I have a 120 gallon with a large variety of fish. everyone is fine except for my gourami they start to lose scales by their tails and it gradually spreads. two of them hang out at the surface gulping air with air bubbles coming out of their gills one has died, one is looking bad and the other is starting to get a loss of scale. any ideas???
scale loss in opaline blue gourami
- Thread starter barriel
- Start date
Gasping at the surface sounds to me like not enough oxygen. Loss of scales sounds incredibly bizarre, but I suppose it could be due to some sort of bacterial infection. Are you sure that they are coming off, or does it just look as though they are? What are your water parameters? Do they eat alright? Do they have a varied and healthy diet? (Dietary deficiencies can affect different fish in different ways). I'd add something antibiotic to ward off infections from the open wounds.
Some more info about your tank and water conditions will help in trying to figure out what is ailing your fish. Breathing air is normal for Gouramis, even when they are in good water, but constantly doing so is not normal. Have you added any new fish,plants, filters?
Spreading loss of scales sounds like a bacterial infection. If the fish is compromised (immune system-wise) the gills could also be infected resulting in an inability to aquire oxygen via the gills, hence, gasping at the surface (which as stated, is somewhat normal for them). Try to search for similar symptoms (fish disease site) to be more certain that it is a bacterial infection and treat accordingly. Or you could use a broad-spectrum treatment. Either way, I would remove the afflicted fish to a quarantine tank. Good luck!
Well...I have to say..."gasping" at the surface is not normal. It is a sign that gill function is compromised or dissolved oxygen content is low. Breathing at the surface is normal...one gulp. If a fish is gasping and blow bubbles out its gills consistently, something is wrong.
True, true, gasping as a state of deprivation of oxygen is not normal. However, some may refer to normal air breathing as "gasping" which is why I used the term "somewhat normal". 
OK
my ph is 7.4, my co2 and nitrite test were zero, the temp of the water is 78 degrees, i do about a 20 percent water change every 1 to 2 weeks. i feed the fish a variety of flake and pellet foods, with an occasional frozen food thrown in, every week or so. i was wondering if it could possibly be TB from what i have read on different sites for diagnosing disease. it is only affecting the gourami and i am wondering if they possibly had the disease when i purchased them about 10 months ago.
does anyone have any recommendations for treating a 120 gallon tank that is not overly expensive and will not kill the plants in the tank, it is loaded with plants.
thanks for the help.
my ph is 7.4, my co2 and nitrite test were zero, the temp of the water is 78 degrees, i do about a 20 percent water change every 1 to 2 weeks. i feed the fish a variety of flake and pellet foods, with an occasional frozen food thrown in, every week or so. i was wondering if it could possibly be TB from what i have read on different sites for diagnosing disease. it is only affecting the gourami and i am wondering if they possibly had the disease when i purchased them about 10 months ago.
does anyone have any recommendations for treating a 120 gallon tank that is not overly expensive and will not kill the plants in the tank, it is loaded with plants.
thanks for the help.