Is this pop eye? Gourami

[Fatcatmatt]

Help help!

3 days ago, I added a larger plant in my 10 gallon thinking it would be a nice hiding place for my dwarf gourami. I had it over a month. It was doing fine.

All of a sudden I experienced a strange behavior change. It’s hiding a lot more than usual - it only comes out during feeding time (in the past it would swim around the whole tank gracefully). It sits at the bottom behind the plants, or squeeze itself into a cave. This is definitely new

It also doesn’t swim quite normally, when it touches a plant it darts really quickly before slowing down. Then it floats around again before it happens, then it goes back into hiding. It does come out to eat, and still has quite the appetite (as usual)

Something tells me its a stressed. Also, I’m not even sure if it’s popeye. Would you please help see the photos below? What should my next steps be? I’m worried. It has been going on the past couple of days.

Just did a WC today thinking the parameters are off. I’m gonna do another in 2 days if that helps

Stock - 1 x DG, 9 x ember tetras (embers are all ok)
10 gal, 0 ammonia nitrites, 5-10 nitrates.

 

[Autumnsky]

Hello
How long has the tank been set up?

 

[Fatcatmatt]

closed to 2 months now.. parameters are 0-0-10. I recently added a post about egg shells to tank that has caused my whole tank to go berserk. Was such a disaster. I think the stress might have caused their immune levels to go down and thus amplifying Gill flukes of some kind. I don’t quite know how to diagnose it without a microscope but seems like all the symptoms are pointing that way. The flashing and scratching. I’m careful to not medicate yet as I have shrimps in my tank. Any tips? Or any natural remedies without having to use paraguard? (It’s the only medication I can find here). I just gave them a dose of garlic and trying to do water changes every 2 days..

 

[Autumnsky]

Is there a livestock supply seller around your area? Safeguard Goat dewormer has Fenbendozole as their medication against parasites. It has treated Planaria in my shrimp tanks, also flat worms, and the medication can be used for Flukes as well.
https://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/safe-guard/
The liquid is more easily mixed in liquid like in an aquarium, than powder form used for dogs or cats.

 

[Fatcatmatt]

Thanks for the advice Autumnsky!

Man, I'm so envious of the large availability of supplies! I moved to China 2 years ago, and I struggle to get supplies here (that is not locally made. Not that i don't trust the products, I just don't quite understand the instructions and not sure of what other side effects it brings). I just checked online, the Safeguard coat dewormer would cost me a whooping 100USD!

Seachem is all that is available here (well at least i know where to find them).

 

[Autumnsky]

Wow, that is a HUGE price! It might be best to go with what you know vs. a mysterious liquid. A person I know moved to Russia for a job and was very hard to get supplies and foods or know what you were getting and bought wall paper paste instead of flour mistakenly, and luckily another person caught the error before any food was made!!!

 

[Fatcatmatt]

HAHAHA. oh my gosh that's hilarious.

Yes, so you see, I searched Seachem Prime in english, and it was 150USD. I got a local to help me source for it in mandarin, and I bought it at like 10USD or so? So i found my seachem supplier. but stuff like hikari, I could only find the food (which I use now). I can't find that flukes treatment for Hikari (forgot the name all of a sudden), well.. I could get it for 100USD. but STILL.

On a positive note, every other aquarium stuff is really cheap! I set up my 10g aquarium with side overflow sump and corner filter, rocks, christmas and java moss, and gravel for under 50USD (no kidding!). The dwarf gourami cost me like under 2 USD and the blue velvet shrimps are 50 CENTS USD (STILL! No excuse to kill sick fishes, i'm actually spending more money to nurse them back to being healthy happy fishes!). I like to think it's definitely cheaper than the US. At the same time, improving my mandarin along the way.

Though everything is shipped, so when i first got the fishes and shrimps, i had to slowly bring them out of the 'shipping shock'.

 

[Autumnsky]

Thank you for a fun life experience story! lol Often these meds are not available in different countries. The live stock /farm animal route seemed to be a bigger possibility. Not if you are in a big city though. USA one can go to the farm supply store and get all kinds of meds for the farm animals. (Not necessarily what you need for shrimp or aquarium fish, but a few things. Goat dewormer A+)

It does seem the livestock, and some supplies are cheap to purchase for you. And yes, often the medications/treatment stuff cost much more than the actual fish.