Sickly sparkling gourami

[beetroot]

hi...

i think one of my sparkling gouramis has fungus or white spot on its body. just looks unhealthy. any advice how to treat this - which type of medication, as i thought i read somewhere before that some medications are not suitable for labyrinth fish and may kill them? have myxazin, protozin and pimafix... can these be used for a gourami?

many thanks in advance.

[barmby]

Fungus and white spot is two different matter altogether. Did you quarantine your fish?

[vinz]

White spot would look like tiny fine grains of salt all over your fish. Like some miniature white measles outbreak.

Fungus usually appears as one patch (sometimes a few more), is bigger (like a small piece of cotton caught on dried skin) and may appear a little fuzzy.

Which is it? Treatment is different.

[beetroot]

Should be fungus... but... RIP already .

But still would like to know, are some of these medication harmful to labyrinth fish?

[barmby]

Mature tank with regular water change. There should not be fungus. Also, fungus doesn't do well in acidic water. It happened mostly to fishes that are new to the unconditioned tap water like 7.0 - 8.0 pH

[vinz]

Colin... you not answering her question!

Sorry beetroot... I don't know the answer.

[barmby]

I don't have the answer to a very specific question.

[Fuzzy]

This thread details using Pimafix with initially good results on Gourami, I have not tried this personally though.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aqua...hp/t-2229.html

[beetroot]

Thanks guys, for trying to help, and Fuzzy for the link.

Just wished to check, as i thought i've read something of that sort, though can't remember where...

Colin, the tank has been up since Nov'09 and the gouramis have been in there since Dec'09/Jan'10. Do you call this a 'half-mature' tank? Weekly water change of about 25% except for 2 or 3 missed weekends. Planted with Amazonia I soil, for your info... But surely something isn't quite right . The other gourami still looks healthy though.

Thanks!

[barmby]

2 or 3 missed weekends seem a lot if the tank is like 1 x 1 x 1 feet. It depends on your filtration system - it takes 3 months at least to get the bacteria to grow in the filter. Amazonia I soil seem alright to me in terms of lower pH. However, I am not sure if the gourami can take low pH of 6.0 or less.

[ahhian]

Hi Beetroot,

how much water change you need depends on your feeding amount, frequency, your stocking level, volume of water and so on. if your fish is down with white spot, it just means that your water change is not enough. to treat, increase temperature, add aquarium salt (not table salt), add protozin, and off the lights. always work well for me. white spots sometimes may join together and look like white patches. Cheers.

hian

[ahhian]

Hi Beetroot,

Melafix is the one that causes an interference with the labyrinth organ of an anabantid and the ability to use it. Never use melafix on your gourami. Cheers.

hian

[broken arrow]

gourami eat n produce alot of waste thats where all the problem come from have to increase frequency of water change

[beetroot]

Only had 2 sparkling gouramis in the 2ft planted tank, with some malayan shrimps. The other one is still alive, healthy & kicking.

Thanks Hian... aah... so it is Melafix not to be used for gouramis.
Cheers.

[ahhian]

Only had 2 sparkling gouramis in the 2ft planted tank, with some malayan shrimps. The other one is still alive, healthy & kicking.

Thanks Hian... aah... so it is Melafix not to be used for gouramis.
Cheers.

Hi Beetroot, not just for gouramis, any anabantids like bettas, climbing perches also cannot use. It just screws up their labyrinth organ. Please feed them sparingly at any one time, increase the frequency of water changes, and use appropriate water conditioners that binds ammonia as well as remove chlorine and chloramine. they are raher sensitive to these substances. hope that helps and good luck with your gouramis. Cheers!

Hian

[chrisphan]

hi guys,

been looking around for aquarium stores in S'pore that sells either sparkling gouramis or croaking gouramis....can anyone help with an address or a store name?

cheers

[barmby]

Goto Wu hu

http://wuhu.wordpress.com/contact-us/

Look for Ben. He is the boss there. extremely good place to hang out.