Gourami infected wound - Help please!

[fabiobruno]

Good morning ladies (2pm over here) and happy Halloween day.

Thanks a lot for all your suggestions! Mel tell me you didn't stay up late for me please.. I feel guilty...

Today I went to 2 fish shops and didn't find any of the products you suggested
The shopping assistants I selected in both shops seemed reasonable good so I ask them for a suggestion, both (independently) recommended Protozin (Waterlife) as one of the best products to treat fungus (and whitespot, velvet, ...).
After a quick check on the internet it seems that one of the base ingredients may well be the malachite green.

So what do you think? should I give it a go?

 

[mel_20_20]

I would.

 

[fabiobruno]

Call me crazy but yesterday, after reading Jenny thread, I want back to the LFS and got a male dwarf gourami for Lucy.
I know it is irrational but when we lost Lucy companion last week she became very sad and Jennie thread was inspirational. In fact as soon as I put the bag in the aquarium for the acclimatisation Lucy went straight to welcome the new guest and they have been quite close since then.. I think she's happier now and she started to get a bit more of food.

I was going to be out all evening yesterday so I decided to postpone till today the fungal treatment (I want to monitor the situation).

When back last night I noticed that most of the fungus was gone.... having watched the two gourami for a while I now suspect that the male must have eaten some of that... I've read some more posts and I now know this is possible, some experienced members say this is opportunistic and the other fish may start to eat the flesh of a weakned fish... I think this is not the case here, it is like he's trying to help her. I know what you think right now... "He's gone mad!", well maybe but I believe she is fine with him around so far, I'll monitor the situation and separate the two if something starts to go wrong.

Anyway back to today:
I've decided to treat the all thank (not sure if eating a fungus could make the male gourami sick, but just in case...).
I've checked the ammonia/nitrite/nitrates and it is all fine, 0/0/~15 (yes I do use Api master kit, I've used strips just the first 2 days and I decided those were useless).
I then performed the 30% whater change.
I removed the carbon pads from my fluval U2 filter.
I finally added the first 4ml of protozin (2/3 of the reccomended dose, because they reccomend 1/2 for new aquarium...).

The first hour is gone and everyone seems fine so far... whish me luck

 

[fabiobruno]

The instructions on the med say to administer it on day 1, 2, 3 and then 6.
Should I stop the every second day water change and go for one on the 4th day?
Everyone looking fine so far, can't know if the appetite is better or worst since I'm just feeding once a day for now.

 

[Jennie Beth]

Wierdest thing ever, when I put Pearl in there with Indy... but it made all the difference in the world.

I was dosing with the malachite green, and having to do huge water changes everyday, as I had my fish in a little ten gallon plastic tub, with no established filter media. One of the moderators, Flaringshutter, I think, told me the medication degrades with light exposure, so redosing would keep the concentration where it should be, but wouldn't overdose the fish. If your water stays within good levels, though, I'd try to follow the dosing instructions as closely as possible.

Not that it was fun at the time, but I'm glad if Indy's info can help you with your Lucy.
Jen

 

[mel_20_20]

Things are sounding a little better for your Gourami. I'm really pulling for her.

Regarding your questions about water changes: If the water params are stable you could probably hold off safely until the fourth day, but could you please post the information on the label; the ingredients (all) and the specific instructions on the label?

That would help us know what to recommend regarding water changes and dosing after water changes.

Since you are treating in the main tank, and your tank is cycled, you can most likely hold off because the ammonia and nitrite levels should likely stay at 0 ppm, depending on what's in the medication and how it potentially may impact the biofliter and beneficial bacteria in the tank.

The link about Jennie Beth's "Indigo" is inspirational; I can't believe I didn't think to refer to that link. I followed that thread closely during her recovery.

Slipped my mind that fungus was on her injury... and I was the one that recommended she add a companion to the hospital tank for Indigo, to help her lonliness and perhaps help her recover..... sigh.....

Just shows what happens to your brain when you get past 50, lol. :headshake2:

Regarding the companion fish: In most cases you want to try to avoid exposing another fish to a possible contagious situation, but in Indigo's case it didn't seem too risky.

A healthy goldfish, (one of Indigo's buddies from the fish pond), with no open injuries or sores and a healthy immune system, was unlikely to contact a fungal infection, especially since the Malachite green was in the tank with both fish and Jennie Beth did keep the carefully manage the parameters in the hospital tank.

Hopefully in the case of your sick girl, Lucy, this will be the case, as well.

If you can, please post the info about the medication.

 

[fabiobruno]

Yep, I saw you were the one suggesting adding a companion

Here is most of the info on the label:

Protozin: Protozoacide and fungicide.
Treats whitespots (ich), Oodiniasis (velvet), Costiasis, Thricodiniasis, Neon Tetra disease and fungus.

ingredients:
Malachite green 0.085% w/w
Formaldehyde 0.07% w/w
Copper sulfate 0.015% w/w

Instructions:
It is safe with fish, plants and filters. For use in tropical and coldwater aquaria.
Must not be used in aquaria containing African Mormyridis, Pirahna, rays, sturgeon/starlets, snails, srimps and related species.
Leave bio filter running. Switch off u.v. sterilisers, ozonisers and remove carbon & zeolite before use.
When using undergravel, internal or external power filtration use standard dose. Use half dose for other filtration, in new aquaria and if sensitive species or fry are present.
Don't use simultaneously with other meds. Allow at the least 48 hours to elapse when changing treatment. Do not use within 4 days of using Myxazin.

Dose: 1 ml for each 15 lt. (3.3 imperial gallons).

Frequency of treatment: use on days: 1, 2, 3 & 6.

 

[mel_20_20]

It sounds good. I would just follow the directions. I'm not certain, but I don't think the nitrifying bacteria will be destroyed. Just check the parameters daily, maybe twice a day after the first couple of days, just to make sure you don't find detectable levels of ammonia or nitrites.

If you do start to have readings of detectable ammonia and/or nitrites, I would follow Jennie Beth's excellent example and do big water changes every day and dose again afterward. She worked her hiney off to save her pretty little Indigo.

Hopefully your tank will remain stable and you won't need to any water changes until the fourth day.

Keep us posted.

 

[lime_smash]

I have kept dwarf gourami for awhile and i have to say there is a marked resemblence in the diseases they get. I had a male dwarf gourami get a wound like that in the exact same place with the exact same look. I treated him first with Maracyn 2 and then a protozin anti-fungal. The wound healed, but he died a day afer I released him back in the main tank with dropsy symptoms (organ failure maybe?). After that the two female dwarf gourami that were in the main tank developed similar ulcers all over thier bodies, swelled up and died as well, despite my attempts to treat them which had really no effect. No other species in my tank seem to have been affected.

In short I would monitor your other fish carefully and keep your fish in as clean of water as possible. I hope you can save your little girl, I am really hoping she pulls through, but I also fear there is some sort of species specific problem here. It seems very coincidental to me.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[mel_20_20]

I've heard of this, too, lime_smash, about Gouramis. I'm sorry for your losses, lime.

I hope Lucy fares better. Hopefully the treatment has started soon enough to prevent damage to her organs. In light of lime_smash's experience with a similar illness you might want to make sure her water is really pristine, with daily water changes if necessary.

Keep your chin up Fabio and keep up the good work for your little girl. We're all pulling for her. Keep us posted and let us know if we can help in any way.