Pearl Gourami with gray patches

[kkifer]

My 2 year old male Pearl Gourami has several patches on one side of his body. They are dull gray, but not raised or fuzzy. I've seen him with small areas like this in the past, and then they seem to go away. The female doesn't have them at all. Any clues?

It would be hard to get a pic, he's shy and always watching me.

 

[Emg]

You might want to see a vet or something, thats just weird.
I don't know anything about that.:headshake2:

 

[Lupin]

Kkifer, please post pictures of the gray area and your water parameters.

 

[jm1212]

have you seen any aggression between him and any other fish?

 

[kkifer]

Haven't seen any aggression other than a little chasing. These fish have been together a long time.
Here are the best shots I could get. The spot on his head is the worst.

Water:
ammonia 0
nitrate 10
nitrite 0
pH 7

 

[Lupin]

I'm not sure what I am seeing on the spot. Is it a crater on the head? What is the appearance of his poo?

 

[Beasts]

One of my male pearl gouramis has spots like that and larger. I believe he has been fighting for dominance with the other 2 males. They have been doing some nest building and pairing off. I have been making sure the water stays good and clean and watching the spots for any signs of infection - so far so good. He moves well, eats heartily and continues to stand up for himself. The one in your picture appears to be a male. You don't say how many pearls you have or what the sex mix is. Have you noticed any evidence of a bubble nest? Are there any sharp objects he might be contacting as they hassle each other? Mine seems to have lost at least some of his slime coating and possibly some scales. Good luck.
Beasts

 

[kkifer]

I have just the pair of gouramis and if anyone is picking on him I haven't seen it. The spot on his head does have a bit of indentation which is scary. The patches on his side are more like scuffs in his coating or maybe a thin fungal growth. His other side is perfect.

No bubble nesting for a long time. Maybe this pair is too old for mating anyway. They stay in the top section, where there are no rocks or driftwood, just the filter.

I haven't noticed his poo, so it must not be abnormal.

I have some melafix, which is suppose to help with fin repair. Would that be helpful to healing? I also have Stress Coat, which is don't normally use but could.

Thanks for the ideas, everyone.

 

[kkifer]

Just a follow up that I did add Stress Coat and Melafix, and the spot on his head healed up. The scuffs are gone too. Don't know if the additives actually helped or maybe just "time heals all wounds."