Bloated dwarf gourami

HI All,

I have a dwarf gourami for about 8 months. From last 2 months I noticed a white kind of thing under his mouth, I thought it is a wound as I have a rainbow shark which chases the gourami once in a while. It started disappearing for a while, only to show up 3 weeks back. Now he has a similar thing near his dorsal fin. What is bothering is his stomach is getting bloated. He is eating and swimming normally, and his fins look ok. I treated him with fungus clear, thinking it is probably a bacteria infection, but that doesn't seem to help. Any ideas what is going on? Should I just leave him and keep the water extra clean, and hope he will be okay.

Thanks,
Alex.

 

Do you have any pics that you could post? What's his usual diet? Does he have any white and/or stringy poop?

If you suspect a bacterial infection, then you want an anti-biotic like Triple Sulfa rather than an anti-fungal like fungus clear.

 

btw, he regularly eats veggie flakes, tetramin flakes. I supplement him with freeze dried blood worms twice a week. Another thing I forgot to mention is there are lot of snails showing up recently. I use to pick them one by one, but they are too many now, about 10 small ones that I can count. The water parameters are good with 0/0/10-20.

 

He could be bloated from overeating if he's been eating snails. Also an all-dry diet can contribute to constipation.

I'd do anything I could to get rid of the snails and start him on a pea diet.. 3 pellet sized pieces of a thawed & peeled frozen pea twice a day. A day of that, then a day of fasting, then another days of the pea diet.

 

I noticed one thing about my fish when I give them any freeze dried food they get constipated. I now give them frozen food as a treat instead.

 

Thanks. I never imagined my fish would eat a snail :-(. I thought the only side effect of snails is increase in bio-load. I will get some snail killers, and start the diet you suggested. Going forward I should probably skip the freeze dried food as well. Let me try and will post how it goes.

 

After reading other threads on snail killers, I choose not to use chemicals to kill snails. I am crushing them when I see them, and reduced the snails considerably. Now, my problem is, I could not get my gourami to eat peas. He spends most of the time on top of the tank, and never goes to bottom in search of food. I tried dropping it straight in front of him, but he shows no interest in peas. He still eats flakes as usual, as it is floating. How can I get this finiky guy to eat peas. It seams tougher than feeding brocolI to my son .

 

try soaking it in garlic juice from a can of minced garlic.. he might eat it then.

 

Thanks Alessa, but it is not working either. Should I continue to starve him until he eats peas? If he doesn't eat peas at all, how long can I go before give up and give him flakes.

 

have u tried boiling the peas?

boil them, have the skin removed and mesh it up into a paste.
give bit by bit to the gourami.

most fishes will eat peas.

 

I couldn't try this as he passed away :-(. Thanks for all responses.

 

HI alexraj,

I am sorry to hear you lost him.
Keep your chin up.

 

I'm sorry that you lost him. It sounds like you did all that you could for him.

 

Info:
240 uk litre tank community. Heated, filtered (x2) and 24/7 air strip.
PH 7
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10-20 (using API liquid test).
Tank full cycled, and a year old.

Ok so I have a male DG, he's been in there for months and months. He's started to look bloated, is he a piggy fish and eating too much? Or is it something more sinister?





Looking down from above, there is *slight* pineconing of scaled around the tummy, no where else. So I'm hoping it's only the stretched stomach which is causing it.





Thank is advance for any help!

 

Hi, what are you feeding him and how much? Have you tried fasting him and/or tried giving him peas?

 

I've not gave him peas as yet. Fasted for a day and I don't see a difference, I'll try another few days. Into my tank I put a mixture throughout the week of frozen bloodworms, flakes, algae wafers and shrimp pellets. He (like the rest!) usually has a nibble of them all.

 

How many times a day do you feed and how much? I'd try at least a couple more days of fasting with peas and see if that helps.

 

Just the once, and a couple of pinches of flakes, plus a couple of shrimp pellets a day. (because I have corys)

 

Ok, then yeah maybe he's just being a piggy. See if the fasting and peas help.

 

I can think of two possibles causes :
- A wrong diet (to much proteine / to less algae / green food)
- First symptom of DGD (which I hope it is not).

 

It's my understanding that iridovirus is something which is contagious but with no other fish to pass the virus to the dg in not sure it could be...? The gourami has been in the tank since the start of the year, possibly into spring time but definitely at least 6 months. Shouldn't symptoms have shown by now?

Updated pics. I've read that green sheen can be velvet - can anyone confirm? Definitely pine cone now

 

I am afraid he can't be saved (sorry).

Don't know if it is velvet.

 

I am afraid he can't be saved (sorry).

Don't know if it is velvet.

Thanks DoubleDutch

All that's left is hope.

 

Thanks DoubleDutch

All that's left is hope.

Agree !

 

He's still here... No change, still eating, swimming, acting fine. Still pine coned and bloated.

I might try an Epsom salt bath? Can you do that with labyrinth fish?

 

Unfortunately, he stopped swimming, couldn't keep himself level and was laying on the bottom gasping. So I've done the kind thing and put him out of his misery. Rip gourami

 

Sorry for your loss.

 

Sorry !!!!

 

Hard to get a picture that shows it fully, but my dwarf gourami is looking very swollen/bloated, looks sick to me. Had him over a year and he's never looked like this. Thoughts? I don't know my illnesses particularly

 

And scales raising? Water levels? Hows he acting? He could be a victI'm of Dwarf Gourami disease as well.

 

Water levels seem fine, I've just done a 50% water change to be sure. No raised scales but definitely paler in colour than usual. Any chance he has over eaten?!?

 

Water levels seem fine, I've just done a 50% water change to be sure. No raised scales but definitely paler in colour than usual. Any chance he has over eaten?!?

What do you feed? How many other fish in there? Could be or could be DG disease.

 

I feed small pellets. I am wondering about over feeding as I just noticed 2 tetra fry in my tank, I am wondering if it's possible he's feasted on a clutch of these? Not sure how likely this is.

 

I feed small pellets. I am wondering about over feeding as I just noticed 2 tetra fry in my tank, I am wondering if it's possible he's feasted on a clutch of these? Not sure how likely this is.

Could be possible, what type of fish is in there and how many though?

 

I've 3 Corey's, 5 tetra and these 2 fry, which as I say I spotted for the first time this morning

 

I've 3 Corey's, 5 tetra and these 2 fry, which as I say I spotted for the first time this morning

Yeah they could have been a snack, try looking for them.

 

HI it seems like my fire dwarf gourami looks very different today. It has quite a bit of a bloated belly compared to everyone else and is not moving as much as usual. Please see pictures. What could this be??? I tested and water parameters normal apart from gh being closer to 180

 

Looks a little bloated . May just need to not be feed for a day or two

 

Looks a little bloated . May just need to not be feed for a day or two

I hope that's all it is

 

If push comes to shove feed him deshelled peas