Dwarf Gourami Bloated!!

[Fishery]

Hi..

I've notice that my long time take mate is not looking too well.. its stomach is bloated (expanded quite noticably), and its behaving badly.. constant mouth action.. I've noticed white string poop! any help before it dies? I don't have a med tank.. just a net spawing box. What meds to use?

 

[Velvet AciD]

Well from first glance it seems your Gourami may have intestinal parasites. From what I have heard feeding forms of garlic helps this situation out.

What types of food do you feed? Flake, live etc?

 

[Fishery]

Flake and the occasional frozen bloody worms. What is the garlic formula.. place it in the net housing and mash up some garlic?

 

[Fishery]

Its not looking good I think i've been a little slow in catching the symptoms of a internal parasite infection. The gourami is well bloated on both sides and is channelling air through its gills at the top of the tank. its also perching itself on the thermometer to stay close to the surface. I've crushed some garlic and placed it near its hangout spot.. the gourami is not eating.. but hopefully he'll ingested the garlic juices to hold the grim reaper back.

 

[Velvet AciD]

Hopefully, but what you may want to do is use the juices to dribble over his flake food and let dry, then feed it to him if he is still eating. Or else soak some skinned peas in garlic juice and see if he nibbles on them. I wouldn't over do it though, and it does take sometime to see results. Do you have a quarintine tank?

 

[Fishery]

unfortunately no i don't have a Qtank. I made a foulish attempt to net him but he's too quick... thats the disadvantage of having a planted tank.. they can run and hide. Yeah.. i might just shoot off to the super market for some free garlic in a jar with juices.. do the flake thing.. see if he survives the night. Fingers Cross.. doesn't look as if he wants to give up.

 

[Swordtail8]

My gourami did that and he eventually died. Someone on this website told me it was dropsy. Dropsy is when interal fluids leak into areas they shouldn't. It's a deadly disease and I am not sure how if cure it, if there is a cure.

 

[dss2004]

Same thing happened to my dwarf gourami. Everything I read said there wasn't a cure and euthanasia might be the most kind thing to do for a fish with dropsy but that wasn't an option for me. I put him in a hospital tank and fed him jungle parastie medication food. He lasted only about another week before passing. His body was so bloated that his scales were beginning to pint straight out like a pine cone. Good luck and I hope your fish the best. Maybe the garlic will be just what he needs .

 

[Fishery]

Update. He didn't make it.. he went to the big fish tank in the sky this morning. Actually i feel a little gulity not putting him down sooner.. didn't look like a very pleasant death (if there is such a thing). I'm a little more educated now, i'm gonna feed garlic from time to time as a health and preventative measure.

Thinking about the Male Gourami, unfortunately they must often put themselve at risk to make the females happy.. I mean.. all that nest building (he built three nest during his time. The nest usually gets destroyed during water changes).. all the activity scrounging for building material must make his an ideal target for psites and even injuries.

next time round i'll be alittle more prepared.

thanks for your help.