dying Gourami - second in 3 weeks

[Chris3621]

1. Water parameters. (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, PH, temp', Hardness etc)
PH 6.8 -7; ammonia 0; nitrate 0ppm; nitrite 0ppm; temperature 80
2. A full description of the fishes symptoms.
Tank and community is 8 months old. All have been healthy and friendly. Last month I went away for a week and had someone come in to feed my fish. When I got home one gourami looked completly starved (skinny, not moving, laid on the bottom of tank - I kept thinking he was dead) and the other looked bigger - but not bloated. After about 7 days of being in a salted hospital tank, the skinny guy came back to life, started eating, swimming again. I put him back in the tank after another 7 days. He was active, eating and interacted with other gourami. Meanwhile, the big goruami seemed to be getting bigger.

About a week later, I found the carcass of the skinny guy (looks like he was eaten). By now, my other gourami was really getting big. But she was still eating, swimming and seemed fine. I thought she was pregnant or just bloated maybe based on pictures. I tried giving peas but she will not eat. BUT today I woke up and she is huge and now just laying on her side at the top of the tank. I have put her in a hospital tank with episome salt. The anus is red and maybe bleeding and there looks like there is something coming out of it (red/black). There is no pine coneing. Very smooth body still. So from start to finish it has been about 3 weeks since all this started
I am in Canada so can not get antibodics

I think it might be too late for my second gourami. She is floating at top most of the time on her side. But I wanted to check. Is there something else I can try? If not, is there a humane way to euthanize her?

Any thought on what just killed both of my gouramis with two very different symptoms?


3. How often you do water changes and how much. 20% weekly
4. Any chemicals and treatments you add to the water. just conditioner
5. What tank mates are in the tank. 2 honey gouramis, 5 cardinal tetras, 3 juli corys
6. Tank size. 20g
7. Finally Have you recently added any new fish? no

 

[Lynnzer]

Unfortunately this is not uncommon with Gouramis. I'm guessing it's the dreaded dwarf gourami disease that appears suddenly and kills off the fish.
You may have the fish for a decent length of time then all of a sudden ----- WHAM.
Anyway, the sick fish isn't going to make it so euthanise by adding clove oil into a container of water with the fish in it.

 

[Essjay]

What is the species of the dead and sick gourami? You mention having honey gouramis as tank mates, are the sick/dead gouramis also honeys? This species is less susceptible to dwarf gourami disease.

 

[Chris3621]

What is the species of the dead and sick gourami? You mention having honey gouramis as tank mates, are the sick/dead gouramis also honeys? This species is less susceptible to dwarf gourami disease.

It is the two honey gouramis that have died - the second one died last night. Do I need to be concerned for the rest of my tank (5 cardinals and 3 corys). Should I treat that tank or remove them? I am in Canada so we are limited in what meds we can purchase.

 

[outofwater]

Sad situation. If you had pictures it might help to identify the cause. Both are gone anyway, sorry for your loss.

Anything abnormal with the remaining fish?

 

[Chris3621]

Thanks. I don't have pictures of the first, But i am attaching pictures of my second yesterday afternoon near the end. My remaining fish look fine so far. I am wondering if it may have been Camallanus worms. I really don't want to lose any more if I can do something. I did not isolate Wallace until it he was already pretty big and Davis (the first) may have been eaten after he died. So my whole tank may be infected if it is actually worms. I looked on Amazon and I can get Fritz expel-P or Mardel Prashield. Do those work? Should a treat my tank just in case or would that harm the remaining guys if it isn't worms?

So sorry for 20 questions. I am a little panicy now.

 

[outofwater]

I don't know much about worms, other than they bloat the affected fish and the poop is white and stringy when a fish is infected. Have you noticed anything like that in your tank?

At a glance this one does look like it had worms, but if you haven't seen evidence of that, it could've been some other ailment that hopefully doesn't spread beyond the gouramis.

I wouldn't medicate with/for anything unless you're absolutely sure of what you're dealing with.

Meanwhile maybe you want to get into a stricter substrate cleaning and water changing schedule (daily cleaning and at least 20% water change, for up to a week) and keep a close eye on your remaining fish to see if you pick up signs of anything abnormal.