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Sick Gourami - Help!

LancsRick

LancsRick

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Joined
18 Apr 2012
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682
Came down this morning to find one of my 4 Honey Gouramis appears ill.

The other 3 are absolutely fine in appearance and movement. No other sick fish/inverts in the tank.

The "sick" one appears bloated, in a uniform manner (not just a sphere on the lower abdomen), and has developed a "fat chin", with an additional curve from the front of the pelvic/ventral fin up to the mouth (think of a fat person!). It's the swelling under the chin which has got me really confused, since surely that doesn't tie in with either swim bladder or gut issues?

It is still able to swim, and has been going up to the surface, and has some level of swim control since it's still upright. That said, its swimming appears quite "lazy". Slight loss of colour intensity over the body of the fish.

I've dosed with Melafix this morning as a precaution. Fish diet is flake, pellets, blanched cucumber, and once a week frozen bloodworm.

Any and all suggestions welcome please, would like to give the little fella the best chance I can!
 
Do the scales have a "pine cone" appearance on the body. Fluid retention in tissues can indicate dropsy and scales falling off or looking odd on the body are another symptom.

The unfortunate thing with Dropsy is once noticed physically it has often damaged the internal organs and treatments aren't very effective.

Hopefully your treatment works!

Andy
 
Melafix can cause problems with gouramies and other fish with a labyrinth organ:

http://www.fish-as-pets.com/2008/12/mel ... -fish.html

Totally agree with Andy's comments on dropsy -- it's more of a symptom than a disease and the prognosis is usually poor because it often indicates some chronic internal failure that means the fish can't maintain the correct fluid balance.
 
It wasn't pine cone'd this morning (checked for that), but I'll see what it's like this evening.

Poor fella, hope he pulls through.
 
san-ho-zay said:
Melafix can cause problems with gouramies and other fish with a labyrinth organ:

http://www.fish-as-pets.com/2008/12/mel ... -fish.html

Totally agree with Andy's comments on dropsy -- it's more of a symptom than a disease and the prognosis is usually poor because it often indicates some chronic internal failure that means the fish can't maintain the correct fluid balance.
Click to expand...

Yep usually the kidney's or liver.

Andy
 
not pregnant is it some gourami's are mouthbrooders and would look bloated/mis-shaped around the jaw/chin area if holding a brood.
 
He seems to have pine cone'd during the day 🙁. Pictures below. Looks like Dropsy to me, any other diagnostic offerings? Any advice on best course of action?

sick1.jpg

sick2.jpg
 
That looks like classic dropsy to me I am very sad to say. The fish will have multiple organ failure and issues. If it was my fish I would euthanise it but feel free to get other opinions.

Andy
 
Damn 🙁. Anything kinder than freezing for euthanising?

From my understanding and reading, dropsy isn't necessarily linked to any set cause, so my other fish should be fine? They all look fine....
 
He's in the freezer, thanks for the second opinions though guys.

Hate seeing animals in suffering 🙁. Don't mind the death bit, but hate suffering 🙁.
 
This is a problem usually specific to one fish so the others should be ok.

Some people use a clove oil mix but I am not sure of the specifics. Other ways would be a sharp blade to severe the spinal cord or perhaps use some kind of priest like you would on trout.

Freezing is not humane it takes the fish a long time to die from slowly forming ice crystals.

Andy
 
Ok, I'll priest him then. Don't have any clove oil so seems the only humane option left to me.
 
awtong said:
Freezing is not humane it takes the fish a long time to die from slowly forming ice crystals
Click to expand...

not entirely true. rapid cooling of water for a tropical fish acts as an anasthetic (sp?) the fish simply goes unconcious (quite quickly) and then dies in its sleep.

decapitation isn't really a good idea as many fish can live on after decapitation for quite a while so you'd then have to stick a pin into the skull and mush up the brain to instantly kill them after decapitation (messy)
 
I had exactly same problem with two of my dwarf gouramis over the last year, it was very distressing to watch them gradually getting worse and worse. I use ice cold water in a bowl and drop them in - not nice I know, but they do usually die within 5-10 seconds. I stopped keeping gouramis now.
 
It's not a gourami thing AAB, it can happen to any fish as far as I know. Barbs often go this way in my experience.
 
san-ho-zay said:
It's not a gourami thing AAB, it can happen to any fish as far as I know. Barbs often go this way in my experience.
Click to expand...

That may be the case but I have only had this issue with gouramis. I have never kept barbs so don't know about that.
 
Sorry to hear about your gourami, never nice loosing a fish. On the euthanasia thing I find oil of clove is pretty good (well, as good as these things can get) a small amount puts them to sleep pretty quick.

You can pick up small bottles of it from holland and barrat. Good for tooth ache as well as its anaesthetic. Tastes horrible though makes me want to gag.
 
hinch said:
awtong said:
Freezing is not humane it takes the fish a long time to die from slowly forming ice crystals
Click to expand...

not entirely true. rapid cooling of water for a tropical fish acts as an anasthetic (sp?) the fish simply goes unconcious (quite quickly) and then dies in its sleep.

decapitation isn't really a good idea as many fish can live on after decapitation for quite a while so you'd then have to stick a pin into the skull and mush up the brain to instantly kill them after decapitation (messy)
Click to expand...

Putting it in the freezer is not the same as putting it in rapidly cooling water then in my opinion plus in the freezer it will be struggling to breathe for a short while causing more stress.

If you severe the spinal cord / brain region at the back of the head with a sharp blade I don't find it lives on and have never had to mush brains around. Doing that is surely quicker than the freezer treatment? Whatever technique people use is surely quicker and less suffering than leaving the poor creature in the tank till it finally succumbs to its illness. So the OP has done what he can to limit the suffering IMO.

Andy
 
I'll priest again in the future, but can see that being impossible for small fish so I'm going to get some clove oil.

Thank you for all the advice in this thread - I realise it's hardly the cheeriest subject, but it's an important thing to have and to share knowledge on.
 
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