URGENT HELP NEEDED

[Blackadder]

I have a 20 gallon tank with 4 zebra danios, 3 panda corys and 1 short-finned betta. Last night, we added a dwarf gourami. In the morning, the betta had his fins torn in 2 places and one of the danios has a big red wound on his gill. Should I get rid of the gourami or will he settle down with time? How should I treat the betta and the danio? Help!

 

[Jchillin]

Mxing betta's and gourami's isn't a good idea, they are equally jealous of each other. Yes, return the gourami and you can treat the betta with Melafix/Pimafix.

 

[Billsgate]

Betta's and gouramies will not get along with eachother, housing them together is almost never going to work.

Quote on reply to answer with what fish betta can be kept:

They cannot be kept with other long finned fish (such as angels and guppies), cold water fish (such as golf fish and koi), fish related to them (such as other bettas-besides female/female mixes- and gouramis)

I would return the gourami to your lfs. Try to inform yourself before you get fish.
HTH!

 

[An t-iasg]

I would suggest an antibiotic (Maracyn 1 or 2, Jungle Fungus Eliminator, or a tri-sulfa antibiotic) instead for the betta. Fish with labyrinth organs - bettas, gouramis - may not tolerate Melafix or Pimafix very well. The danio would do fine with the Melafix/Pimafix, but I've given Melafix to one of my past bettas and I use another medicine for bettas now.

 

[IceH2O]

I would suggest an antibiotic (Maracyn 1 or 2, Jungle Fungus Eliminator, or a tri-sulfa antibiotic) instead for the betta. Fish with labyrinth organs - bettas, gouramis - may not tolerate Melafix or Pimafix very well. The danio would do fine with the Melafix/Pimafix, but I've given Melafix to one of my past bettas and I use another medicine for bettas now.

I agree, the Mela/Pimfix leaves a coating on the waters surface and this affects labyrinth fish from getting proper O2. It either irritates the organ or makes it harder to get the O2 in.

You really don't need any meds unless you see an infection or fungus appear. Just do daily pwcs to keep the water as clean as possible. That should help keep the immune sysytem up and help the fish to heal itself. They're just injuries not diseases.