Gourami swimming backwards and erratic

[Skrabbitskrabbit]

Hey all, I’m wondering if anyone has seen this happen and if my fish will recover.

Honey gourami (1 of 7) has been swimming erratically for 36-48 hours now. After careful observation I figured out he’s only swimming backwards and turning sideways in sudden jerks (90-180 degree turns). He seems to be unable to swim where he wants to (forward) and instead keeps getting himself stuck like a video game character that keeps running into the wall but backwards. Including getting stuck inside a cave for hours at a time.

Is this permanent or can he be helped? I feel like he must have somehow recently sustained neurological damage.

 

[Fishfur]

Hey all, I’m wondering if anyone has seen this happen and if my fish will recover.

Honey gourami (1 of 7) has been swimming erratically for 36-48 hours now. After careful observation I figured out he’s only swimming backwards and turning sideways in sudden jerks (90-180 degree turns). He seems to be unable to swim where he wants to (forward) and instead keeps getting himself stuck like a video game character that keeps running into the wall but backwards. Including getting stuck inside a cave for hours at a time.

Is this permanent or can he be helped? I feel like he must have somehow recently sustained neurological damage.

It does sound like a neurological issue. However it happened, there is no way to predict how it might turn out.

He may have sustained some kind of head injury but it could be due to something we can never see from a congenital defect to a parasite or some kind.

If the fish is able to eat it might be wise to wait, maybe put it in QT so it won’t get stuck anywhere but if it can’t eat that’s more challenging.

He can go a week or two without eating but if there was no improvement by that time I would be giving serious consideration to humane euthanasia. I am very sorry to say so but I’d wait to see if it does imply for a bit at least.

There is no treatment other than excellent husbandry and a few extra water changes never hurt.

 

[Skrabbitskrabbit]

Okay thanks. I’m definitely worried about the eating part, as it doesn’t seem like he can figure out how to get to the food but he has been able to make it to the surface. I’ll keep hoping for the best as I have had the guy for a year now and he had been doing great until now.

 

[Fishfur]

Sometimes bad things happen. Always sucks when they do.

 

[Skrabbitskrabbit]

His condition worsened despite being in an isolation box in the tank so poor guy was dispatched today. Thankfully my husband took care of that part since he has more of a stomach for it than I do.

 

[Fishfur]

His condition worsened despite being in an isolation box in the tank so poor guy was dispatched today. Thankfully my husband took care of that part since he has more of a stomach for it than I do.

My sincere condolences. It’s never easy when you have to send them on their last journey.