My New Dwarf Gourmani Is Really Ill

[honor99]

hi, yesterday i got 8 new fish including 2 dwarf gourmanis,
this morning 1 of them was lying on the bottom of the tank, gasping for breath, and i noticed it had a patch of mould growing of one side of its head, its tail also looked freyed and tattered. I have medicated the tank with some anti white spot medication, as it said it would help with other external parasites and moulds and fungus.
 
is this contagious?
any help or advice? 

 

 

thanx
 

 

[fluttermoth]

Sorry but I'm going to ask you loads of questions so we can help you better.
 
How big is the tank and how long has it been set up?
 
Have you cycled your tank, and if so how, exactly, have you done that?
 
Do you have a heater and filter?
 
Exactly how many fish are in the tank and what species are they?
 
Can you get, or have you got, the water tested and, if so what were the numbers from them?

 

[honor99]

its a 160 litre tank with heater and filter, ive got 3 fancy guppys, 3 endlers guppies, 2 balloon mollies, 2 platties, 2 honey gouramis, 2 snails, 2 shrimps, 5 neon tetras, 3 rummy nose tetras, 1 cory catfish, a plecos, and the 2 dwarf gouramis...the tank is 3 months old, i do a 30% volume change once a week, and everythind has been healthy til now, and i will try to get the water tested a.s.a.p.

i do have a 13 litre hospital tank if needed...

 

[Lunar Jetman]

I think we need to see the water stats before any further comments on the water quality which might give us the reason why. How did you cycle the tank?

Other than that, Rummy Nose Tetras and Cories should be in shoals of 5-6 as a minimum and what type of Pleco do you have? Many species can get quite large so it may not be suitable for your tank either.

 

[fm1978]

Don't like to jump to any conclusions here, but, I'm afraid it sounds an awful lot like the dreaded DGD...
 
One of my favourite boys succumbed to DGD fairly recently and the symptoms sound scarily familiar. My second favourite male DG is also showing signs, again, similar to your description.
 
I don't think there's a treatment for Dwarf Gourami Disease, however, I'm using small doses of an anti-fungal combined with a general tonic as a last gasp attempt at a treatment...
 
If it is DGD, it's not contagious to any other species except the Dwarf Gourami.

 

[DoubleDutch]

99,9% it's DGD, all kinds of symptoms due to a viral infection, Patch on it's side is one !!!,. Untreatable and suspected to be contagious (in an earlier stage) for other Gouramis. Think we should have an importstop on these fish from Asia.

 

[honor99]

the day after i posted this, both my DGs  died

 , but thanks for the advice anyway, did they catch this from my tank or did they allready have it when i got them from the petshop, they died wihin 2 days of purchase.. and can it harm my honey gouamis!?!?!?!?
 
thankyou for the advice, much appreciated!

my pleco is whatever type they sell at pets at home, its only 3 cm long, and I intend on getting a larger tank before it grows too long, ( im getting one in about 2/3 wks) 
and im getting 3 more rummys this week.

are my honey gouramis at risk of catching DGD!?!?!?!?...their my fave fish

the water in my area is slightly alkaline, if that helps...

 

[fm1978]

It's almost a given that the DGs already had the virus when you bought them...I believe the statistic is that about 20% (ish) of all Dwarf Gourami from Asia, or somewhere like that, are infected. You may have a case to go back to your LFS for a refund...
 
I'm saying this rather hopefully as I too have Honey Gourami, but, I don't think that they are prone to the same virus as the DGs. I'm hoping that since they are a different species they are unaffected by DGD.

 

[DoubleDutch]

Think this is quite interesting.
 
http/www.aces.edu/dept/fisheries/education/ras/publications/Update/Iridovirus%20in%20gouramis.pdf

 

[fm1978]

That was an interesting read. I'd be very keen to know how much further they have come now with their research since that was published.

 

[mhancock]

It's almost a given that the DGs already had the virus when you bought them...

I agree, they are often kept in antibiotic conditions (or given food that contains antibiotics) then as soon after they are moved into normal water it all goes horribly wrong.
 
I love Male Dwarf Gouramis but have given up keeping them as they never last very long.....

 

[DoubleDutch]

 

It's almost a given that the DGs already had the virus when you bought them...

I agree, they are often kept in antibiotic conditions (or given food that contains antibiotics) then as soon after they are moved into normal water it all goes horribly wrong.
 
I love Male Dwarf Gouramis but have given up keeping them as they never last very long.....
 

Thinking of getting some from local breeders !!! Think it's one of the most beautifull fish there are. Besides Corys !!!

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

How slight is your slightly alkaline water?

 

[honor99]

i tested my water today, and everything was 100% fine, but i went to a different pets at home today, and all the DGs were showing the same symptoms as mine... the woman in charge of the fish didn't seem to care, and said that they were probably just a bit stressed... despite the fact one was lying on its side, and one had mould on the side of its head...