Dwarf gourami with clear thing from anus - what is it?

[callisto9]

I've had my dwarf gourami for about 10 months. In the last few days, I've noticed he's been hanging out near the bottom back of the tank. Not as active as he usually is. Not interested in food during feeding time.

Just tonight, I noticed a thin, mostly clear/transparent thing hanging from his anus. You can barely see it. About 1.5 inches long. Doesn't seem to come off, just floats from his butt. His behaviour is different... kinda seems to be a little lethargic and a little wobbly, but not horribly so. It kinda looks like he's getting knocked around by the current, but there isn't really any in my tank.

Any ideas?

Tank: 20G high, semi-planted tank with tetras, guppies, mollies. WC once a week. All other fish are OK.

 

[Ian086]

I've had my dwarf gourami for about 10 months. In the last few days, I've noticed he's been hanging out near the bottom back of the tank. Not as active as he usually is. Not interested in food during feeding time.

Just tonight, I noticed a thin, mostly clear/transparent thing hanging from his anus. You can barely see it. About 1.5 inches long. Doesn't seem to come off, just floats from his butt. His behaviour is different... kinda seems to be a little lethargic and a little wobbly, but not horribly so. It kinda looks like he's getting knocked around by the current, but there isn't really any in my tank.

Any ideas?

Tank: 20G high, semi-planted tank with tetras, guppies, mollies. WC once a week. All other fish are OK.

I don't know exactly what that is but I notice that on any guppies I have had before they die. We have very poor quality guppy stock in my area. I would buy a quarantine tank asap. Even a 5-10 gallon would do. Get some meds, sounds like possible parasites.....

 

[callisto9]

I don't know exactly what that is but I notice that on any guppies I have had before they die. We have very poor quality guppy stock in my area. I would buy a quarantine tank asap. Even a 5-10 gallon would do. Get some meds, sounds like possible parasites.....

Juicy Fruit (that's his name) is still kinda hiding out in the back corner. Not interested in food. Lethargic.

I don't have a quarantine tank, and no idea what meds to even use, so I really don't want to go $40+ (quarantine tank, heater, filter, meds, etc.) in the hole just to throw some meds at a fish who's condition I'm not sure of. Is there anything I can treat the whole tank with?

 

[Ian086]

You could try medicated food. I know New Life Spectrium make a food for parasites but it is a preventative food not a treatment. It would be no harm to get some for your other fish as a precaution. I have a list somewhere on my laptop of fish illness, signs and treatments. I'll have a look for it and post it....

 

[Ian086]

Chart on Fish Diseases, Symptoms and their Treatments

 

[Fishninja]

A pic would help

 

[callisto9]

Chart on Fish Diseases, Symptoms and their Treatments

Thank you! I'll look that over.

You could try medicated food. I know New Life Spectrium make a food for parasites but it is a preventative food not a treatment. It would be no harm to get some for your other fish as a precaution. I have a list somewhere on my laptop of fish illness, signs and treatments. I'll have a look for it and post it....

Thank you so much.

A pic would help

There's nothing to see, actually. The clear-ish thing hanging from his anus is gone and he looks the same otherwise. He was flashing against some stuff last night, so that indicates internal parasites to me.

I'm headed to the pet store today... to see what I can find.