Sick Gourami

[geezer]

Hello all

I got a golden gourami who's been poorly for about 7 days.

He used to swim everywhere round the tank but then started to stop. He's not even bothered to touch any food for about 4-5 days now.

His poo is very very very long stringy and white.


55 gallon
amonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 20
ph 6.8

anyone know what could be wrong?

 

[sylvia]

Try feeding some live foods - bloodworm are a favourite but it would be best to get him to eat some daphnia.

The stringy poo is a symptom of internal parasites but it could also just be because he's not eating.

The most common problem with gouramies is internal bacterial infections - does he look bloated at all? Lack of appetite is usualy the first sign - as well as general lethargy like you described. Does he still come up for air regularly?

Any sign of red streaks, white patches or spots on his body or fins? Look carefuly for the streaks in particular. What about the edges of his fins - are they smooth and normal or red/black/white and/or appear to be 'rotting' away?

Color-wise - is he pale-looking? Is the area around his eyes still red (its usualy naturaly red in males and can be a sign of health)?

I see you also have a paradisefish - they tend to dislike other gouramies so I have to ask - have you witnessed any conflict between them? Or even between your gold and other fish. If he's being bullied, he may be being prevented from eating and it could also cause the 'sulking' behaviour you mentioned.

 

[geezer]

I read your post and the only live food I have is brine shrimp and he ate some! he never touched any before. So i think that's a good sign

He doesn't looked bloated at all. His fins are all ok by the looks of things. He comes up for air every 10-20 minutes, but he's been doing that since we got him.

He doesn't look pale either to me!

As for the paradise gourami he gets on superb with all the other fish. He loves to hang out with the gold gourami and the mollies. surprisingly the paradise gourami is the most friendly fish I have!

I did notice yesterday however my siamese algae eater was on the gold gouramis back. the siamese algae eater done that when the molly was dying. I dunno if it's because they know they're ill or something or if it's harrasment

 

[geezer]

He's eating off the gravel now and playing with the mollies.


I turned the tank up to 84 yesterday and added more aqaurium salt. seems to have kicked him into life somehow

 

[WILDER]

If he's not eating and has long stringy white poo i would go with a bacterial infection for now, also long stringy white poo can also mean constipation, and internal parasites.

 

[geezer]

If he's not eating and has long stringy white poo i would go with a bacterial infection for now, also long stringy white poo can also mean constipation, and internal parasites.

he seems better now which is strange, would the bacteria infection still remain in his system or can they fight it without meds?

thanks for the reply also!

 

[WILDER]

If he's gone back to normal it could been constipation, what do you feed your fish.

 

[geezer]

nutrafin algae flakes, algae wafer, shrimp pellets, frozen brine shrimp . flakes one time of the day, and the meats at later time!

I just purchased some flake food with 7 types of veg in it which contains peas! maybe the diet i was feeding them before was a bit crap?

 

[WILDER]

More variety in frozen foods, daphnia is good helps the fish digest it food, and cook some of your own veg, anything green is good.