fionah

I just bought a blue dwarf gourami yesterday.

After a few hours, I noticed it had a small circular white patch (about 1cm in diameter). It looks slightly fluffy in texture though isn't really protuding. This morning, the patch has doubled in size.

Other than this, the fish is eating and seems quite active.
I have had other gouramis for a few weeks and they are ok.
Water quality is fine (zero nitrate, nitrite, amonia, and pH level is stable at 7.4). 25% water was changed just before I bought the DG.

Any ideas what this could be so I can find the correct treatment?

FL CommunityFans

No quarantine?

fionah

No, I'm afraid not. This is the only tank I have. Do I have to buy another tank, filter and heater now?

fionah

I have just got home from work and now the patch has definitely turned to cotton wool like bits that are sticking out. The fish is also not as active anymore. So this could be either columnaris or fungal?

I have put him in a small container just now and am about to head out to the pet shop.

Since the fish has already been in my main tank for the past 24 hours, I guess I have to treat my whole tank anyway, so is it really necessary for me to separate her out? (I'd have to buy a brand new tank, heater and filter which is quite expensive).

sirdarksol

Sounds like fungus to me.
If the other fish were healthy prior to exposure (low nitrates, low stress in the environment), they may be able to resist the fungus, or they may not.
I would suggest isolating the guorami, even though this is kind of expensive. Every creature is covered with beneficial flora, which is a fancy way of saying "we've got fungus on our skin." This fungus helps protect us from bacterial and even fungal infections. By treating a fish for a fungal infection, you potentially open them up for even worse infections. Of course, with a sick fish, you take that chance, but I would withhold treatment for the healthy tank mates until they show symptoms.

You can get a little aquarium kit for pretty cheap. You could also check Craigslist to look for cheap equipment. Several people around here have used the plastic 10g tubs you can buy at Walmart/Target/whatever as hospital tanks. They're not attractive, but they're cheap. If you can find a cheap/free filter and heater on Craigslist, you can get one of these and you'll be good.

One more important thing of note. There are certain meds that are not okay for Guoramis. I'm not sure if any of the fungicides are bad, but it's best to be safe. Like bettas, guoramis have a labyrinth organ, which allows them to breathe air when the water quality is bad. Some meds have something that attacks this organ, killing the fish. I'll post a request for info on the betta board to make sure you get a good med.

Lastly, don't forget to take the carbon out of your filters (if you use carbon) before medicating the tank. The carbon will soak the meds up otherwise.

Edit: I checked the betta board, and there was already a list of betta-safe meds. I suggest that you limit any primary treatments to stuff on this list. Stuff like "fungus-rid" are the meds you're looking for, I would think.
http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/be...etta-meds.html

Good luck

fionah

Thanks for this info. I will check the pet shop tonight for a cheap hospital tank and go with the Betta list. Though does that mean I don't have to treat my existing fish even though they were exposed? Is it only because the DG was stressed when I bought it yesterday?

If I cannot get a cheap tank tonight, can I just treat all the fish at once in the existing tank?

sirdarksol

I guarantee that the DG was stressed when it was living in the pet store. Shipping, crowding, constant traffic (don't forget kids tapping on the glass), and generic food goes a long way toward weakening a fish's immune system.
I would not treat the rest of the tank unless one of them starts showing symptoms, as well. Just get the DG in the hospital tank (which can, from this point forward, also act as a quarantine tank, which will help avoid these worries. ), and treat the hospital tank. Follow dosing instructions very carefully, and things should be good.

If a hospital tank is not feasible, you can treat all of the fish in the existing tank. If you do so, it would be smart to very carefully watch water parameters, do more water changes, and add some Stress Coat (or Prime, or Ultimate) to the water in order to help bolster the fish's immune systems against potential infection. Keep this up for a week or two after the end of medication. If you can find it, VitaChem would be a good addition, as well.

fionah

Just back from the pet shop. The tansk were £75 upwards which I cannot afford right now! Will def look out for a cheaper one for emergencies and quarantines for new fish in future.

Guess I will have no choice but to treat all my fish?

Managed to get some methalene Blue and aquarium salt. Will add the methylene blue to the whole tank, and the aquarium salt to DG in a small container.

fionah

I was going to leave my DG in a bucket with the salt water for a while but is there any point in this? Do they have to stay there for days at a time? This obviously isn't possible as I don't have a 2nd tank. Would a couple of hours in the bucket without a heater/filter be effective?

SereneReyn

i don't think that's a good idea, personally... he's already having a hard time fighting the disease, so adding stress to him with fluctuating temperatures and higher ammonia would indeed hurt him, rather than help him, imo... i would simply follow instructions for treating the entire tank (for anabantoids or whatever the betta type fish are called!) and also be aware of whether or not you have 'scaleless' fish in the tank.

fionah

Yes, I have corydoras so don't want to use the salt in there.
I have just read something about a salt dip instead, where the fish is put in a strong salt bath for about a minute.

SereneReyn

well, does it recommend to do both the salt and the medication? because it would seem to me like such a thing could easily be overdone... i might see how the medication alone works?

sirdarksol

Yeah, using the fungal treatment individually is out of the question, but salt dips are doable.
"To do this, take a couple of cups of the aquarium water in a small container and add half a teaspoon to one teaspoon of salt. Mix it well, then net the afflicted fish and lower it, still in the net, into the salt bath. If the fish shows signs of distress (thrashing about), remove it immediately and dilute the bath with additional water from the tank before trying again. You can leave the fish in the bath for up to two minutes, provided it does not show signs of distress. The dip can be repeated one to three times a day until the problem clears up."
From The Simple Guide to Freshwater Aquariums by David E. Boruchowitz

fionah

I tried the salt thing but my little fish got weaker after this and has since passed away

I think I will definitely set up a quarantine/hospital tank as I would like to try again with the DGs.

I would like to buy 2 more dwarf gouramis. What would be the smallest size quarantine tank I should set up for this? The smaller the better for me as I live in a small flat with barely any room as it is for my existing 65 litre tank!

sirdarksol

I would say five gallons. This is not a size that you would want to keep the little guys in for any length of time, but it would be an alright quarantine.
When you introduce them to the Q-tank, be sure to use media from your other tank's filter to quickly cycle the tank. Gourami are very susceptible to ammonia poisoning, in my experience.

COBettaCouple

I'd only use salt with gourami if it was extreme. The salt really can cause a dehyrdation type effect in them.