Found dwarf gourami stuck in an ornament!

I found my male dwarf gourami stuck in an ornament this morning. He was dull colored and I thought he was dead so I I tried to free his body only to find out he was still alive. I pushed his head a bit under water and I gently pulled his tail fin and I released him.

I has a wound at the place where the back fin starts (so between the head and the back fin).


He looks very dull shaped but his beheavior is alright. What can I do to make sure he is going to survive? And will he remember this so that he won't do this again?

 

His side fins are also damaged.

 

Awww Poor Gourami!
The best you can do is keep his stress level down keep the water extra clean.
Vita-chem, Fish Protector and Garlic guard are all good for helping the immune system and healing.

I'd replace the ornament or plug up any holes.

Good luck!

 

Awww Poor Gourami!
The best you can do is keep his stress level down keep the water extra clean.
Vita-chem, Fish Protector and Garlic guard are all good for helping the immune system and healing.

I'd replace the ornament or plug up any holes.

Good luck!

I'm sorry but I do not have the products you listed. I do have dechlorinator.

My gourami is behaving pretty weird. He condtantly faces his face towards the water surface and he isn't moving much or hiding either.

Also both his dorsal or sidd find are damaged. Will this heal? His colors are back and he doesn't look dead like before and he isn't interested in food.

I also touched my fish underwater. Did this harm his slime layer?

 

I would do a water change of maybe 30%, remove the ornament he got stuck in, and look in to getting one of the products you don't have that have been suggested. Dechlorinator just helps keep tap water dechlorinated.

 

Can you attach a picture of him?

Anybody else in the tank acting weird? Water parameters? When did you get him, and when did you first notice he was acting weird?

 

Perhaps there is something similar where you live.
Rather than garlic guard a few drops of garlic juice can be added.
Vita-chem is a fishy vitamin.
Here is a link to Fish Protector that explains what it does.
!

The black could be a sign of stress but it could also mean internal bleeding.
It's hard to tell at this point.

I wouldn't worry about food right now. An injured or stressed fish may not be interested in food.

He's a labyrinth fish and needs to get to the top for air. A tall soft plant that he can rest on might help as well.

Can you attach a picture of him?

Anybody else in the tank acting weird? Water parameters? When did you get him, and when did you first notice he was acting weird?

The fish got stuck in an ornament

 

The fish got stuck in an ornament

Ah okay, I misunderstood. I thought he was sick first and then got stuck in an ornament because he was too weak to get out.

 

Ah okay, I misunderstood. I thought he was sick first and then got stuck in an ornament because he was too weak to get out.

He is not really weak but I think he can only swim forward and not backwards. The hole is small and only his head fits and his body obviously didn't.

Perhaps there is something similar where you live.
Rather than garlic guard a few drops of garlic juice can be added.
Vita-chem is a fishy vitamin.
Here is a link to Fish Protector that explains what it does.
!

The black could be a sign of stress but it could also mean internal bleeding.
It's hard to tell at this point.

I wouldn't worry about food right now. An injured or stressed fish may not be interested in food.

He's a labyrinth fish and needs to get to the top for air. A tall soft plant that he can rest on might help as well.



The fish got stuck in an ornament

His colors are back exept for the gill/mouth tegion that is still black.

He is currently resting on a leaf. I do not know how to post pictures unfortunataly.

Can you attach a picture of him?

Anybody else in the tank acting weird? Water parameters? When did you get him, and when did you first notice he was acting weird?

Well he has always bin a shy one and he isn't a big eater either but I do not think tjis has anything to do with a disease or something.

I would do a water change of maybe 30%, remove the ornament he got stuck in, and look in to getting one of the products you don't have that have been suggested. Dechlorinator just helps keep tap water dechlorinated.

Thanks I'm going to do a water change. The ornament is a ceramic tube that resembles a branch. It has a three holes in it two big ones and a smaller one. I'll place the orbament in a way that the small hole will be on top facing the surface.

 

Felix, don't worry about getting sold in US fish products.

Most probably, you have just as good if not better stuff in Netherlands. Look for Meds that aid wounded fish - bruised, frayed or thorn fins, missing scales, etc. if you have a choice, choose the kind that does not interfere with the nitrogen cycle, does not kill plants, etc.

One thing I learned the hard way, do not overdose. With fish Meds, "a little bit extra" hurts, not heals. Just as with humans, 2 Tylenols will make you headache go away, 20 can destroy your liver.

Also, since he has been wounded, his immune system has been compromised, try to get him some fish vitamins and keep the water clean. I would not turn the tank lights on for a long time, as he will rest better in the dark.

Good luck to you and your poor gourami.

 

Felix, don't worry about getting sold in US fish products.

Most probably, you have just as good if not better stuff in Netherlands. Look for Meds that aid wounded fish - bruised, frayed or thorn fins, missing scales, etc. if you have a choice, choose the kind that does not interfere with the nitrogen cycle, does not kill plants, etc.

One thing I learned the hard way, do not overdose. With fish Meds, "a little bit extra" hurts, not heals. Just as with humans, 2 Tylenols will make you headache go away, 20 can destroy your liver.

Also, since he has been wounded, his immune system has been compromised, try to get him some fish vitamins and keep the water clean. I would not turn the tank lights on for a long time, as he will rest better in the dark.

Good luck to you and your poor gourami.

Well it's not that he is bleeding or his tissue is damaged, by him being wounded I mean that his pectoral fins are heavily damaged and his dorsal fin is also damaged.

So there is no blood and no open wounds. I still want to know if his fins will heal.

 

I still want to know if his fins will heal.

There is no way we can say 100% certain that they will.
We can only guide you to increase the chances that they might heal and reduce the chances of infection.

Other than what has been mentioned above I'm not sure there is much else you can do.

 

Large and frequent water changes does wonders for damaged fins. I've had guppies' and a gourami with torn fins grow back in 2 weeks' time by doing just that.

 

I will keep uo with my water changes. My gourami acts pretty normal now so I think it looked worse than it actually was.

 

Crossing fingers.
Please keep us updated.

 

Crossing fingers.
Please keep us updated.

His fins are still wrecked but he is doing great and his appetite returned. He is still anle to swim but if his fins do not heal is there anything I can do then?

 

When you say he is unable to swim, what is he doing?
Is he upright?

 

When you say he is unable to swim, what is he doing?
Is he upright?

He is able to swim but he iften hangs at one spot looking at the water surface.

 

Ok. Give it time. You are doing what you can by keeping the water clean.