Open wound on Chocolate

PumaWard

In loving memory of Meeko
Jul 23, 2003
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Vermont
Hey guys,
For a month or so now, my chocolate gourami seems to be missing a few scales on his side. I am fairly certain that what I am seeing is the exposed muscle. It is a light pink color and I cannot make out any sign of scales in the area. It doesn't apear to be infected, but I'm worried that it will eventually if it doesn't start to heal up.

He's in my 38g, temp stays between 75 and 78. I've added some salt to the tank, (about 20g worth, not regulary though) and I do weekly 20-30% water changes. The tank has been set up for going on 2 months now and I do not believe that their is any ammonia or nitrite (I can't be certain though because I haven't checked it in 2 weeks). It's also planted, so thre should be low or no amount of nitrites (I don't have a test kit for them).

I haven't seen anything attack him, or even pay attention to him, although I think he got the wound went he ventured too close to my betta's bubble nest about a month ago.

Any suggestions on getting him to heal up?
I would like to avoid using melafix as I have 2 bettas in the tank and I haven't heard good things about mixing the two.
 
yeah i always use melafix if there are torn fins, wounds, etc...

do you have a hospital tank of some sort? because if you do put it in there and then use the melafix, if you're worried about the bettas.
 
chocolates are very sensitive to mettals in the water... do you have anything in the tank that could be leaching copper or iron as that will do them in... they tend to be not very hardy when it comes to skin problems, hope you can solve the problem
 
I don't think I have anything, he was in my brother's 20g for a while and my brother didn't even have any rocks in there at the time. Aside from that, my tap water (well water) might have something in it but I've had him for a while, like 5 months, with no problems until recently.

I might try the melafix at half dose.
 
There was a link to another forum I think somewhere here at AC where a betta breeder spoke of it and recommended not using it or using it at least diluting it. They recommended bettafix instead.

I've also read it on two other forums while I was googling stuff, though I don't remember what they were.
 
I had a blue gourami that had a open white wound. I put him in a h tank and found out it was a disease and I was told to treat him with a little salt and it went away, but it came back about a month later and he didn't make it this time. I wish I could remember what the disease is called, sorry, bad memory. good luck
 
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