Greetings everyone.
This is my first post here and I hate to be a harbinger of negativity, but it now seems very likely that I have some sick fish to nurse.
I am hoping that someone with more experience might be able to diagnose the problem, and that I might be able to rectify it before any of my finned friends perish. I will list my tankmates and general info first, then give a detailed summary of my observations.
28 Gallon Bowfront Tank
30 Gallon filter
PH - 7.6
Ammonia - 0.0
Nitrites - 0.0
Nitrates - 10
FISH:
1 - Red Fire Dwarf Gourami
1 - Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami
1 - Dojo Loach
5 - Black Skirt Tetras
1 - Rainbow Shark
1 - Otocinclus
My tank has been established for a few months, and until recently all has been splendid. About one week ago I made the mistake of adding a green spotted puffer to my tank (only for two days -- long story short, I was sold the wrong fish and returned him promptly). Since the puffer came and went, everything's gone to Hell...
A few days ago I noticed that my blue gourami had a string of poop, approximately one to two inches in length, hanging from his underside. After twenty minutes or so, it fell off. This happened three or four more times that night alone. He was eating as usual, so I assumed he was just constipated and decided to watch him closely in the meantime. I also tossed in a couple of peas and a tiny bit of Romaine lettuce. The following day I did a gravel vacuum / 40% water change. Everything seemed alright, but the blue gourami was still pooping long strands, almost constantly (one would fall off and another would start). Still, his appetite was strong.
The next day (yesterday) I came home to a disgusting sight. The bottom of my tank was littered with white/beige turds of varying length and diameter. At first I thought they were worms, but further inspection proved otherwise. I had never even seen fish poop in my tank for the previous two months, and now I had a veritable minefield!!! I was a bit preturbed.
Oddly enough, the blue gourami seems to be fine. He is still eating, is very active, and looks quite healthy, but he is now excreting clear strands. Some of the tetras, although normal in their behavior, look as if they have bloated bellies; so does the Otocinclus.
The fish I am most worried about, however, is the red fire gourami. When I first put him in the tank, he immediately established dominance over the smaller blue gourami.
Over the last couple of days, he has become listless, just staying in one spot on the side of the tank. His colors seem to have faded from a vibrant orange with blue fins, to an almost brownish tint, with pronounced spots (roughly the size of a dime) of advanced fading. His belly also appears to be bloated, and he possesses little appetite or interest-- his temperment could be described as spacey and apathetic. Whenever he does try to move around, the blue gourami chases him away, as if to say "you are tainted, stay over there." I have not noticed him pooping, so I cannot say if it resembles the forementioned clear "sausage-casing" excrement.
He is now exhibiting signs of laboured breathing ("gasping", rapid gill fluctuations), and this is obviously a bad sign.
My best guess currently would be internal parasites, but I don't want to jump the gun. I do not currently have a QT tank, so medication must go to the community, be that food or general med.
I've added two tablespoons of aquarium salt (I don't want to add much more, because the loach will not tolerate such conditions), and am running a medium (5") airstone 24/7. I've cut down feeding by about 50% (they are now getting flakes and half an algae wafer, once per day; no frozen foods until I fix this problem).
I will continue to observe my fish carefully and at length, but I would really appreciate advice or suggestions from those with experience in dealing with such symptoms/disease. I am grateful for any diagnoses or recommendations for medication. This is my first time running an aquarium and also dealing with disease: I'd like to get it right sooner rather than later!
Thanks for your time and consideration.
~ Mr_Obsidian
This is my first post here and I hate to be a harbinger of negativity, but it now seems very likely that I have some sick fish to nurse.
I am hoping that someone with more experience might be able to diagnose the problem, and that I might be able to rectify it before any of my finned friends perish. I will list my tankmates and general info first, then give a detailed summary of my observations.
28 Gallon Bowfront Tank
30 Gallon filter
PH - 7.6
Ammonia - 0.0
Nitrites - 0.0
Nitrates - 10
FISH:
1 - Red Fire Dwarf Gourami
1 - Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami
1 - Dojo Loach
5 - Black Skirt Tetras
1 - Rainbow Shark
1 - Otocinclus
My tank has been established for a few months, and until recently all has been splendid. About one week ago I made the mistake of adding a green spotted puffer to my tank (only for two days -- long story short, I was sold the wrong fish and returned him promptly). Since the puffer came and went, everything's gone to Hell...
A few days ago I noticed that my blue gourami had a string of poop, approximately one to two inches in length, hanging from his underside. After twenty minutes or so, it fell off. This happened three or four more times that night alone. He was eating as usual, so I assumed he was just constipated and decided to watch him closely in the meantime. I also tossed in a couple of peas and a tiny bit of Romaine lettuce. The following day I did a gravel vacuum / 40% water change. Everything seemed alright, but the blue gourami was still pooping long strands, almost constantly (one would fall off and another would start). Still, his appetite was strong.
The next day (yesterday) I came home to a disgusting sight. The bottom of my tank was littered with white/beige turds of varying length and diameter. At first I thought they were worms, but further inspection proved otherwise. I had never even seen fish poop in my tank for the previous two months, and now I had a veritable minefield!!! I was a bit preturbed.
Oddly enough, the blue gourami seems to be fine. He is still eating, is very active, and looks quite healthy, but he is now excreting clear strands. Some of the tetras, although normal in their behavior, look as if they have bloated bellies; so does the Otocinclus.
The fish I am most worried about, however, is the red fire gourami. When I first put him in the tank, he immediately established dominance over the smaller blue gourami.
Over the last couple of days, he has become listless, just staying in one spot on the side of the tank. His colors seem to have faded from a vibrant orange with blue fins, to an almost brownish tint, with pronounced spots (roughly the size of a dime) of advanced fading. His belly also appears to be bloated, and he possesses little appetite or interest-- his temperment could be described as spacey and apathetic. Whenever he does try to move around, the blue gourami chases him away, as if to say "you are tainted, stay over there." I have not noticed him pooping, so I cannot say if it resembles the forementioned clear "sausage-casing" excrement.
He is now exhibiting signs of laboured breathing ("gasping", rapid gill fluctuations), and this is obviously a bad sign.
My best guess currently would be internal parasites, but I don't want to jump the gun. I do not currently have a QT tank, so medication must go to the community, be that food or general med.
I've added two tablespoons of aquarium salt (I don't want to add much more, because the loach will not tolerate such conditions), and am running a medium (5") airstone 24/7. I've cut down feeding by about 50% (they are now getting flakes and half an algae wafer, once per day; no frozen foods until I fix this problem).
I will continue to observe my fish carefully and at length, but I would really appreciate advice or suggestions from those with experience in dealing with such symptoms/disease. I am grateful for any diagnoses or recommendations for medication. This is my first time running an aquarium and also dealing with disease: I'd like to get it right sooner rather than later!
Thanks for your time and consideration.
~ Mr_Obsidian
), I was new to keeping fish and thought it was normal..