Gourami looks like scales falling off?

About a week ago I noticed a small gray spot on the head of my red gourami, I checked all water parameters and they were fine so I thought maybe he bumped into a decoration and got hurt. A day or two later I noticed there was a red streak inside the spot so I decided to do a water change and I treated the tank with pimafix, thinking maybe it was fungal. He was still eating and acting normal.

Monday he started sitting at the bottom of the tank and refusing to eat so yesterday I did another water change and treated with maracyn plus, thinking maybe it is bacterial. Today he tried to eat but could not seem to "find" the food, if that makes sense. Now he is rocking back and forth and side to side at the bottom of the tank. He is the only fish in the tank displaying any kind of symptom, and I don't really have anywhere to move him.

No new additions lately, tank has been set up since February, water parameters - ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5. Ph 7.4

 

Hello Christine,

Hopefully you will receive some responses today!

Red streaks are usually a sign of hemorrhagic septicemia:


Even though the link above states Goldfish, no fish is immune to this disease.

Let's get more responses.

Best wishes for your fish.

Ken

 

My gourami didn't make it. The angels in my tank started showing signs of tail rot shortly after I posted this a few days ago. I checked the ph level again and it was at (or below) 6.0 so I'm wondering if that might have had something to do with it?

I have plants and driftwood in the tank. Not many plants, but I added two a few weeks ago. One of the plants was not doing well at all, and I ended up tossing it because it looked awful. This is my first attempt at a planted tank so I am still learning, but from what I read here, I am wondering if they started my ph crash by leeching all the good stuff from the water because they weren't getting enough nutrients.

I tested the kh and it was low (only had test strips) so I decided to add some plant fertilizer. I have done several small water changes trying to raise the ph and it is back up to about 6.8 now, we will see if it holds steady with the fertilizer. I had to up to 7.0 Friday night, but didn't get the fertilizer until today and it was back down to 6.4.

I just hope I am on the right track. I lost a tank full of fish before to something I believe may have been columnaris and I don't want to go through that again.

 

I don't think a low PH would be the cause. I believe that gourami naturally come from a low PH environment.

 

DG are weak to bacterial,viral and most other infections. Very prone. With all do respect, with 1 DG, 1 thick lip and 3 angles. I wonder if one of the angles didnt pop him in the head. Or if your thick lip is just a DG. Gourami and angles in general are a basic no.

I'm sorry for your loss. I would have recommended euthanasia anyways, just due to how weak they are to the issue and how rough it is to treat it, way more stress on the fish then called for.

 

Thanks for the responses, I appreciate the help.

I don't know if it is the ph that is affecting the fish, more so the alkalinity, which does cause gill and tissue damage, or so I read in a link someone posted somewhere else. It's just I think the ph is affecting the alkalinity or vice versa, not quite sure but they are related from what I was reading.

The angels are just babies, no bigger than a half dollar if that, they were my last addition to the tank to prevent bullying and territory issues. The gouramis were actually quite peaceful with each other and their tank mates and I really don't think my thick lip is a DG. I get my fish from a very reputable store and have been going there for years and have never had an issue. If anything I would say he scraped on a decoration in the tank.

I am not sure why you say gourami and angels are a no, there are certain types of gouramis that are more aggressive than others, but some gourami are very peaceful fish and the angels are not as territorial if they are not given the chance to claim the tank. I know several people who keep angels and did a lot of research before I added them.

 

Thanks for the responses, I appreciate the help.

I don't know if it is the ph that is affecting the fish, more so the alkalinity, which does cause gill and tissue damage, or so I read in a link someone posted somewhere else. It's just I think the ph is affecting the alkalinity or vice versa, not quite sure but they are related from what I was reading.

The angels are just babies, no bigger than a half dollar if that, they were my last addition to the tank to prevent bullying and territory issues. The gouramis were actually quite peaceful with each other and their tank mates and I really don't think my thick lip is a DG. I get my fish from a very reputable store and have been going there for years and have never had an issue. If anything I would say he scraped on a decoration in the tank.

I am not sure why you say gourami and angels are a no, there are certain types of gouramis that are more aggressive than others, but some gourami are very peaceful fish and the angels are not as territorial if they are not given the chance to claim the tank. I know several people who keep angels and did a lot of research before I added them.

High in alkalinity would mean you have a high ph.

 

Lack of alkalinity in the water, ph below 7.0, water is acidic. That is what I meant.

 

Lack of alkalinity in the water, ph below 7.0, water is acidic. That is what I meant.

lol ok.

According to wikipedia "Dwarf gouramis from Singapore may carry dwarf gourami iridovirus. Recent research has shown that 22% of Singapore Trichogaster lalius carry this virus".

I also agree with Sol above, there is a greater chance that it's got an infection of some sort. Gourami experience low PH in the wild, they can handle it.

 

Angles can be rather aggressive, id at least tag them a semI aggressive. Since gourami tend to be very colorful fish and get their panties in a bunch when other pretty fish are around, same for angles, they don't get a long well in general.

 

Now, Dwarf gourami simply don't do well with angles, please don't say yours did, because your dwarf was sick, which changes the playing field.

I don't know where you heard this from, or how you know my fish didn't do well. Sure, he was sick in the end, but even when he wasn't, they got along. These are very young angel fish, I have not seen any signs of aggression in them toward any of my fish and the gourami I lost was definitely bigger than my biggest angel fish. My molly picked on the gourami after he became sick but other than that, no one really bothers anyone. It's a nice size tank with plenty of room for everyone to get a long nicely or retreat to their respective hiding spots wehn they want to be left alone. I watch them a lot both with lights on and off, I think I would've seen some sign of aggression if that were the case.

Angel fish are really only aggressive if they are breeding and split off into pairs or if they are given a chance to claim an area of the tank and then you add new tank mates. Fish Lore even lists Dwarf Gourami as "compatible tank mates" for angelfish and has angels characterized as "generally peaceful fish."

Angelfish Compatible Tank Mates : Jump to profiles of fish that could potentially be kept with this fish:
Pleco, Blue Gourami, Dwarf Gourami, Larger Tetras, Bala Shark

Angelfish Temperament / Behavior : Generally peaceful, but can be aggressive eaters and may become territorial while breeding.

https://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-Angelfish.htm


I really am just trying to keep my fish healthy and learn about the water parameters beyond nitrite, nitrate, ammonia and ph. I have dosed with meds that didn't help, and now my angels are losing their tails. I don't want to get into a debate over whether or not my fish was picked on or whether my tank mates are compatible, I'm quite sure they are fine there.

I admit, I didn't know a lot about adding the plants, which I believe is where everything may have started, but I geared toward angels as my main fish and went with those that would get along best with them. I added the angels last so they wouldn't have territory issues, and they don't.

 

I thought I reworded that, I'm sorry. What I meant to say was that the angles and dwarfs don't get along well because of the dwarf aggression and the angles tendency to stick up for themselves or be aggressive on their own. For dwarfs they get more aggressive as the settle in, you may not have seen it because he got sick or, there were no physical signs. Ive been amazed by how many times fish have been bullied, and only when mom/dad(us) arnt looking. I have seen an angle in a 75gal tank kill a honey. Being one of the more peaceful gourami, that was unexpected. When stocking cichlids, of any kind(with the exception of maybe dwarfs) and when stocking gourami random aggression snaps may happen, fish get a long great, then one ticks the other off and they scuffle real quick.

Saying that gourami and angles are generally not a great 2 fish to stock together is a valid statement. Particularly since its normally a Dwarf, kissing, 3spot etch.

As for how they are listed on here, I didnt make nor have input on any of that. And, ive seen quite a few instances where older members of the forum(being here longer) have pointed out flaws in profiles.

 

I've notice errors on some of the profiles as well.