Does anyone know if this is indeed columnaris? MANY of the fish at the local stores (Chicagoland) have this same type of infection...especially dwarf gouramis and livebearers. This appears to be the same thing that used to kill entire shipments of fish back in my old pet shop days (20+ years ago). We had limited success treating with antibiotics, with best results from chloramphenicol (IIRC, it was a long time ago!).
Ironically, my last home aquarium near-wipeout 5 or 6 years ago was also caused by a dwarf gourami from PetsMart.
I don't want this to be a bash the 'Mart posting (because Petco, Wal-Mart and even some independent shops are just as guilty)...but I went to PetsMart last night to pick up a nitrate test kit and took a quick glance at their fish and they were HIDEOUSLY sick for the most part. Virtually ALL of the platies, mollies and swords were clamped, shimmying and at least 30% had visible infections. The dwarf gouramis, brilliantly showing their "buy me" colors, appeared to have several types of infections/parasites going on (including what is pictured above). They were also doing the back-and-forth type of shimmy (while the livebearers were doing the side-to-side version of the dance). Dead guppies, dead loaches, dead catfish. And there was an employee looking at all of the tanks as if she was "inspecting" but she was either visually impaired, lazy or doesn't know what a dead fish looks like! Ironically, they are had a tank of the best-looking cardinal tetras I've seen in ages, although I have a feeling that they had just come in.
Things have gotten so bad at so many stores, that I've considered printing up small stickers that say "SICK FISH!!" and plastering them on the tanks. No wonder so many beginners simply give up on the hobby--the misinformation and the terrible livestock is really damaging to the hobby. I'm not an advocate of additional regulation and more local government intervention, but if these stores don't do a better job self-monitoring, this is where it will lead (and it will be a nightmare for all parties concerned).
Ironically, my last home aquarium near-wipeout 5 or 6 years ago was also caused by a dwarf gourami from PetsMart.
I don't want this to be a bash the 'Mart posting (because Petco, Wal-Mart and even some independent shops are just as guilty)...but I went to PetsMart last night to pick up a nitrate test kit and took a quick glance at their fish and they were HIDEOUSLY sick for the most part. Virtually ALL of the platies, mollies and swords were clamped, shimmying and at least 30% had visible infections. The dwarf gouramis, brilliantly showing their "buy me" colors, appeared to have several types of infections/parasites going on (including what is pictured above). They were also doing the back-and-forth type of shimmy (while the livebearers were doing the side-to-side version of the dance). Dead guppies, dead loaches, dead catfish. And there was an employee looking at all of the tanks as if she was "inspecting" but she was either visually impaired, lazy or doesn't know what a dead fish looks like! Ironically, they are had a tank of the best-looking cardinal tetras I've seen in ages, although I have a feeling that they had just come in.
Things have gotten so bad at so many stores, that I've considered printing up small stickers that say "SICK FISH!!" and plastering them on the tanks. No wonder so many beginners simply give up on the hobby--the misinformation and the terrible livestock is really damaging to the hobby. I'm not an advocate of additional regulation and more local government intervention, but if these stores don't do a better job self-monitoring, this is where it will lead (and it will be a nightmare for all parties concerned).
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