My Dwarf Gourami is Bloated!

[Kannan Fodder]

Have you tested your tank for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? I agree it sounds like something affected her nervous system, but could also have been equilibrium related.

Was she floating at all? Hanging around the bottom of the tank? Any injuries? Any specifics you can give will help.

 

[Tifftastic]

When anything like that happens I recommend taking a sample of water out, changing 30% of the water in the tank and then testing the sample when you're finished. If you've lost this many fish in this short of a time, a water test is the first thing I would do.

 

[Tetar]

When anything like that happens I recommend taking a sample of water out, changing 30% of the water in the tank and then testing the sample when you're finished. If you've lost this many fish in this short of a time, a water test is the first thing I would do.

I just did what you suggested. My test results before I did the WC were 0 in nitrite, 10 (or 20) in nitrate, and I couldn't tell whether the results were 0 or .25 for ammonia. The test tube wasn't a bright dandelion yellow like the color on the chart, but it didn't have a hint of green at all in the tube. (I use the API master test kit.)

Have you tested your tank for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? I agree it sounds like something affected her nervous system, but could also have been equilibrium related.

Was she floating at all? Hanging around the bottom of the tank? Any injuries? Any specifics you can give will help.

I actually wasn't there at the time my fish died, but my brother was. He described Pearl as doing circles in the tank, like pretty much touching nose to tail, and she would bang her head on the gravel and was just all over the tank flipping out for no apparent reason. It was like she didn't have control over her own body.


Also, I have another platy that I'm positive is going to die. It's not eating and just floats in one spot like the first platy that died. It's lost its will to live or something.

 

[Kannan Fodder]

Did you buy the platies all at the same time, and if so, did they all come from the same tank?
How long have you had these fish?

How many fish did you originally have, and what kind? What size tank do you have? (Sorry if you already stated this, I wasn't able to find it.)

Do you know the pH in your tank?

This sounds like what happens to me when I try to keep mollies and platies. They're fine for a week or so, then start slowly dying off. I think they prefer harder water/higher pH, which I've always had. I pretty much gave up on them and stick to fish I've had better luck with. (Which is why I currently have gambusia.)

I'm at a loss, other than neon tetra disease, which I'm not entirely sure can affect other species.

 

[Tifftastic]

Your parameters seem to be in order, so its unlikely its a water quality issue. . . which is honestly unfortunate as that is the easiest thing to fix.

I'm thinking along the same lines as above, it could be that particular stock. Something they came with . . .

 

[Tetar]

Did you buy the platies all at the same time, and if so, did they all come from the same tank?
How long have you had these fish?

How many fish did you originally have, and what kind? What size tank do you have? (Sorry if you already stated this, I wasn't able to find it.)

Do you know the pH in your tank?

This sounds like what happens to me when I try to keep mollies and platies. They're fine for a week or so, then start slowly dying off. I think they prefer harder water/higher pH, which I've always had. I pretty much gave up on them and stick to fish I've had better luck with. (Which is why I currently have gambusia.)

I'm at a loss, other than neon tetra disease, which I'm not entirely sure can affect other species.

I bought all the platies at the same time and from the same tank. I've had the platies for, if I had to guess, almost 3 weeks. Originally, I got just the 4 platies. Then, after seeing that they were doing well, got 5 glofish tetras the next day. Then, a little bit later (maybe 1-2 days later) I got 2 mollies and 1 dwarf gourami. My tank is a 20 gallon long. The reason I added the fish pretty much around the same time was because I cycled my tank with pure ammonia, which I had read was fine to stocking all at once because my tank was able to handle 4ppm of ammonia in under 12 hours. I just tested my ph and it is between 7.4 to 7.6

 

[Rbishop]

Too many new fish...short period of time, without proper QT....

 

[Tetar]

Too many new fish...short period of time, without proper QT....

Okay. How often would you suggest I add new fish? I was thinking of getting another molly tomorrow, but do you think it would be too soon? I can't QT my fish, because I really don't want to spend the money getting a whole other tank that I'm only going to use rarely.

 

[Rbishop]

As long as you do not QT your new additions, you will run the risk of introducing something to an established tank. A qt tank can be a simple rubber maid container. Depends on how much you care for the fish and how much money it takes to replace all of a tank when you brought in an unhealthy one that wipes it out. Your choice.

 

[Tetar]

As long as you do not QT your new additions, you will run the risk of introducing something to an established tank. A qt tank can be a simple rubber maid container. Depends on how much you care for the fish and how much money it takes to replace all of a tank when you brought in an unhealthy one that wipes it out. Your choice.

How long would I have to QT a fish? The main thing that's putting me off is the cycle. I would have to add ammonia every day when there isn't a fish in there, unless for some reason I don't have to cycle a QT tank?

Anyway, I'm doing my weekly WC right now, and another platy (My sick one) just died. So now I'm down to 1 platy.

Should I get that molly tomorrow or not?