Tropical Fish Keeping banner

ill gourami

2K views 18 replies 4 participants last post by  downerbeautiful 
#1 ·
blue 3-spot gourami, young, 2-3 inches long, very thin

1. Size of tank: hospital tank, 2 shallow gallons

2. Water parameters
a. Ammonia? <.05ppm
b. Nitrite? idk
c. Nitrate? idk
d. pH, KH and GH? ph7.4
e. Test kit? API

3. Temperature? 75

4. FW (fresh water) or BW (brackish)? fw

5. How long the aquarium has been set up? 1 day/reset daily

6. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them? none, hospital tank

7. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)? yes, right now

8. a. Any live plants? Fake plants? none
b. Sand, gravel, barebottom? barebottom
c. Rocks, woods, fancy decors? Any hollow decors? nothing

9. a. Filtration? na
b. Heater? na

10. a. Lighting schedule? What lights are used? fluorescent, 8-10 hrs
b. Any sunlight exposure? How long? early sun, 1-2 hrs

11. a. Water change schedule? daily 100%
b. Volume of water changed? 100%
c. Well water, tap water, RO water? tap
d. Water conditioner used? jungle
e. Frequency of gravel/sand (if any) vacuumed? na

12. Foods? top fin flakes
How often are they fed? 2x/day

13. a. Any abnormal signs/symptoms? white poo like spider silk, not eating, not growing, not swimming, resting on bottom, beaten badly, missing scales, possible internal hemmoraging
b. Appearance of poop? spider silk-ish, white strings that do not detach
c. Appearance of gills? gills look okay, no different

14. a. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? yes
b. What meds were used? melafix (I know, but no other options), and tetra parasite guard

15. Insert photos of fish in question and full tank shot if necessary. none now - left camera at work. looked worse yesterday, acts worse today
 
See less See more
#2 · (Edited)
Would consider euthanizing the fish and read up on starting a new aquarium. Bad thing's happen when fish are added same day as tank is set up.
Gourami needs at least 20 gal cycled tank, with heater and filter.
No fish suitable for Two gal tank.
Water in this small of volume is too unstable difficult to maintain= stressed,sick,fish.

If this is but quarantine tank and you have a cycled tank for the fish to go to, then borrowing some filter material from the cycled tank and placing it in a filter for quarantine tank would be helpful along with daily water change with dechlorinator such as PRIME or Amquel Plus, which will detoxify ammonia and nitrite's between daily water changes.
Many conditioner's only remove chlorine, and do little to remove or detoxify ammonia that may be present in tapwater if chloramines are present,and the ammonia produced by fish as by -product of respiration, and poop.
Would feed fish in quarantine sparingly perhap's once every other day, or every two day's, especially in small two gal bowl,tank.
A cheap rubbermaid tub of 20 gal or more would be option over the two gal container.
A small sponge filter and heater could be used on the tub and perhap's som artificial floating plant's,and very little to no light would prove less stessful than bare bottom two gal bowl or whatever.IMHO
 
#3 ·
I did consider euthanizing him, but I couldn't get past the clove oil.

He lived in a 30gal cycled tank with other fish.

The no light is easy to take care of, but the 20 gal rubber maid isn't. Technically he's in a 5gal tank, but since he's moving so poorly, I want him to be able to reach the surface and breathe. I fear that if the water is too deep, he'll drown. Also, I am out of space and money :(

What do you mean by filter material. I still have ammonia and bacteria conditioners left...
 
#4 ·
I did consider euthanizing him, but I couldn't get past the clove oil.

He lived in a 30gal cycled tank with other fish.

The no light is easy to take care of, but the 20 gal rubber maid isn't. Technically he's in a 5gal tank, but since he's moving so poorly, I want him to be able to reach the surface and breathe. I fear that if the water is too deep, he'll drown. Also, I am out of space and money :(

What do you mean by filter material. I still have ammonia and bacteria conditioners left...
In a cycled tank, the biological filter will house beneficial bacteria that feed on ammonia and nitrites eventually rendering much less harmful nitrates.
By borrowing some filter material from a cycled tank,you will be transporting a fair amount of this beneficial bacteria to your quarantine tank, and with careful monitoring (test kit),, and feeding sparingly, water changes may not be needed as often and bacteria could build a colony on the filter of quarantine tank.
Without good bacteria on filter, and or no filter in quarantine tank,, daily water changes will be needed to prevent ammonia levels from reaching toxic to lethal levels between water changes.
 
#9 ·
I understand the concept behind the filter media, but how do I "borrow" it? It's all pretty well stuck inside the filter itself, and since there's no filter in the HT, what am I supposed to do with it?
what kind of filter do you have? most filters are designed to have the filter material replaced occasionally, so it should be able to come out fairly easily.
 
#11 ·
i know the whisper 30 sponge can come out, and looking that the pictures of the intank ones, it looks like it should work about the same, the sponge is in a frame like thing that can be pulled out. have you tried pulling on it (gently, just in case it doesn't)? it seems strange that it wouldn't come out at all.
 
#13 ·
Given that I'm having to re-do that tank's cycle, would it be wise to take out the filter sponge? Would I just let the sponge float in the HT?

...why do you have to re-do the cycle? if you don't replace the filter or substrate, the necessary bacteria would still be there...
 
#15 ·
then you should be ok. i'd monitor ammonia and nitrite levels, but i wouldn't expect too many issues. you should be able to move a sponge to the hospital tank for now.

(of course, i'm not sure i'm the best one to be giving advice on this, as i currently have ammonia and nitrite in my tank and have no idea why)
 
#17 ·
a new sponge will give an new place for bacteria to get established. my understanding is that the substrate should be enough for a short time, but i'd wait for someone else to chime in to give you information, since i'm not sure at this point.
 
  • Like
Reactions: downerbeautiful
#19 ·
/Double post, sorry :(

I don't know what I should do with this fish. Physically, he looks so much better; but he hasn't eaten or shown interest in food since Saturday MORNING when I fed him. He's lethargic.

Also, how long before parasite medication runs its course? Fish still has string poop.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top