Gourami

[hungryhound]

I'm not too sure what we're dealing with, so hopefully someone here will be able to ID whatever it is we have and give us a suggested.

To start with, we have a 46g planted community tank with Co@ injection (inhabitants are in the sig). We've had no problems with aggression, other than within species (usually the Gouramis). Tonight my husband noticed that one of the Gourami's is looking a little rough (it looks like the fins have been nipped, as you'll see in the first picture). He does get chased, but then he turns around and chases another Gourami. Their are plenty of retreat places in the tank, and the Gouramis use them well.

This then brings me to the next problem (same Gourami). While looking at the fins, I noted what is possible a cut up around the mouth. I was able to get some good pictures (it was like he decided to pose) and those are the other two you see below. I'm not sure whether this is just a simple cut or something more serious.

While we've both had an active role in deciding what goes in the tank, the Gourami's were my choice and have quickly become my favorite (not sure if it's the shower they great me with every time I open the top of the tank or just the way they move through). ANy help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

[Chrona]

I think the fin nipping is just an unfortunate side effect of having 2 males in the same tank, although 46 gallons should be plenty for them to spread out. Just keep an eye on it and add some Melafix to speed up the fin healing if you have any.

As for the cut lip, I'm not sure. I could swear my dwarf gourami has the same shape and everything, so maybe I'm just not seeing it.

[hungryhound]

I think the fin nipping is just an unfortunate side effect of having 2 males in the same tank, although 46 gallons should be plenty for them to spread out. Just keep an eye on it and add some Melafix to speed up the fin healing if you have any.

As for the cut lip, I'm not sure. I could swear my dwarf gourami has the same shape and everything, so maybe I'm just not seeing it.

We don't have any Melafix, but can defiantly get some tomorrow. I did add a dosage of stress coat so hopefully that will hold everything until tomorrow. We actually have 3 male Dwarf Flame Gouramis in the tank (we've had them for over a month now) and this is the first sign of any fin damage we've seen...hopefully they get this out of their system.

Yea, I'm not sure about the area around the lip either....the other two Gouramis don't have this. My husband is describing it more like a fat lip...

[kimmers318]

Don't take this the wrong way, but can you give us some info on your tank maintenance? IME gourami aggression is usually not as bad as they try to make it look. The fin damage I see is minimal, didn't notice anything on the mouth, but I can tell you from experience that gourami are highly susceptible to nitrates, and being susceptible to it they could be experiencing some damage due to water parameters. If you have a test kit, can you give us readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrates?
Another thing I have had good success with is using stresscoat to help boost their natural ability to heal. When used at the dosages recommended on the bottle for healing damaged skin/fins it seems to work. I had an albino cory who got chewed up by someone, not sure who, and all I used is stresscoat after she was transferred to another tank where I could observe her closer. I have been using the pump bottle of stress coat for so long I don't remember what the dosages are for a regular bottle. 1 squirt per 2 gal for dechlorination, 1 squirt per gal for damage. You can also squirt it directly on the fish if you can call him up to the top. Hubbys oscars will swim thru the trail of stresscoat when I put it in their tank so it must at least feel good for the fish.....kinda like putting some nice lotion on your dry cracked sore hands.

[hungryhound]

Don't take this the wrong way, but can you give us some info on your tank maintenance?

No offense taken. I will go check them after I finish this post. I can tell you that the pH is at 7.6 as I have been monitoring that every 12 hours to see if my new DIY co2 was working.


IME gourami aggression is usually not as bad as they try to make it look. The fin damage I see is minimal,

That is good to hear. It didn't look horrible, but it was all new in the past 24 hours. I did notice that it was on the smallest gourami, so it may be that the others are simply picking on the runt.


didn't notice anything on the mouth,

The mouth is much harder to see and I don't think that the picture does it justice. I tried to examine it more since i put up this post and the best way I can describe it is that the fish has a fat lip on one side. The two sides of the mouth are not symmetrical and it looks like it is starting to bleed now. There was a small red dot on the puffy portion.



but I can tell you from experience that gourami are highly susceptible to nitrates, and being susceptible to it they could be experiencing some damage due to water parameters. If you have a test kit, can you give us readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrates?

Will get on that in a second, but wanted to respond to you first. I will be surprised if we have high nitrates as it is a planted tank and judging by the shape of my plants I would believe I am lacking nitrates instead of haivng an over abundance.




Another thing I have had good success with is using stresscoat to help boost their natural ability to heal. When used at the dosages recommended on the bottle for healing damaged skin/fins it seems to work. I had an albino cory who got chewed up by someone, not sure who, and all I used is stresscoat after she was transferred to another tank where I could observe her closer. I have been using the pump bottle of stress coat for so long I don't remember what the dosages are for a regular bottle. 1 squirt per 2 gal for dechlorination, 1 squirt per gal for damage. You can also squirt it directly on the fish if you can call him up to the top. Hubbys oscars will swim thru the trail of stresscoat when I put it in their tank so it must at least feel good for the fish.....kinda like putting some nice lotion on your dry cracked sore hands.

Allready added and it was dumped on the fish as our gouramis like to come up to the top and spit water at us when we open the lid.

now to go check the paramaters

[hungryhound]

okay I checked the parameters.

Ammonia = 0 ppm
Nitrites = 0 ppm
Nitrates = 10 ppm

Kh and GH were done on sunday

GH = 12
kH = 5