening....probably at night

That being said, the DG is in bad shape in many ways...and ANY ammonia in the tank is adding to the suffering...you need to do large WC's with a good conditioner (Seachem Prime or API Tap Water conditioner) daily, until the tank is free of ammonia (cycled)

I do use seachem prime, I will keep doing daily water changes and hope that helps.
Line you said It could be at night, but my tiger babrs honestly don't bother with the other fish, they only ever go for each other from what I have seen.

 

[DoubleDutch]

Please put this fish out of its missery.
This one is gone over the edge. Irreversable / untreatable.

 

[Galvin88]

Please put this fish out of its missery.
This one is gone over the edge. Irreversable / untreatable.

How do I do that

 

[Naughts]

I have never seen him being picked on tbh.

See loach in video 0:01

Make a hospital tank with a tote, spare filter or air stone, spare heater. Or follow DoubleDutch's advice.

 

[Madisonkeug]

See loach in video 0:01

Make a hospital tank with a tote, spare filter or air stone, spare heater. Or follow DoubleDutch's advice.

Hi, I would say this guy isn’t actually too far gone! He would be if it from a hospital tank or if you can get a 5$ breeder net so separate him from the rest of the fish while he heals up. This guy either has bites and/or a bacterial infection where his scales have been pulled out. Dwarf Gouramis are extremely territorial and there will always be one male that claims his territory and will not rest until the other “invader” is scared away or in the case of an enclosed environment like a tank killed here is what I suggest

100% get him into a hospital tank/breeder divided area. If you absolutely have to, Gouramis are labyrinth fish and can breathe from the surface. You can put him in a semi shallow bowl for the time being so he isn’t worried about being exposed in his ill state with all the other fish flirting around him. He has bloat and/or swim bladder caused by the stress of his injuries. keep his stress down by removing him from the other fish. Again if you don’t have a hospital tank you can make a makeshift one with a vase or some sort of bowl/bucket MAKE SURE IT IS CLEANED OUT NO SOAP RESIDUE VERY IMPORTANT LOL LEARNT THAT THE HARD WAY place him in with dechlorinated water and maybe a plant or decoration he can hide by and drape a towel over it to keep it dark ( watch it doesn’t drop in and soak up the water he will suffocate. This is of course if you can’t get a breeding basket or have a hospital tank (which would increase his chances of survival) I would get him in there and do not feed him he will be stressed and won’t eat for a few days and it will just make the nitrate climb faster. This won’t need a filter as long as you check and change the water as necessary but if you have a spare filter that will work and won’t be overly powerful you should use one. Crank the temp of the water up to 86° in the main tank if he’s in a breeders basket and if your fish can withstand it or if he’s in a hospital tank/ makeshift hospital tank crank the heat up to 86° and watch to make sure he can get to the surface and breathe as warmer water hold less dissolved oxygen. I’d give him a partial water change every 4 hours in there not a huge one just a small one to keep the water clean and help his wounds heal. If you see after a few days he’s starting to eat but still isn’t able to control his buoyancy treat with general cure to help with his wounds. There isn’t anything you can do for swim bladder other than give him time and keep him from being stressed and he may fight it and recover or will need to be kept in a breeders box so he doesn’t sink too far down.
Edit: I am not experienced in treating a tank with loaches I would recommend if you treat with general cure to do it in a separate tank without any charcoal in any filtration system as it breaks down the medication and will render it useless. The medication can create a film on the surface on the water that can make it harder for oxygen to dissolve so be sure your fish can breathe if treating with general cure!
Hope this helps good luck!

 

[DoubleDutch]

How do I do that

Use clove oil or a blast on the head.

 

[Madisonkeug]

Use clove oil or a blast on the head.

I don’t think he should give up on him yet! I’ve seen DGs fight and come back from worse

 

[DoubleDutch]

I don’t think he should give up on him yet! I’ve seen DGs fight and come back from worse

In the hundreds of cases I've seen I have never.

 

[Madisonkeug]

In the hundreds of cases I've seen I have never.

I’m just speaking from my own experience... I’ve had Gourami fish for some years now when I was younger my family had them as well and in my big tank at home all living together in the 75G we’ve had them get into scraps after they introduced a new one or when they were seasoned to breed and they’ve come back most of the time with the right care I know not always but always worth a shot for them to live a happy healthy life again!