Gourami

[Claire Vaughan]

Hello again. I've been away for a while, but back and need advise.
I have a blue dwarf Gourami. It's about 2 years old. It has started to bloat, especially on its right side. It looks like it could rupture. It is eating, but has isolated itself and not swimming around much. The ammonia level was a little high and I have done changes to get it down to normal. I have given peas, but that hasn't helped so far.
Any ideas?
Thanks, Claire

 

[enrique4jc]

If you think the fish is going to rupture, I'd advise moving into a QT if at all possible to avoid possible complications with tank mates. Other than that, I'm not great with that stuff. Give it time to run its course and be ready to euthanize if it gets too rough.

 

[fishorama]

Lopsided "bloat" is a bad sign, I'm sorry. Ammonia in any amount is harmful, but shouldn't cause that issue IME.

Change lots of water as often as you can. As long as it's eating (& pooping?) there's hope. But with the commercially farm bred fish, 2 or 3 years may be the best you can do.

Have you considered worming with something like flubendazole? That might be a next step, but get the ammonia to 0 soonest.

Tell us more about your tank...size? fish? other parameters? Water changes?

 

[authmal]

Tell us more about your tank...size? fish? other parameters? Water changes?

Things like temp, current ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings, pH. Frequency and quantity (in percentage, roughly) of water changes. These details will help paint a picture and diagnose the issue.

 

[Claire Vaughan]

Lopsided "bloat" is a bad sign, I'm sorry. Ammonia in any amount is harmful, but shouldn't cause that issue IME.

Change lots of water as often as you can. As long as it's eating (& pooping?) there's hope. But with the commercially farm bred fish, 2 or 3 years may be the best you can do.

Have you considered worming with something like flubendazole? That might be a next step, but get the ammonia to 0 soonest.

Tell us more about your tank...size? fish? other parameters? Water changes?

I have a 125 gallon. Water parameters have been stable for a long time, until this recent check. All other parameters are stable. PH is always high at 8.2. Nitrite and Nitrate are ok. I do 1/4-1/2 water changes weekly and full maintenance monthly. I have a 12" pleco. 3 angelfish, 5 rainbows, 5 leopard danios, 5 rummy nose tetras, 14 corys, 5 loaches.

 

[Claire Vaughan]

I have a 125 gallon. Water parameters have been stable for a long time, until this recent check. All other parameters are stable. PH is always high at 8.2. Nitrite and Nitrate are ok. I do 1/4-1/2 water changes weekly and full maintenance monthly. I have done three water changes the past three days.
I have a 12" sailfin pleco. 3 angelfish, 5 rainbows, 5 leopard danios, 5 rummy nose tetras, 14 corys, 5 yo-yo loaches.
What causes lopsided bloat? Or is it gourami thing. I know there have been issues with these beautiful fish.

 

[fishorama]

Sounds like a nice tank!

There are some diseases that seem to affect gouramis & bettas especially. Bloat can be 1 of the signs...but lopsided seems more serious to me. I can't think of what the "gourami" disease is ATM, a virus? OrionGirl knows I think, hopefully she'll chime in. I don't know that there is a treatment IF that's what yours has.

Water changes are always my first action when a fish shows signs of a problem. Frequent & large 1s. I know it'll be a PITA on a big tank like yours, but any ammonia is concerning in an established tank.

I'm also a loach lover & IME they can carry internal parasites. Maybe at low levels that don't show signs in healthy fish but if your gourami was, say, rammed by an angel, it could add to the problem. Do your angels bother or fight with the dwarf? They often don't get along well as the angels grow to adults.

 

[OrionGirl]

Gouramies get 'dwarf gouramie disease'---it's a viral infection with no known cure. I'm not sure I buy into it being viral, rather suspect it's systemic failure because I've only heard of it in tandem with water quality issues. But bloat isn't a common symptom, it's usually darkening/streaking in fins that shows up first.

What's the diet?

 

[FreshyFresh]

Yep. Just to add to the great info above, I've never had good luck with any variety of dwarf gourami, with the exception of a female DG I kept for a few years. She was a colorless little thing that I ultimately gave away with some other fish that she was in with.

The DG's I failed with met similar fates to what you describe.

 

[forse]

Have you tried Epsom salt? A tablespoon for every 5 gals helped me to save a cichlid once. It is better to use a small hospital tank.