Dwarf Gourami - darkened lower fin and swollen belly (w/ pic)?

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rsanz

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Aug 22, 2006
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My Dwarf Gourami is not looking good. His lower fin is turning a deep blue, almost black color. His face/head is also beginning to darken in color. I have a feeling that he's sick. I've noticed an increase in his bowel movements, but they are very pale and thin. I also noticed a kind of red spot on his side, it looks like its under the scales. Also, his belly has been swollen for a couple weeks now, but I didn't think much of it. What should I do?

I just did a large water change, about 50%. I tried doing research, but the information on fish diseases is so broad and vague that I haven't been able to diagnose it.

I did the best I could to get a photo of him. He looks worse than the picture shows. I know this is bad because I had a second dwarf gourami, and he got darker and darker by the day before he eventually died. I've noticed this discoloration early, because it looks very similar to what my other gourami began to look like as he became discolored. I don't want to lose this guy. Hopefully you guys can lead me in the right direction as to how to treat whatever it is that he has.



Thanks, guys!
 

plah831

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Apr 29, 2006
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from that pic, he looks very healthy, but that's from before he got sick. The darkening colors just indicates stress. Many fish will change color when ill, to either dark or pale.

The symptoms sound like internal parasites to me (pale, stringy poop and swollen abdomen). Don't know about the sore, though, although you could have more than one thing happening with him. To treat IP's, the most effective thing to use is an internal parasite med that is ingested. I personally use GelTek Ultra Cure PX. I just soak their regular food in it before offering it to them. All my fish take it without any complaints, even the pickiest ones. The instructions say to just drop it into the water, but I don't see any fish eating it that way (it would jsut dissipate in the water). Also, I'd recommend doing it for longer than the bottle says. It says 3 days, but I always do about two weeks.

Is he still eating? If not, that's a pretty sure sign he won't make it. Especially since he won't ingest the meds in that case. But also it means the illness is pretty far along :(
 

rsanz

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Aug 22, 2006
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He is still eating, yes. Can I get that medication that you mentioned at Petco?
 

plah831

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According to Petco online, they carry some GelTeks, the antibiotics but not the internal parasite med. Unfortunately, it can be a bit tricky to find that medication. You can always order it online and pay for expedited shipping. That's what I did, paid $11 to ship a $4 bottle! And to save a fish that cost me less than $2.50. But it's worth it to me, and my baby looks much better.

Let's see what other people have to say, though. Maybe they'll have other diagnoses or suggestions to treat.

At least he's still eating, so that's a very encouraging sign. He's a beautiful fish and I would hate for you to lose another :(
 

rsanz

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Aug 22, 2006
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No one else has any advice? :(
 

rsanz

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Aug 22, 2006
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Just an update...

I sat and watched the little guy for about 10 minutes a little earlier. I noticed that every time he went back into his little corner, he would emerge discolored. Then, when he swam to the other side of the tank, he would return to his normal color. It was very strange that is coloration would change so quickly. I did some investigating and noticed that the base of my hung heater (non-submergible) had collected some sort of white "crap", for lack of a better word. I took a chance, figuring what harm could it do to take out the heater and clean it off? So I took the heater off, cleaned the white crud off with a paper towel, rinsed it, did another 40-50% water change, put the heater back in, and finally added some Prime. It seems that the little guy is much happier now. He is not becoming as discolored anymore.

I still want to do some internal parasite treatment at some point, but I really just don't have the means to get to the store at this point (I am a college student, after all, and paying $10 for shipping a $4 product just really stings). Thanks for your help, plah831. If is discoloration problem doesn't improve by Tuesday, I might just cave and buy the GelTek treatment that you mentioned before and bite the bullet on the shipping cost.

At least things are looking up. :)
 

plah831

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Apr 29, 2006
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rsanz, tell me about it! I'm in grad school and have to survive on $6000 a semester, or about $12,000 a year! But my fish babies are my first priority, after rent and food. I even bought my aquarium supplies first, as soon as I got my loans, instead of buying textbooks ;)
 

CoreyMac

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Sep 15, 2006
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Someone suggested the jungle parasite treatment to me. I bought a package of it and will send you a tablet if you want one.
 

plah831

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Apr 29, 2006
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I've heard meds that are added to the water aren't very effective, or effective at all on internal parasites. They're just too well protected, deep in the body.
 
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