Beat up Gourami help!

Lady G

Lady G

It's a mafia thing, nothing personl
Oct 6, 2005
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gingersassatelli.bodybyvi.com
My orange dwarf gourami has been beat up by my blue dwarf :sad: I've had them for quite a while together and they have never been mean toward each other, they pretty much stayed on different sides of the tank and lots of times swam together. But today the blue one just went after my orange one and now he has pink swores on him about 3 or 4 different spots. I have a 1.5g tank (I know it's not big) but hoping he wont have to be in there long. I filled it with tank water, put gravel from the tank, a couple star gems and his favorite floating plant in with him (all from the tank he was in). I added 1/4tsp of easy balance to the water too because it say's it promotes healing what else should I do :huh: I've never Q'd a fish before please help I really want him to make it! Should I put a guppy or ghost shrimp or anything in with him or just leave him alone in the tank?

Thank you,

Gin :sick:
 
The only thing I can think of to help is LOTS of water changes. With his sores you will want to keep the highest quality of water possible and that would mean at the min. of a daily water change of at least 50-75%. In that size tank I'm sure it's not cycled and would be difficult to cycle. Lots of fresh clean water.

I sure hope your guy makes it. I just hate when one is ailing. You may need to look into finding one of them a new home or getting another tank. After he heals if you place him back into the same situation it will probably just happen again (the fighting that is).

Best wishes to him...poor guy.
 
I don't think the water changes will be to difficult in that small tank!! I am suppose to be getting a 45g from a friend that I'm moving my goby into (because he is BW) and am setting up a 55g for the rest of the fish I have so maybe by the time he is better I will have this done and he and a few tank mates can go in the 30 he was in.

Thanks for your help,

Gin
 
Oh..just thought of something. Does the little tank he is in have a heater??? Keeping him a little warmer than room temperature is best for him. If you don't have a heater I have a suggestion. Place his tank on top of your fridge. It will generate enough heat (have you ever felt how warm the top of your fridge stays?) to keep him at about the right temp. Put a thermometer in with him and keep a close eye on it.

Sounds like you have everything under control with the tanks and a plan...that's great. You are a good fishy mom! :thm:

I sure hope your guy makes it. You seem to really care about your fish and what is best for them and I know you really want him to survive. Keep us posted please?
 
No, I didn't think of a heater. My fridge is in a little nook, there wouldn't be any way for me to put him up there...but that is a great idea it is warm on top of there :idea2: Maybe I should put him in my bathroom it's always so warm in there (since we have to keep the door closed) so my little one wont wash her babies in the toliet :rolleyes: I don't know if they make heaters that small? I'll have to check.

I hope he makes it too, he's such a great fish!!

Thanks for your wishs for him :D , I will keep how he's doing posted!

Gin
 
That's a pretty small tank to keep him in, and it will be hard to keep the temp adequate and stable without a heater. Also, if it has no filter then it will be difficult to maintain good water conditions. If you can afford it, it would be good to invest in a 10 gallon to use as a QT/hospital tank. A simple sponge filter and heater would be all that's needed for equipment.

I had the same learning experience that you did with my two dwarves. They got along fine for nearly a year, and then one of them started severely attacking the other. That's why I don't recommend that dwarf gourami males be kept together. It depends on the individual fish, and more space is better, but it's always a gamble.

I would keep a fungus treatment at hand and watch for any signs of it. They are known to be susceptible to fungus and bacterial infections, and open sores will be an invitation. If you know what to watch for and can catch it in time then hopefully he will make a speedy and complete recovery. Keep him in quarantine by himself until you are sure he is healthy.

What exactly is easy balance?
 
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It does have a filter, it's a small undergravel filter. He just looks so lonely in there!! That's why I was wondering about the guppy, or ghost shrimp or even a snail? But I'll keep him alone, I'll look into a 10g, I know they are not expensive but it's a real BAD time for this. Thought about using the 20g my son had his hamster in but since the hamster died (old age) in it I really didn't think it would be a good idea. The tank is my Aunts she used to use for her betta. If I keep changing the water every day do you think he would be ok? Any ideas on a heater? Should I add aquarium salt or is that just to treat ick?
Easy balance is just a water conditioner from tetra, I use to use it until I got amquel, but it say's it helps in healing wounds, oh opps it's called Aqua Safe, Easy balance was the stuff I bought but never used for nitrates (did lots of WC instead). Sorry about that mistake!!
I don't think he will go back in the same tank, I'm going to make my 30 a german ram tank I've read gouramis do fine with them so I think he (or the blue) will go in there.

Thanks any other suggestions will be very helpful I don't want to loose him!!!
 
I had an angelfish get torn to shreds by a competing male. I put him into QT and also used "melafix" it says it helps aid in healing. It does what it says it does too! He is a veiltail (long flowing fins, just in case you didn't know) and his fins were healed, and missing scales were back in no time. I recomend it. Just follow the directions on the bottle. Good luck. Hope he gets better fast.
 
Ok thanks, I'll look for that then!
 
Did my first water change today, my gosh I'm going to have to figure out something for vacuming the little gravel in there, my vacume thing does not work in such a small tank! I just used a measuring cup and removed a little more than 1/2 the water, then added fresh from the bucket I was using for my regular tank (treated with amquel). Added some more of the aqua safe. I didn't see the melafix at wal-mart (only place with fish supply around me) but I am going out of town tomorrow and will look at the fish stores there. Would it be ok for me to feed him only every 2 day's (I usually only feed every other day right now) until they are moved to their bigger tank?
 
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