Sick Gourami's

[lixx]

Hi all. I have some sick Gourami's and am hoping you can help identify the problem and let me know if I'm on the right track. There are 2 Cosby & 1 golden showing the signs. The other 2 goldens and 2 pearls seem to be showing no signs that I can see. There are pinkish spots on my fish that are spreading. They are not open like sores, more like pink under the scales. I believe it started on the one Cosby gourami. He had a fuzzy white spot on his head. We treated with Melafix and I thought it went away. Unfortunatly the white spot was replaced by a dull area, slightly indented. Then the pink areas started to form, and now have spread to the other 2 fish. The areas are mostly by the head and side fins, but are spreading down the body. I have started treating with Maracyn -two in conjunction with Coppersafe(at the packages suggestion) and am on day 2 of treatment. I am treating the whole tank as it seems to be spreading and was hoping to prevent it from getting anyone else. The tank is a 50g tank, we do weekly changes of around 4g. Temp is 78. The perameters are fine, but I will get some acurate numbers in the morning and post them. We have a Fluval, but I am not sure which one, I know we took the one up from the recomended minimum for our tank size. In the tank there are also plecos, tetras, danios & platies. The Cosby's are newer so they may have brought it in as opposed to getting it here. Am I on the right track? Anyone know what is wrong and if there is a better course of treatment? Any help is greatly appreciated! I don't want to loose these guys

 

[Menagerie]

Does it look like the fish is bleeding under the scales? If so, this is hemorrhagic septicemia, which can be viral or bacterial. I have successfully treated with a kanamycin based med and Melafix. However, Gourami's have a labyrinth organ and should NEVER be treated with Melafix. Bettafix is better, but is has been advised that that too may affect the labyrinth organ. Do a 50% PWC daily for three days, that should reduce the amount of Melafix in the water. Only hemorrhagic septicemia that is caused by bacteria is curable, but unless you know a pathologist, treat as though it were bacterial and hope for the best.

 

[lixx]

Thanks for the reply. I was not aware of the affect of Melafix on Gourami's. Thank you for telling me. I do not hink they are bleeding under th scales (though I honestly would not know) Are there pictures somewhere of this sympton I could compare too?
When I got up this morning, the water has gone cloudy and has a slight fishy smell, though I don't notice anyone missing (could be a tetra, it's hard to count them). I tested the water and it's actually not doing very good. Nitrate 110, Ammonia 0/0.1, Nitrite 0.3, PH 7.4-7.6. The pink areas seem less pink this morning (could be because the cloudiness affects my vision) The scales in those areas almost look hollow, like there is an empty area beneath them? And the scales themselves are dull. The only area that the pink really still stands out is at the base of their side fins (pectoral?) I have just set up buckets to do a 25% water change (that's all the buckets I have) I am worried though that if I do it all at once it will dramaticly lower the water temp, and much to quickly. Would you still do it given the conditions though? Would you recomend then setting up again and doing the other 25% today as well, and continue that for 3 days? Should I break off the Maracyn -2 treatment or complete the 5 day course?

 

[Menagerie]

Should I break off the Maracyn -2 treatment or complete the 5 day course?

Continue.
Why can't you add water that is warmed to the proper temp? Dechlor only takes a momment to work. When I do PWC, I fill a bucket in the tub with water of the proper temp, add dechlor and then it goes in the tank.

http://www.fishpalace.org/Disease.html#Septicemia

 

[lixx]

I heard you could not preheat the water, ie. use warm tap water. That you had to use cold and either let it warm up or use a heater on it. I have 1 extra heater, but not 6 (2g buckets). It doesn't make it go much faster.
Thank you for the link. I very much looks like them, but no red streaks on the fins themselves. Should I finish the Maracyn treatment then start with kanamycin & betta fix? Or can I use both? (don't want to over medicate)

 

[Menagerie]

I heard you could not preheat the water, ie. use warm tap water.

You can

Maracyn-Two: Antibiotic (Minocycline) tablets recommended for the treatment of popeye, gill disease, fin and tail rot, ddropsy, septicemia, secondary and internal infections.
Yes, continue with the Maracyn treatment.

 

[lixx]

Excellent! Thank you sooo much! I hope I can report soon that the fish are recovered and happy!

 

[Menagerie]

I hope so too!

 

[lixx]

Well, I'm not sure if they are getting better. The one Cosby looks slightly better, less pink, but the other is looking worse. Lots of pink in the fins and one of the pink patches is now quite dark and sore looking. The Golden looks the same. Today will be the last day for the Maracyn-Two treatment (5 day run). The package says it can be repeated once. Should I? Should I give a few days between or go right into it? They are still eating normally, swiming, taking air. Slightly less active then normal, and the other fish seem to know they aren't well and 'bump' them occasionally. What should I do?

 

[Menagerie]

Do a PWC, and get some kanamycin. You can add it to the food and water. This saved our pleco. He was QTed for a long while, before we noticed improvement.

 

[lixx]

Well, this is where I'm at. I was unable to aquire kanamycin (All the LFS I visited with had never heard of it or said the company that makes it had gone out of buisness). I did a second treatment with the Maracyn two. I have lost the one Gold Gourami, but the two Cosby gourami's are still with me. Physically there are no more pink areas on them and the fins have turned back to their normal colour. So I think they are getting better. However, they are much lighter in colour all over and tend to float near the bottom of the tank, though they come up to eat and take air. There is still some pink in their eyes too. Should I do a third treatment to totally eliminate it or are they too weak to take another treatment? Is there anything I can do to make them stronger?