Help! What is wrong with my Dwarf Gourami?

[Laurenwally]

Hi, I'm very new to this site so please bare with me!
I've recently started this hobby.
I've got tank set up with 8 guppies and 1 powder blue dwarf gourami. We've now had this set up for about a month. 2 weeks in we noticed 2 spots appear on the side of the dwarf gourami (we named casper) so rushed with a sample to pets at home, they advised to try adding a little salt as it looked like a ulcer. At that time he was acting normal. Yesterday I noticed that 2 more have appeared near his eye, we haven't changed anything in the tank, the guppies are acting normal but casper hasn't eaten or hardly moved from the top of the tank since yesterday. I really don't want him to be in any pain and im trying everything I can to help him what could it be? Thank you 0

 

[Aiken Drum]

Pets at Home? A UK member?

Are you able to tell us your water parameters? You said you took a sample to pets at home. What did they tell you?

 

[Laurenwally]

Hi
Yes I'm in the UK.

Pets at home told me the water sample was really good. Everything was where it needs to be.

 

[Aiken Drum]

I wouldnt trust pets at home to know a good water test from a bad one. Did they give you actual numbers or just say it was good? They use test strips that dont even test for ammonia, which is the most likely parameter to be wrong.

When did you last change water and how much?

Personally i would get a reliable test kit, API freshwater master test kit is a good one to go for. Until you are able to know your water parameters and can be sure you are cycled i would change 25% of the water daily. If you do resort to getting a store to do your testing make sure they give you actual numbers, pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

Unfortunately here in the UK the kind of medications available to others on the forum are only available to us with vets prescription. Aquarium salt is a good alternative to medication. Have you added that yet? If so how much did you add? Aquarium salt wont be good for a lot of plants though. Do you have a quarantine tank you can move the fish to and dose salt so you arent unnecessarily treating other tank inhabitants?

After that Esha2000 and Waterlife Myxazin are about the most effective medications available here. Pets at home dont stock those. A good local fish store might stock Esha2000, myxazin is available online. I have seen waterlife products in a few fish stores though.

I would give regular water changes a go first, aquarium salt if you are able. Medicate if you see no improvement.

 

[Laurenwally]

Hi
Thank you
I will definitely get that testing kit! We do use the aquarium salt with the water changes, we are currently doing around 20% every week. Adding the tap safe along with it. What we don't understand is the guppies are perfectly fine, still eating and swimming, its just the dwarf gourami that isn't eating or hardly moving along with the weird bumps that keep appearing

 

[Aiken Drum]

How much salt are you adding? I see you have plants in the photos so be aware they might not do well with the salt. Some are fine, java fern is a brackish plant anyway for instance.

If things aren't clearing up, the medications i recommended are both useful for skin issues. I would probably opt for myxazin. Be careful if you have any invertebrates in the tank though. While both products say they are invert safe i wouldnt trust that, especially the Myxazin. Ive had snails survive esha2000, ive also found dead ones after treatment, so? Medicating in a quarantine tank is always preferable when you can.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Dwarf gourami disease?

https://helpusfish.com/1/17/dwarf-gourami-disease-guide.html

 

[Laurenwally]

Just a little update, hes just died

 

[heidigirl99]

I was also going to suggest dwarf gourami disease- if that was the case, there’s nothing you could have done. So sorry for your loss