Gouramis body is limp and he can't swim but alive

[cherrybarbbaby]

Help!

My honey gouramis body is limp and he cannot swim anymore.

He just keep falling to the bottom of my tank!
I put him in a hospital tank w/melafix. he is leaning against a little silk plant-how sad!
I noticed a few days ago his fins don't close they just stick straight up.

I know he is going to die but I want to know what killed him.
I have platies, tiger barbs and cherry barbs in my tank, they are fine.
I do weekly gravel cleaning and water changes
I have a biowheel filter and my tank is about 9mos old
sorry, I don't have any level numbers, but I hope you all can help anyway.

I am dealing with a little algea problem, but Its not crazy out of control, where it would kill anything.....?
up until yesterday my poor little guy was eating.

now he is near death.

I don't understand.

 

[Angry_Platy]

It would be useful for us to be help you if you knew what your nitrites, nitrates and ammonia are.

You mentioned his fins not closing...how about his scales? Are they sticking up at all? If they are then it is most likely dropsy and I am afraid there is not much you can do.

In addition to the melafix you might wanna buy some aquarium salt and add that to the tank he is in (the packet should tell you how much to add). Or, if you don't like seeing him in pain you could euthanase him yourself....read some of the topics pinned in other sections on how to do this....

Whatever the case....goodluck

 

[cherrybarbbaby]

he passed away.

I add a little salt to my tank when I do water changes.

I dont think his scales were raised-- its hard to tell, he just got really skinny even though he was eating. then his body went limp.


I'm really going to miss him.

 

[cherrybarbbaby]

Raised Scales.....

I looked at his little body
He is so light that it was hard to tell. But I just thought is their scales were raised it would be very easy to spot.

Does anyone know where I can find a picture of a fish w/dropsy?
what causes it?


I just read that they can have a 'hollow stomach" w/dropsy, maybe thats what I though was him being skinny.?
And It also said that Gouramis are prone to this.

 

[Loopyness]

i found this with a pic of a fish with dropsy
dropsy

 

[Angry_Platy]

I have had one platy die of dropsy (after I overfed, but thats a different story)...she looked like a puffed up pine cone and she couldn't even close her mouth...she was my first platy....I still get sad thinking of her.

Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of her....it was so awful seeing her like that, I couldn't bear to take pics....

Bye bye little fishie....I understand your sadness

I will never EVER get used to fish dying

 

[cherrybarbbaby]

oh, sorry about your Platy.

No it never gets easy losing a fish

My little gouramis was sooo sweet, I was thinking about getting another one.

Maybe two.

PS Loopyness-thanks for the pic!