View Full Version : HELP! I think my dwarf Gourami is dying
ryanj
06-26-2009, 05:58 AM
I just got a blue dwarf gourami a few days ago. Ever since I have had him has been swiming and floating with his head up higher than the rear of him. Today I came home from work and found him lying in the sand. He hasent moved in a few hours. All my other fish are doing fine (5 zebra danio and 1 upside down catfish.) I just tested my water a few days ago and everything was right where they should be. Is my fish dying and if so what can I do?
What are you paramets?
What is your W/C?
How long has the tank been running.
Sorry to say, but it sounds like he is on the way out. Is there any different things on your body?
Northernguy
06-26-2009, 06:02 AM
How did you cycle the tank or is it cycling right now?
You should get yourself a good test kit.You should get your water tested again.
When was your last water change?
robnepper
06-26-2009, 06:07 AM
Pretty general question. We need more info.
How big is the tank?
How long has the tank been fully cycled?
How did you acclimate the fish?
What were the actual test numbers?
Did you do your research on the fish and do you know how to select a healthy one from a store?
Are there any visible signs of illness physically?
Those are just some of the questions. It is very hard, sometimes to do anything for these guys. You buy them and you think they are healthy, but maybe they underwent a terminal amount of stress while being shipped. Maybe they arrived at the store diseased and already dying. Not to mention that dwarf gouramis are known to be finicky this way. They usually do well in a mature tank if you acclimate them properly, but it's always a roll of the dice.
Yes with more info we can help out with your fish.
Sound to me you have a problem.
mac
ryanj
06-26-2009, 03:35 PM
Ok my tank is 20 gallons and has been completly cycled for about 4 weeks now. I do 20% water changes every week. My water had 0 amonia 0 nitrates and about .5ppm nitrites. My water is fairly hard and I have a ph of about 8.0.
jackson17
06-26-2009, 03:41 PM
Ok my tank is 20 gallons and has been completly cycled for about 4 weeks now. I do 20% water changes every week. My water had 0 amonia 0 nitrates and about .5ppm nitrites. My water is fairly hard and I have a ph of about 8.0.
Are you sure its completely cycled? Or did you mix up nitrates and nitrites.
Nitrates- are ''good'', less harmful to fish
Nitrites- less harmful then ammonia, but bad
ryanj
06-26-2009, 04:34 PM
Are you sure its completely cycled? Or did you mix up nitrates and nitrites.
Nitrates- are ''good'', less harmful to fish
Nitrites- less harmful then ammonia, but bad
I'm positive its cycled. and no I didn't get them mixed up.
poor thing. he's a goner:scry:
rich311k
06-26-2009, 04:45 PM
If you are showing nitirtes and showing no nitrates and it has been only 4 weeks. It is very possible the cycle is nopt finished. the nitrites should be 0. Unless your heavily planted there should be nitrates as well.
jackson17
06-26-2009, 04:56 PM
I'm positive its cycled. and no I didn't get them mixed up.
Well you can't be cycled then, because 5ppm of nitrite is a lot, and a fully cycled tank would have no nitrite, and some nitrate. I don't think your cycle ever got completed. You might be in the 2nd half of a cycle. When ammonia gets converted, but the nitrite is not. Do a water change to bring down the nitrites, its what is probably stressing your fish out. Nitrites are bad, and if your showing any your either cycling still or in a mini cycle. My guess is your still cycling because you have no nitrates.
thrakuarium
06-26-2009, 05:49 PM
Regardless of whether you are fully cycled, if you have only had the gourami for a few days its more likely he was not healthy in the first place. Hopefully the store you got him from has a return policy. If he is on the bottom he is in trouble. Gourami are anabantids and have to get air from the surface. They still process water through the gills but are not nearly as sensitive to cycling as fish that depend 100% on water for their oxygen. If you are showing nitrites it is probably a result off the tank trying to rebalance after you added more fish. You may have enough bacteria to process the ammonia but not enough of the secondary bacteria to process the nitrites. If you have a bacteria booster (cycle,safe start,stability) dose your tank for a few days.
PostalPenguin
06-27-2009, 04:37 AM
I agree with thrakuarium, I dont think the fish trouble is due to the slight nitrites. Your tank is likely cycled and the small amount of nitrites is just the biofilter catching up. The ammonia processing bacteria I have found to grow very fast but the nitrite to nitrate bacteria slow growers at best.
I would take the fish back to the store anyways.
How are you acclimating the fish?
jackson17
06-27-2009, 04:40 AM
I agree with thrakuarium, I dont think the fish trouble is due to the slight nitrites. Your tank is likely cycled and the small amount of nitrites is just the biofilter catching up. The ammonia processing bacteria I have found to grow very fast but the nitrite to nitrate bacteria slow growers at best.
I would take the fish back to the store anyways.
How are you acclimating the fish?
But isn't it weird he is showing no nitrates? I would think at least with the cycled tank it should show some...right?
Sarkazmo
06-27-2009, 03:04 PM
But isn't it weird he is showing no nitrates? I would think at least with the cycled tank it should show some...right?
No, that's not weird. Like what's already been said, it's probably a result of adding more fish and the biofilter trying to catch up.
Likely the poor fish is doomed but it probably was due to something that was already a problem before the fish was purchased.
Sark
jackson17
06-27-2009, 03:49 PM
No, that's not weird. Like what's already been said, it's probably a result of adding more fish and the biofilter trying to catch up.
Sark
I understand the biofilter trying to catch up, but there still should be some nitrates from the nitrite converting bacteria right?
If he has even some nitrite-> nitrate converting bacteria, there should be some nitrates, even if its not a high amount.
Wetpets
06-27-2009, 04:32 PM
I think you're dead centre between the amonia and Nitrite Curve (Amonia dropping and Nitirite rising). Fits in with 4 weeks as well - depending on filtration and water treatment... Sounds like a case of mid-cycle to me...
You could get some bacterial culture from your LFS or a proprietry treatment... If the fish is still alive you could do big water changes daily (25%+) and cut back on feeding for a few days...
Don't know what else to suggest...
Wetpets
06-27-2009, 04:33 PM
If your other fish are fine, try giving the Gourami a salt bath... (edit) as a last resort.
Arouse
06-29-2009, 11:39 PM
Other than the whole cycling issue . . .
I recently had a dwarf gourami acting similarly, actually 2 out of 3 in a tank, and they also started to darken along their backs, right behind their heads and a bit down their sides. After a useless treatment of tetracycline for body slime recommended by LFS, I did more reading and found a virus that affects gourami and causes these symptoms. Adding salt improved their behavior briefly. The information I found said fatality would occur in the first 2 days, but my fish died after about a week. The third gourami in the tank is still happy and healthy, as are all of the other inhabitants. It's unknown if the virus is contagious to other fish species.
Good luck!
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