my Dwarf gourami are dying off

[bobc4d]

I have or had 4 Dwarf gourami, I've lost two over the last 24 hours. They start floating to the top at an angle, swim sideways, they will hangout at the bottom of the tank not moving, one had a red spot by his gills.

They are housed in a planted 40b community tank with 4 cory cats, 13 neon tetras and 4 guppys. the water parameters are fine; nitrite 0, ammonia 0, nitrate <20. None of the other fish seem affected

I've heard gourami have a disease which only affects them and no other fish in the tank. I've had 2 of them about two weeks, the other 2 I've had about a month. I'm not sure which ones have died.

 

[NYgiantsRP]

In my experience only one gourami species should be in a tank. Usually if you have multiples they will fight, or just get stressed out. Are they both the same color? Or are they different kinds of dwarf gourami?

 

[Mcor]

I don't know... After some initial squabbling my two gold and two opalines have sorted out their pecking order and get on ok. All fish are different though... Mine might be the exception to the rule.

 

[NYgiantsRP]

Ya, also, my LFS keeps 1 gourami in each tank, so maybe when I get them they are not accustom to being together. I have seen other places (petsmart) that keep 15 or 20 in a tiny tank, so maybe the get used to each other.

 

[armymp327]

I have or had 4 Dwarf gourami, I've lost two over the last 24 hours. They start floating to the top at an angle, swim sideways, they will hangout at the bottom of the tank not moving, one had a red spot by his gills.

They are housed in a planted 40b community tank with 4 cory cats, 13 neon tetras and 4 guppys. the water parameters are fine; nitrite 0, ammonia 0, nitrate <20. None of the other fish seem affected

I've heard gourami have a disease which only affects them and no other fish in the tank. I've had 2 of them about two weeks, the other 2 I've had about a month. I'm not sure which ones have died.

dwarf gouramis can have Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus (and often do, up to 22% of all dwarf gouramis coming from asia have it) you can read about it at the bottom of the website provided, is very contagious among the species, and always fatal and incurable. I no longer keep dwarf gouramis for this reason, i stick to either blue or opaline gouramis.


Aquarium Fish: Fish Viral Disease

 

[bobc4d]

Thanks to everyone for their inputs on this. My two remaining DG are looking ok or at least they haven't changed since this morning. If they make it through the weekend then there might be hope this has passed.

 

[bobc4d]

I lost another one, so I am down to one DG. it is weird, he was fine this morning, when I got home from work he was gone. only had him about a month :-(