Is he sick?

[teacherspet]

I have had him for about 1 year and the last 2 days he has not been eating and hanging out at the top corner of the tank; he just seems lethargic. He is not gasping for air and no visible signs of sickness. All chemical levels are normal, and all the other fish in the tank are acting normally. Any ideas?

20 gallons: candy striped pleco, 1 neon blue dwarf gourami, golden algea eater, 7 platys, 2 platy fry

 

[sylvia]

Are there no signs of bloating, pine cone scales or stringy poo?

If not, you probably have a case of tb on your hands and should isolate immediately as it can be transmitted from dead fish to the others. Curing tb is usualy impossible but strong anti-biotics added to the food might help.

Unfortunatel, dwarf gouramies are known to carry disease and often die suddenly. That's not to say your's will though.

Try isolating and then fasting for a day and feeding a shelled pea and give anti-biotics as well as anti-internal parasite meds if there's any sign of stringy poo. Adding a small amount of salt could help too.

I've found saving dwarf gouramies when they start showing any lethargy involves serious medicating or you will just lose the fish. They are ridiculously fragile due to in-breeding and mass-production. It's a great shame considering how beautiful they are.

Good luck! I hope he makes it.

Do test your water to ensure everything is ok though. Bad water quality CAN cause lethargy and result in disease.

Oh BTW, you have a golden algae eater? Are you aware they get to 10 inches and eat fish? Just so you know, you'll need to get rid of that fish if you want to have a peaceful community. It's just that this is one fish LFSs should realy stop selling - especialy under the name 'algae eater'!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi teacherspet

Fish TB is a very serious disease and, while possible, it is not likely. I suggest you do an extra water change and keep an eye on him for a few days and see what happens. Perhaps whatever is bothering him will pass, or some additional symptoms will appear so we can make a diagnosis.

Fish TB, while on the increase due to poor breeding conditions, is still far from common, and while it can be transmitted to humans, it does not make sense to jump to that conclusion with no other evidence than some behavior that could be caused by anything.

IMHO, panic will cause more trouble than it will solve.

 

[teacherspet]

Thanks for the advice. I have been watching the water, and the parameters are normal. I did a water change just to be sure. He is showing no other signs than beign lethargic, and no stringy poo Why does that seem weird to write? Unfortunately, I don't have anywhere to isolate him. I need to get a hospital tank, but don't have the funds right now. He seems a little better today, still subdued but ate this morning after I did not feed yesterday.

Yes, I do have a golden algae eater. I got it before I knew any better, and keep a close eye on him for aggressive behavior. So far it is pretty tame. Can I just take it back to the store? I have never done that before...

Thanks again

 

[sylvia]

If he's feeding that's a good sign.

As for returning the thai sucker You can give him back to your LFS for free but some are willing to exchange for store credit if you explain that they did not inform you correctly on purchase and you now know he is unsuitable for your tank.

 

[teacherspet]

Sounds like a plan! Gourami is doing much better, still a little slow, but eating and acting more normal... who knows maybe it is just getting old

 

[sylvia]

They can live up to 7 years... Unfortunately, they do carry disease and sometimes it doesn't show up until later on or shows up too late. They also have weaker immune systems compared to several other fish. As such, most dwarf gouramies now live for only about 2 years which is a great shame.