what's wrong with this fish?

[noop]

over a week ago my coral blue dwarf gourami looked like this:

i got him a special hospital tank and treated the water with anti-fungal stuff, but he got worse. he has many of these blotches now, patches of skin where the colour seems to have drained away, including areas on his dorsal fin

he spends most of his time fairly still at the surface, but he can swim quite normally when he wants to

i have been treating him with anti-fungal stuff for 8 days now and he's not getting any better. last night as one final idea i put the water temp up to 29C, hoping this might help

can anyone suggest what the problem might be? what else can i try?

thanks

oh and the water params seem ok. have no nitrate measuring stuff but i do 20-25% water changes weekly. pH is 7.9ish

 

[breezer40]

Hi Noop

Firstly I am no expert but I have had a look in a very good book I have and it could actualy be a parasite. Could you give me a few more details?

1. What other fish do you have and have they shown any signs of ill health?

2. What color are these spots now..just faded or greyish white (if you have a pic of the spots now that would be useful).

3. Is there any skin slimmy look to the patches?

4. Do the scales look unusual?

5. Are the fins clamped or normal?

6. Is he eating normally?

7. Is there the slightest possibility that he could have injured himself either on something in the tank or fighting with another fish?

8. Does he look swollen in the the abdomen?

I know this list looks exhaustive but finding out what the problem is will help him get the right treatment and may help other board members to come uop with ideas?

 

[fozzy_wozzy_woo]

good luck .. sorry i cant help

 

[noop]

1. What other fish do you have and have they shown any signs of ill health?
- see my signature. the sick gourami got sick immediately after i bought him but i didn't realise so i didn't take him back to the shop in time for a refund. a coupla days after i started treating him, i noticed a mild case of ich on a couple of the black phantoms. i treated the whole tank and that has cleared up now

2. What color are these spots now..just faded or greyish white (if you have a pic of the spots now that would be useful).
- the worst patch, on the forehead, did go silvery grey

3. Is there any skin slimmy look to the patches?
- no, just discoloured

4. Do the scales look unusual?
- a little, see pics

5. Are the fins clamped or normal?
- don't look 100% normal, but they work when needed

6. Is he eating normally?
- he eats, but not very hungrily

7. Is there the slightest possibility that he could have injured himself either on something in the tank or fighting with another fish?
- no

8. Does he look swollen in the the abdomen?
- i don't think so


thanks for helping

 

[JAYJT]

That looks real bad....

blue gourami

 

[bulldog188]

could this be velvet

 

[breezer40]

I don't think it is velvet as this normally looks like a yellow/gold dusting all over the fish.

It sounds and looks a little like False Neon Disease but I can't find out if this can effect Gourami's. Maybe it might be worth calling the dealer who sold you him and seeing if they have had other problems..they may have the answer.

 

[breezer40]

I've asked about your prob on another board to see if they have any answers. I'll let you know if they have any ideas.

 

[tstenback]

Other than velvet (which i would suggest is the cause)i can only think of 2 other diseases that look like this they are not common but here is the info i have on them.

Chilodonella

Symptoms: Dulling of the colors due to excessive slime, fraying of the fins, weakness, gill damage

This disease causes a blue white cloudiness on the skin and attacks the gills. Later the skin may be broken down and the gills destroyed. The fish may behave like they have irritations, by glancing off aquarium decor, they may have clamped fins and difficulty breathing.
Acriflavine (trypaflavine) may be used at 1% solution (5 ml per liter). As acriflavine can sterilize fish, the water should be gradually changed after a cure has been effected. It also helps to raise the temperature to about 80º F.


Costia

Symptoms: Milky cloudiness on skin.

This is a rare protozoan disease that causes a cloudiness of the skin. The best treatment is with copper at 0.2 mg per liter (0.2 ppm) to be repeated once in a few days if necessary. Acriflavine (trypaflavine) may be used instead at 0.2% solution (1 ml per liter). As acriflavine can possibly sterilize fish and copper can lead to poisoning, the water should be gradually changed after a cure has been effected.
Raising the water temperature to 80º - 83º F for a few days has also been effective.

 

[noop]

thanks for all your help. he's still going - for now - though he seems to be sitting more vertically (with his nose to the surface) than before

 

[FrEaKiNhippie13]

It seems a little too blotchy to be velvet, but it might just be the beggining of it.
Good luck!

 

[jams.alaskan]

I'll be watching this thread to see what you come up with - I just wanted to mention how very helpful it is for you to post those very clear and very close up shots. Nice job! I hope you are rewarded by curing this fish - Best of luck.

ALASKA

 

[angelicdeity]

I had a pearl and a ram die of similar symptoms. They seemed to get better, but then they died. I have no idea what it was either, but no other fish have it, so i am hoping it is gone.
Maybe you could add a bit of salt, at a rate of like 1tsp per 5 gallon, helps to lower osmotic stress...i have found it helps plus, logically (from yr 12 bio) it would be helpful.