Dwarf gourami gorging itself?

[Rosenweiss]

Hello. We have had a neon red dwarf gourami about a week and recently its stomach has been distended and bloated a bit. We have been doing some pea feedings to help.

However, just now we saw it eating (not just nibbling on) an algae wafer that we set out for our hillstream loach and pleco. The gourami also eats flakes and such in the regular fish feeding. Do you guys have any experience with gouramis overeating? Will it eat itself to death or sickness if allowed to?

 

[Homedog98]

I wouldn't put it past him. Try cutting back on the amount of food you feed, and be sure to fast once or twice a week to help clear him out. In your case that's probably better then peas.

 

[Rosenweiss]

I wouldn't put it past him. Try cutting back on the amount of food you feed, and be sure to fast once or twice a week to help clear him out. In your case that's probably better then peas.

Thanks Homedog, that's probably a good idea. =] We'll most likely try that.

 

[Homedog98]

Your welcome!

 

[Rosenweiss]

While we're on that note, though, do you know of any other reasons why a gourami might be bloated (and on that note, looking like it's gasping even though it swims fine and only goes to the top for air occasionally like it should)? We know that it is probably a female, could she be gravid?

 

[Homedog98]

Does she have a gravid spot? It could be swim bladder if she doesn't... Or you just gave a fat gourami that chews gum!

 

[Rosenweiss]

I don't think it's swim bladder, because she's fine at swimming and can easily maneuver the tank. It's probably just a fat gourami... there she goes at the algae wafer again... She's not with any other gouramis though... so if she was gravid, could she be holding onto eggs from mating over a week ago?

 

[Homedog98]

Most fish can hold sperm for a long time. She could be.

 

[Amicus]

When I first got my neon dwarfs one of their bellies was swollen. I looked this up and the most prevelant answer I got was they are of a less hardy gene pool from mass farm breeding. I was worried that he had little time. He would eat and swim around and then in a couple weeks his belly returned to normal size. My two chace each other and will eat a lot if they can. I threw in a wafer for my cories and pleco. A few minutes later I checked on the wafer and the neon and pleco were both pulling on it and the neons constantly pick at the gravel. I must say plecos are tough, he's a baby. I think you should give it a little longer to see if he acclimates and adapts to his new home unless new symptoms show.

 

[Rosenweiss]

Okay, thanks so much! That's pretty relieving... whether it's a pregnancy or simply a bad breeding, I absolutely love the little guy... thanks for sharing your experience, Amicus. =] I'll continue to keep an eye on him!

 

[Amicus]

Yeah, he'll be ok. Still might not be bad breeding, who knows? Good luck.

 

[Rosenweiss]

Thanks much!