I think my gourami is being bullied...what are the signs??

Hi, just recently I've noticed a change in my dwarf gourami. He looks more grayish on top than he usually does and I've also noticed what looks like a bruise under his left eye and another on his left side near his belly. Is this a sign that he has been bullied or could it be the start of another disease? I've also noticed that he only stays in one area of the tank....usually he is swimming around the whole of the tank. He won't even come to the glass to greet me as he usually does. Its almost like he doesn't want me to see him up close. He is in a community tank with 2 other pearl gourami, but I rarely see any of the gourami attack one another. I also have a red tail shark in the tank, could he be the culprit....he likes to rule! I have already lost one of my dwarf gourami to something unexplainable....he was fine in the morning...dead that night. Really don't want to lose another. What other symptoms of bullying should I look out for?

 

HI branjosh welcome to FishLore!!

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Good luck!

 

Thanks Lucy, have now done so. My dwarf gourami didn't want to eat tonight and is now not swimming around at all. He'll occasionally go up for air and then go right down to the bottom of the tank and stay hidden behind one of the rocks. I can't even get a good look at him to see if there has been anymore changes. Am working on getting my water readings right and have done another water change today but it doesn't seem to have changed anything. Also have been treating the tank for ich...have done 3 treatments. All other fish look fine. Can DG be sensitive to ich treatment?

 

It looks like hes effected by an uncycled tank ...I would do daily water changes with your prime, until the tank is cycled...turn up your temps to 84F and do a few gravel vacs weekly...that will help get rid of the ich...good luck!

 

Sadly my dwarf gourami died today. It was my second dwarf gourami death in 2 weeks, which leads me to believe that both of them possibly succumb to the Dwarf Gourami disease called Iridovirus. Was reading up on the symptoms and what was stated was pretty much everything my DG was going through. He went off his food, he became very shy, he stayed at the bottom of the tank, he then became quite lethargic and only occasionally came up for air. His breathing was very rapid and laboured, his belly was slightly swollen and was leaning to one side, he developed two ulcers, (which at first I thought was bruising from being bullied) and had a discoloured patch of skin on top of his head. It also mentioned that once one DG develops the virus, it's not unusual for the second DG to succumb to the same virus a few weeks later. Unfortunately DG are delicate and prone to diseases with one theory being that they are raised in antibiotic laden ponds where they all infect one another but don't succumb to the symptoms yet. However, once they are moved to a pet store, the antibiotic effect fades away and bacteria begins to take over. Their immune systems really don't stand a chance. Sadly, I don't think I will be replacing my DG....can't bear to see them suffer like that.