My Dwarf Gourami is Bloated!

[Tetar]

My dwarf gourami is bloated.....I got him two days ago, and I noticed the bloatedness yesterday evening. What should I do?

I don't know how to post of picture of him on here, however, I looked for similar pictures of bloated dwarf gouramis and he looks something like this:

Other than the bloatedness, he is perfectly healthy, except that he hides all the time. He's very timid. Also, he only ate once. That was the first meal I offered him after he came home. Now, he hasn't eaten for four meals. Help!

 

[Tetar]

I double checked my ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels just to make sure the tank is indeed cycled.
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
However, I couldn't tell whether the nitrate was 40 or 80. Those colors on the API test kit look so much alike!

Are the nitrate levels too high? Could that be causing the gourami the weird bloating?

 

[Aquaticfrog32]

Hmm, yes fish can get this bloating disease, and I would suggest doing a quick Google search on the topic and adding aquarium salt. this improves fish health and gill function.

 

[tanker]

However, I couldn't tell whether the nitrate was 40 or 80. Those colors on the API test kit look so much alike!

Are the nitrate levels too high? Could that be causing the gourami the weird bloating?

Yes, your Nitrates are too high. Way too high. I try to keep Nitrates under 20ppm

 

[Tifftastic]

Nitrates are definitely too high. Bloating can be caused by many things. I would recommend increased water changes and fasting for a day or two to start.

However I would also be concerned about dwarf gourami disease and I would recommend doing some research on that. Without pictures, even with sometimes, there's no way of telling. However, bloating is a common symptom of the disease.

Once the disease does start to make itself known on the infected fish, we will see a variety of symptoms which can range from lack of appetite, breathing more heavily through both the mouth and the gills, having a hard time swimming, and most importantly a enlarged spleen which will appear like the fish is bloated or become bloated.

http://freshaquaria.org/profiles/disease/dwarf-gourami-iridovirus

Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus (DGIV)
The quality of the dwarf gouramis in the trade has steadily declined for years, with batches of fish showing significantly higher levels of mortality than 10 years ago. Historically, retailers and aquarists have blamed bacterial infections, such as fish tuberculosis (Mycobacterium marinum). In recent years, though, attention has focused on a virus known as dwarf gourami iridovirus or DGIV.

Dwarf gourami iridovirus is apparently specific to the dwarf gourami (Colisa lalia), including the various fancy varieties of the species, such as neon gouramis and sunset gouramis. Infected fish develop a variety of symptoms, including loss of color, decrease in activity and appetite, the appearance of sores and lesions on the body, abdominal swelling and finally death. This fish disease is highly contagious, completely untreatable and invariably fatal.

Dwarf gourami iridovirus is apparently very common. One recent study of fish exported from Singapore found that 22 percent of all dwarf gouramis carried the virus. Aquarists should never purchase dwarf gouramis from fish aquariums containing fish exhibiting symptoms consistent with the dwarf gourami iridovirus, and all new fish should be quarantined for at least six weeks prior to being placed in the main fish aquarium.

For most aquarists, my best advice is to keep the hardier alternatives to dwarf gouramis. The thick-lipped gourami (Colisa labiosa) and the banded gourami (Colisa fasciatus) are both similar in size, temperament and coloration and make excellent alternatives.

http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-health/disease-prevention/fish-viral-disease.aspx

FWIW the first and third pictures you posted are actually from articles and posts discussing the disease and those are fish that likely have it.

 

[FreshyFresh]

I had a male dwarf flame gourami suffer from it and it eventually did him in unfortunately. I kept nitrates under 10ppm, tried feeding him blanched and skinned peas. No go. Wish I had a suggestion for you!

 

[Tetar]

Hmm, yes fish can get this bloating disease, and I would suggest doing a quick Google search on the topic and adding aquarium salt. this improves fish health and gill function.

Okay, I'll try some aquarium salt!

Yes, your Nitrates are too high. Way too high. I try to keep Nitrates under 20ppm

Okay, I'm doing a 50% water change now.

Nitrates are definitely too high. Bloating can be caused by many things. I would recommend increased water changes and fasting for a day or two to start.

However I would also be concerned about dwarf gourami disease and I would recommend doing some research on that. Without pictures, even with sometimes, there's no way of telling. However, bloating is a common symptom of the disease.



http://freshaquaria.org/profiles/disease/dwarf-gourami-iridovirus


http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-health/disease-prevention/fish-viral-disease.aspx

FWIW the first and third pictures you posted are actually from articles and posts discussing the disease and those are fish that likely have it.

My dwarf gourami has already fasted for a least two days. Working on the water change now. I'll check out those articles.

I had a male dwarf flame gourami suffer from it and it eventually did him in unfortunately. I kept nitrates under 10ppm, tried feeding him blanched and skinned peas. No go. Wish I had a suggestion for you!

Aww, poor fishy! I hope I have better luck than you at least!

 

[Tetar]

Nitrates are definitely too high. Bloating can be caused by many things. I would recommend increased water changes and fasting for a day or two to start.

However I would also be concerned about dwarf gourami disease and I would recommend doing some research on that. Without pictures, even with sometimes, there's no way of telling. However, bloating is a common symptom of the disease.



http://freshaquaria.org/profiles/disease/dwarf-gourami-iridovirus


http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-health/disease-prevention/fish-viral-disease.aspx

FWIW the first and third pictures you posted are actually from articles and posts discussing the disease and those are fish that likely have it.

After reading those articles, I just wanted to double check that none of my other fish will get this disease, right? Also, if or when my fish dies, will it be safe to get another dwarf gourami, or will the disease spread to my new fish?

 

[Tetar]

I just finished the 50% water change. I'm a little confused with my nitrate results, however. When I put the test tube just up against the white part of the color code sheet (I have the API test kit) the tube appears cherry red still. But, if I hold the test tube an inch or two away from the chart, it appears orange (10-20 ppm) So far, I've always done my testing by holding the test tube an inch or so away from the chart, but now I wonder if I'm doing it wrong, since the results are so vastly different.

 

[Tifftastic]

After reading those articles, I just wanted to double check that none of my other fish will get this disease, right? Also, if or when my fish dies, will it be safe to get another dwarf gourami, or will the disease spread to my new fish?

Its my understanding that the virus is specific to dwarf gouramis (and possibly other labyrinth fish) so your other fish won't catch it, unless they are of this species (or family). Also its a virus, so its possibly that it could stay in the water, though I can't find any information on how long. Its still possibly this isn't the case, just something to be aware of in case the other symptoms start to show.


As far as the test goes, I would hold it against the white card. Also, make sure you are following the directions perfect. You gotta shake the bejeezus out of the bottle and remember to let the tube set for 5 minutes before reading it.