Dwarf Gouramis with mouth rot?

[stardotstar]

I have lost a DG from what looked like the result of a fight and getting bitten on the mouth. The mouth quite suddenly looked like it had open flesh exposed on one side and quite a chunk taken off. The fish died quite quickly.

Thinking it was from a fight I didn't take any further action and yet now I notice that one of the others has a smaller instance of the same thing.

It really just looks like the lips and mouth are rotting back - very ugly and distressing to see.

The only medication I have on hand is a general "mulit-purpose" one that makes the water almost solid green.

Neither of the armoured cat fish have shown these symptoms ever and have been in the tank for a lot longer than the 5 DG's...

Should I dose this tank>??>

What could this be? I googled mouth rot and found some references but none seem to describe what I have.

Regards,
Will

The tank has an established bio cycle, nil or negligable N02 and NH, pH 6.8 and gets 1/4 w/c weekly... It is a small 2' or 60L tank...

[Lady Hobbs]

You need a fungual medication which also turns the water green as yours does but do you know what kind you have? It must say something. However, even what you have is most likely better than nothing. Your tank is too small for catfish. Infact, it's too small for 5 gourami's.

[stardotstar]

thanks hobbs, yeah I know its small. The cats are very small - don't seem to be growing and I have been combating the confinement with very careful water changes and filter management.

Looks like it doesn't matter now anyway - I took one DC to the shop where I got them - it is a virus apparently and they lost all the stock. Just today another one showed symptoms and the one I mentioned earlier has crashed and died.

I have been recommended to euthanise them, since eventually they will all crash and die, so I decided not to prolong their suffering (it did look nasty) - I bagged them and put them in the freezer.

Its sad and I feel quite bad about it. They were lovely coral blue specimens but I also couldn't bare to see the open wounds on the mouth and the one on the top of the head.

I guess what is done is done now - the shop owner told me that anti fungal or bacterial would not help and it was too late for the one I showed him as well.

Thanks for the advice and your points. I think I will move my two gold fish to this 2' tank eventually and concentrate on my 110 Gallon.

Regards,
Will