Tsunami35

My gourami looks like it cut its underside on something, and now its stomach is swollen and it seems stressed. What can I do to help save it??

Thanks

COBettaCouple

Do you have a picture to post? Do you have a tank that you can treat him in seperately? What's the ammonia and nitrites on the tank?

Something to enhance his slimecoat, Fish Protector if possible, and something to prevent infection, Garlic Boost if you can get it, are a couple general thoughts for him. Along with liquid vitamins, like Vita-Chem. Extra water changes to keep the water super-clean for him will be good too.

Tsunami35

Ive been reading whatever I can find and came across info on "dwarf gourami disease," Which i read is incurable, and has the symptoms of bloating, sores, lethargy, and loss of color. If this is the case Im not sure I can do anything to save him.

I have a 7g tank thats just setting up but it isnt cycled yet. The tank hes in has 0 ammonia/nitrite and around 5-10 nitrate.

I can put some API stress coat in the tank, but I cant get any antibiotic or anything until tomorrow night.

Should I put him in the 7g and do frequent water changes, or leave him in the big tank??

Thanks

miker

That is a tough choice. In order to protect other Fish, I'd move the DG to the 7 and do frequent water changes as you've mentioned.

Tsunami35

If i treat the tank hes in with an antibiotic, isnt that going to kill any beneficial bacteria in the tank?

Tsunami35

I put him in the 7g, and im using melafix, cycle, and stress coat. Right now hes just sitting near the heater looking very stressed....

COBettaCouple

Change 50% of the water immediately and put carbon in your filter! Change 50% tommorrow also. Melafix is harmful to Gourami.

Don't use "Cycle" either. It creates stress by putting the tank through shifting chemistry and mini-cycles.

Use Prime for the water conditioner and Stresscoat. If you can get Fish Protector, that would be great for him. Vita-Chem would be good too.

TriSulfa is an antibiotic that doesn't destroy the good bacteria I believe.

Tsunami35

I already moved the gourami back out of the tank because he was looking very doped up. Why does melafix harm gouramis?

Im so sick of all the products for sale and every single person having a different opinion about every one, its impossble to find something and have confidence that it will work.

Thanks for the help though, hopefully the gourami will recover...

COBettaCouple

Melafix interacts negatively with the air labyrinth organ that betta and Gourami have. For most other fish, it's a good and safe product. I just wish it had a warning label on it. We have some, but only use it with our livebearers.

We used "Cycle" for the first 2 months that we had fish. Must have bought at least 4 or 5 bottles of the stuff before we learned what it was doing and the up and down water chemistry readings that we had from that 2 months verified that the tanks were mini-cycling. Big profit on selling that stuff so they really push it at the stores.

Tsunami35

Hes back in the small tank and im using some aquarium salt, and some maracyn-two, I couldnt find any of the meds you listed. Hes still alive but not improving yet..

Tsunami35

Gourami died today

COBettaCouple

We're sorry you lost him.