20 Gallon Tank Does my honey gourami have swim bladder

[fishguy34]

Hey everyone, I need some advice, I have a Honey Gourami that has been laying on his side at the bottom of the tank for a while,he is pale, but does get up to go to the top for air and swims around some then goes back down. From what all I've seen it seems like he has a deflated swim bladder. Any ideas??

 

[Fishfur]

I

Hey everyone, I need some advice, I have a Honey Gourami that has been laying on his side at the bottom of the tank for a while,he is pale, but does get up to go to the top for air and swims around some then goes back down. From what all I've seen it seems like he has a deflated swim bladder. Any ideas??

Welcome to Fishlore.

Sorry to hear about your gourami.

But it will really help us to help you if you’d fill out the emergency template.

 

[fishguy34]

Tank
What is the water volume of the tank? Holds 14 gallons
How long has the tank been running? 1 year
Does it have a filter? Yes HOB
Does it have a heater? Yes
What is the water temperature? 80 degrees
What is the entire stocking of this tank? 2 honey gouramis, 9 neon tetras(Please list all fish and inverts.)

Maintenance
How often do you change the water? 2-3 times a month
How much of the water do you change?20%, occasionally 50%
What do you use to treat your water? Fritz water conditioner, API Quick Start
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water? Vacuum substrate

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish? Yes
What do you use to test the water? Liquid test kit and test strips
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: <20
pH: 7.0-7.2

Feeding
How often do you feed your fish? 2 x day
How much do you feed your fish? Enough for approximately 30 secs - 1min to finish food
What brand of food do you feed your fish? Tetra fish flakes
Do you feed frozen? Frozen Brine shrimp
Do you feed freeze-dried foods? No

Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish? 1 year
How long ago did you first notice these symptoms? Approx 2 weeks
In a few words, can you explain the symptoms? Laying at bottom,pale color
Have you started any treatment for the illness? No, just have him in a tank by himself at the moment.
Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase? No
How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all? More pale in color,doesn't swim except to get air at top of tank,lays at the bottom otherwise.

Explain your emergency situation in detail.
(Please give a clear explanation of what is going on, include details from the beginning of the illness leading up to now) same as above symptoms,nothing else.

Include pictures

 

[Silverleaf209]

I would keep the tank very clean, it will improve this fishes chances of survival, does the honey gourami seem swollen? Or just discolored? I would add some indian almond leaves if you have any, this fish seems very stressed, the almond leaves might make it more comfortable.

 

[fishguy34]

Thanks for the quick response. The fish actually looks a bit smaller in size, thats why i thought the bladder might be deflated from what i read,definitely more pale in color, his yellow used to be brighter and he had the reddish orange color on his tail fin.I did a 50% water change this morning and vacuumed the substrate really well so everything should be good to go,should I put the fish back in that tank and add the almond leaves?
Also,should I boil the leaves to get the tannins out or not?

 

[Silverleaf209]

Thanks for the quick response. The fish actually looks a bit smaller in size, thats why i thought the bladder might be deflated from what i read,definitely more pale in color, his yellow used to be brighter and he had the reddish orange color on his tail fin.I did a 50% water change this morning and vacuumed the substrate really well so everything should be good to go,should I put the fish back in that tank and add the almond leaves?
Also,should I boil the leaves to get the tannins out or not?

No problem! The tannins are what will mainly help the fish, so in my opinion I wouldn't boil them. Is it possible to move him to a QT tank? I don't know how to help him if he has a deflated bladder, sorry . I would just try to keep him as comfortable as possible, if he becomes stressed it might make things a lot worse! I am a bit concerned that this might be an internal problem like you mentioned, if that is the case there usually isn't much you can do for the fish.

 

[fishguy34]

He's in a QT tank just so he isn't stressed out from the other fish. I'm just guessing it's swim bladder from what I looked up based on his appearance and how he's been acting, and I can't see any outward signs to know what,if any,meds I should treat him with. I appreciate your help.

 

[Silverleaf209]

He's in a QT tank just so he isn't stressed out from the other fish. I'm just guessing it's swim bladder from what I looked up based on his appearance and how he's been acting, and I can't see any outward signs to know what,if any,meds I should treat him with. I appreciate your help.

Np! That's good that he is separated, if you have aquarium salt you could try adding some, it will improve his gill function and might help boost his system.