dwarf Gourami... lack of hlth.   9/5.5/11
hey guys. I got a dwarf Gourami 3 days ago. did well at first but now is turning black near the gills and underbody. I read some articles on your site about it being a sign of stress and could be linked with bad chemistry in tank or water quality or even another fish attacking it. well my water quality I have checked and ammonia is zero, nitrite is zero, ph is 7.0-7.2, and nitrate around 10-20ppm. I did have a rainbow shark in there yesterday with him but noticed he was giving him a bit of hassle so I took the shark back. but now there's nothing attacking him but he still is near the surface of the water almost gasping for air. is there anything I can do to help him relax or get better? I used a stress coat, not really helping. thanks again.
<Dwarf Gouramis are difficult fish to keep even at the best of times.
Partly this is because farming and inbreeding hasn't done them any favours, and over the years they've become more delicate, and partly because they've been exposed to viruses and bacterial infections against which they have little or no resistance. As a species, I don't recommend them. They do need a quiet tank with soft, acidic water (2-12 degrees dH, pH 6-7.5) and relatively high temperatures (26-28 C/79-82F). Water current should be minimal, preferably air-powered. The aquarium must be quiet and well-planted, and lighting levels should be low or at least shady.
Tankmates must be small, gentle species. The aggressive Shark-Minnow likely did a lot of psychological harm here, and possibly physical harm too, as any fin damage can quickly become an entry-point for opportunistic bacterial infections. Realistically, there's nothing you can do right now beyond ensure environmental conditions are optimal. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: re: dwarf Gourami    9/6/11
thanks a lot Neale. I will take your advise into action. maybe get a few more plants for him to hide in and see how he does. thanks again, Chris.
<Most welcome. Cheers, Neale.>

Sick Gourami 7/15/2009
Hi there, i have come across your site as really concerned about our dwarf Gourami!
<Oh dear. As I write repeatedly on these pages, Colisa lalia is a very weak, inbred, badly farmed species highly prone to viral infections that are incurable as well as various bacterial infections. Unless you can source locally bred specimens, avoid them, and instead choose Colisa fasciata or Colisa labiosus; not quite as small or pretty perhaps, but ten times easier to keep alive.>
The tank has been setup for 5 mths and the water is spot on verified by 3 sources.
<You'll forgive me for being skeptical. The thing is that pet shops will often call 0.5 mg/l nitrite "acceptable" whereas I will not; so I want numbers, not interpretations! To remind you, these delicate gouramis need 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, a pH between 6 and 7.5, and 5-15 degrees dH hardness.
No salt! The tank should be fairly warm, around 28 C, which will severely stress some community fish, notably Neons and Corydoras, so choose tankmates accordingly.>
2 days ago one of our 2 gouramis started bloating and having clear stringy faeces.
<Can be caused by a variety of things, but if the faeces are unusually long and pale, that means there's a lot of mucous being produced by the gut.
That it turn implies some sort of irritation or infection, possibly bacterial, but often protozoal (the classic example being Hexamita).>
He is unable to stay stable and is floating on his side at the o of the tank. not interested in food but doesn't seem to be breathing heavily.
After reading your site think it may be a parasite (scales not looking like pine cone so hope it isn't dropsy).
<"Parasite" covers a lot of ground, and for the average aquarist is barely more helpful than a shrug of the shoulders! In this case, Hexamita may well be the causative agent, in which case Metronidazole (Flagyl) is the only cure, coupled with optimal environmental conditions and a healthy, varied diet. Otherwise, euthanise the fish to prevent further suffering; it won't get better by itself if this really is Hexamita. Do also be aware of the symptoms of Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus and Mycobacterial infections and act accordingly when shopping.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/euthanasia.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/dwfgdis.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_6/volume_6_2/mycobactera.htm
>
within the 78 litre tank we also have one other dwarf Gourami, 6 leopard Danios, 1 leopard Pleco and one red tail shark.
<Far too small for all these fish; a Red-tail Shark will dominant a 250-litre tank once mature, and a Leopard Plec (Glyptopterichthys gibbiceps) will require even more space once it's mature, given its adult size of some
50 cm within 2-3 years.>
Can you please shed some light on possible cause, if you think it may be a parasite can i treat the whole tank?
<Unless you have a hospital tank 45 litres in size or larger, you'll have to treat the whole tank. Metronidazole is available from pet shops in the US, or from vets in most other parts of the world.>
we do not have a hospital tank so if not what can i do?
Any advise would be hugely appreciated.
<Do read; your choices of fish are pretty bad so far!>
Many Thanks
<Cheers, Neale.>

Sick Dwarf Gourami 3/23/09 Hi, I have spent the last couple days reading everything I could find on the web about Gourami diseases, but cannot find anything that addresses the issue my Gourami seems to be having. I have sent a couple pics (not great, still learning to take pics of fish) to hopefully help in diagnosis. It started as a small red spot/area in his anus fin, it turned white and seemed to be "healing" or going away. Over the last month or so I lost two other dwarf gouramis to what appeared to be dropsy. I medicated my entire tank with Maracyn-two, losing the first fish. Shortly after (maybe two weeks) the second Gourami had dropsy. I medicated again with Maracyn-Two, losing the second fish only a couple days into the medication. During this second medication the red sore on the third Gourami came back and started eating away his fin and now it is eating into his body. He is eating, his poop looks normal. It looks much worse than fin rot, it doesn't appear to be Hexamita. <Agreed> Is it just a bacterial infection? <Does appear as such> Should I try medicating with Maracyn? <Mmm, no... I'd try a Furan compound here... will "dirty" your water...> I have been medicating the whole tank because I figured I need to in order to stop the other fish from getting sick as well, but not sure how all this medication is affecting all the other fish. Don't have a quarantine tank, but can get one if needed. <I would move this fish to such a treatment tank for sure... ten gallons would be fine> Some info on my tank: 55 gallon 80 degrees 7.0 ph (has recently been up to 7.5, got it down to 7.0 with this last water change) <Not a worry> Ammonia 0 nitrites 0 nitrates 0 20% water change monthly <I'd change more frequently> 5 dwarf gouramis (4 male, 1 female) 2 gold gouramis (male) 6 glass catfish 1 Indian glass fish 1 Pleco I would appreciate any help you can give me! Thanks, Cat <Unfortunately, Colisa lalia are very prone to disease issues... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/dwfgdis.htm and here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwantibiofaqs.htm Bob Fenner>

Mmm, RMF is unable to copy, move from root web... try on ret.

Re: Sick Dwarf Gourami 3/23/09 "Should I try medicating with Maracyn? <Mmm, no... I'd try a Furan compound here... will "dirty" your water...>" I've not heard of Furan before, is it sold under that name? Thanks, Cat <Yes they are. Please read where you were referred to Re. B>

Emerald Green Corys and Dwarf Gourami Disease 5/26/08 I have two Gouramis and two Emerald Green Catfish in a 10 gallon tank. If I suspect one Gourami has Gourami Disease swollen abdomen, long stringy elimination and discoloration), I have read in your posts that I should assume the other one, while healthy looking, has it too (correct?). <It isn't a certainty, but you should certainly remove in infected fish immediately. I'd painlessly destroy it. Various methods, but Clove Oil is perhaps the easiest on you and the fish. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/euthanasiafaqs.htm> I have done 10% and 50% water changes adding aquarium salt and conditioner. My question is, if my Gourami's are "doomed" and I let them live out their disease, or take them back to the store since they are only a week old, will my Corys stay healthy or be affected? <The virus doesn't affect catfish, so your Corydoras will be fine. Most other fish are likely immune, though I'd perhaps avoid Honey and Dwarf Gouramis as well as their hybrids.> Thank you for you time! <Cheers, Neale.>

More of a comment, really....Dwarf Gourami disease  2/10/08 Having found a sore on the lip of my male dwarf Gourami early last month, I looked for info on the internet and found Neale Monks' material as posted on your webpage (below): http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/dwfgdis.htm  (FAQs on Colisa lalia, C. chuna... "Dwarf" Gouramis of Many Names, Honey, Flames, Neon Blue, Sunset Fire... Disease/Health) I was horrified to hear about Dwarf Gourami disease as described in these pages, as I - perhaps naively - believed the breeding of tropical fish for the pet market to be 'all right' (ecologically, in animal welfare terms, ethically) and having purchased the fish from a reputable supplier, I assumed he would be in good health. My despondency deepened the more I read of the webpage....after some time I was convinced that my Gourami was doomed to a painful, wasting death, and was considering euthanising him to prevent further suffering. My husband suggested that I was perhaps being a bit too hasty about all this, and that we give the fish a chance since he seemed to be alert and happy (feeding well, obsessed with his bubble-nest). The sore lip slowly healed and now (touch wood) he is OK. The information you provide on your site is an invaluable resource, and Dwarf Gourami disease certainly seems to be a terrible problem that needs to be eradicated at source. Neale Monks obviously - and rightly - feels very strongly about this disease, but my point is that perhaps his opinions on the Dwarf gouramis (the ones that have already been bred and exported by disreputable suppliers, and are pets currently living in peoples' homes) are at times a little too pessimistic - my very limited experience (this far at any rate) shows that gouramis can recover from slight abrasions and do not always succumb to bacterial infections immediately. Of course I don't know that my fish isn't affected and can only hope that he survives to a good age. This is a minor comment on an excellent web-based resource, and I hope it hasn't caused offence. With all best wishes, Katrina <Hi Katrina. No offence at all taken. It's always good to get comments about things I write, even when people disagree. Yes, I do feel strongly about Dwarf Gourami Disease. And it isn't me saying these things are disease-ridden. Australian vets looked at Dwarf Gouramis closely because the virus they carry is very similar to one that's suddenly appeared among populations of a native fish, the Murray Cod. The vets found that 22% of the Dwarf Gouramis exported from Singapore carried the Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus, and they believe the virus at some point mutated and then started infecting the Murray Cod. Furthermore, the quality of Dwarf Gouramis has been declining for at least ten years. Wholesalers in the UK have been attempting to source Dwarf Gouramis from better suppliers. http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1139 As I hope my comments in those Dwarf Gourami articles implies -- Dwarf Gourami Disease (DGD) has a very specific pathology. Not all Dwarf Gouramis with scratches or sores are infected with DGD any more than not every human who coughs has Bubonic Plague. But if you have a Dwarf Gourami that loses colour, hides away, stops feeding, has stringy faeces, develops bloody sores on the body and ultimately keels over and dies, then there's a pretty good case to believe this fish has DGD. If all your Dwarf Gourami has is a small blister or something, then by all means isolate the fish (always a good call with any sick fish) and monitor for other symptoms. If the fish swims and feeds normally, then precisely as you've reported, the damage could be something as simple to treat as Finrot or plain mechanical damage that needs time to heal. But if the fish subsequently develops the full set of DGD symptoms, then isolating that fish is critical, because infected fish rarely (if ever) get better, and the viruses can spread very easily through the water. In other words, not all sick Dwarf Gouramis have DGD, but some do, and the aquarist should *aggressively* isolated suspected cases, particularly if the tank contains other Dwarf Gouramis (and potentially other Gouramis I suppose). Hope this helps, and thanks for writing! Neale.>

Dwarf Gourami, hlth.  1/29/08 Hi. I have been going though your WWM website. Thank you very much for your support, help and lots of information. I have a question about one of my dwarf Gouramis. He has been attacked by the male Platy 2-3 weeks ago and since that doesn't look right to me. He looks as if his scales are gone on one side and some of scales stick out like a pinecone, and color around that area getting darkish. He hides in the corner of the tank, always head up position. I noticed stringy white poop and bloat, slightly swollen around gills. Also his top fin has a crack ( you can see it on the photo) Today he wasn't interesting in the food. I checked the water parameters - they are good. My community tank is 55 gal. Not overstocked. I did 30% water changes, just in case. I usually do a weekly. I started to add a MelaFix. Could you help me to advise with the name of medication I can use to treat my guy? Thanks Larissa <Hello Larissa. If you're lucky, this is mere Finrot. Treat with a proper Finrot medication of your choice, but not Melafix which doesn't really work reliably. Maracyn is popular in the US, but here in the UK I prefer to use eSHa 2000. Use whatever you want really. If you're unlucky, this is an early stage of Dwarf Gourami Disease. This causes swellings and blisters on the body, as well as lethargy, loss of colour, loss of appetite, and eventually death. It's incurable. It is caused by a virus, and is so common among Dwarf Gouramis that I simply WILL NOT recommend anyone keep them. It is highly contagious, and will affect all Dwarf Gouramis including the "fancy" sorts like Neon Gouramis and Robin Gouramis. If you have any of these in the tank, assume they are infected, and likely doomed to a premature death. The reason Dwarf Gourami Disease is so common is that people keep buying the things, and so the breeders out in Singapore make no effort to stop the virus. There are much better Gouramis out there, such as Colisa fasciata and Colisa labiosus. Cheers, Neale.>

Dwarf gouramis?  hlth.  08/26/07
Hi! i was will be getting a pair of flame dwarf gouramis fo my 10 gallon. I have done a lot of research and know that gouramis catch disease very quickly. i was just wondering what medication would be good to use when i first get them. I know they can have internal diseases and want to get rid/prevent it.)
<Greetings. Dwarf gouramis -- Colisa lalia -- are indeed extremely prone to bacterial and viral diseases collectively known as "Dwarf Gourami Disease" (DGD). These are a problem because of how the fish are farmed. The odds on a standard, store-bought dwarf gourami getting DGD is better than 50% unless the fish is kept in soft, acidic water at slightly higher than average temperature (~5 degrees GH, pH 6.0-6.5, 25-28 degrees C). Even under these optimal conditions, there's no guarantees your fish won't come down with DGD. It's really as simple as this. Now, as for treatment -- there isn't any. None. Zilch. Nada. When a dwarf gourami is infected, particularly with the viral form, well, that's it. The best you can do is destroy the fish painlessly. There's no recovery, and antibiotics (naturally, this being a viral disease) have no effect whatsoever. Nor does adding salt to the tank, prayer, or sacrificing a cock at the altar of Asklepios. Commercially-bred dwarf gouramis are, in my opinion, a total waste of time and money. Far, FAR better to buy one of the similar but infinitely more robust species like Colisa labiosus or Colisa fasciata. These have the same basic colour but are about a third to a half as big as the Dwarf gourami. Obviously they are not really suitable for a 10 gallon tank, though a mated pair might be OK if the tank was a "long" design with plenty of floating plants. If you really want to use a 10 gallon tank for some labyrinth fish, consider one of the smaller Betta species (perhaps the delightful "peaceful Betta" Betta imbellis) or one of the droll little "talking" gouramis, Trichopsis spp. Hope this helps, Neale>
Re: dwarf gouramis? Now Trichogaster leeri...  08/26/07
thanks so much! i might try though... what about pearl gourami?
<"Trying" Dwarf gouramis is how the Southeast Asian fish farmers get away with mass producing disease-ridden livestock. Inexperienced aquarists think their next attempt will be successful, so retailers keep buying them from their wholesalers, and their wholesalers keep ordering them from the fish farmers. If the newbie aquarists stopped buying dwarf gouramis (except from local breeders) then the demand would vanish and the Southeast Asian fish farmers would have no choice but to change their farming methods. At the moment, one recent scientific study (J Go and R Whittington, 2006) found the incidence of Dwarf gourami Iridovirus in dwarf gouramis exported from Singapore to be a staggering 22%! Since the disease is EXTREMELY contagious, once an infected fish is in a wholesaler's, retailer's, or hobbyist's aquarium, that infected gourami will infect all the other dwarf gouramis. Just imagine if 22% of the people around you were infected with TB or Smallpox... how long do you think you'd be healthy? That's why I am so adamant that the demand for Dwarf gouramis dry up, so that this rotten aspect of the ornamental fish trade can be eliminated. Anyway, as for the Pearl gourami -- Trichogaster leeri -- this is an excellent gourami. It is peaceful, attractive, and very hardy. Because it is a medium-sized fish (around 12-14 cm when mature) its minimum space requirement is for a "long" 20 gallon tank (i.e., a tank at least 60 cm long). Obviously more is better. While it naturally comes from soft/acid water environments, in the aquarium it does not seem to be at all fussy, and here in Southern England it does very well in hard/alkaline water. Long lived, i.e., 5-10 years. Doesn't get "dwarf gourami disease" and basically hardy. Hope this helps, Neale>
Re: dwarf gouramis? Now Honeys... Gourami sel.... what's next?  08/26/07
wow. feel bad for those poor little dwarfs! what about honey gouramis? (i would like to stick with my 10 gallon) and also, what if the dwarf gouramis don't come from Asia? If i ask my LFS (awesome store, very friendly, fish look great!) if they come from Asia, they say no, the fish look good....? (i love dwarf gouramis!!!=)so funny!) sorry for all my questions! I want to be a good fish ''mommy''!
<Greetings. If the Dwarf gouramis don't come from Southeast Asia, then there's less change that they suffer from Dwarf gourami disease. The ideal is if they're locally bred (they aren't difficult to breed, so your local fish club might be able to help you there). Tropical fish shops may be able to tell you where their stock comes from. Many order directly from exporters in Southeast Asia, South America, or wherever. But a lot of stores get stuff through "middlemen", importers, and so the store might not know precisely where their livestock comes from. If you *do* want to try dwarf gouramis, then you need to know the signs of Dwarf gourami disease. Fish suffering from this begin by being lethargic, off their food, and shy. As things get worse they develop ulcers and patches of white dead skin, often looking a lot like they have Finrot. Then they die. If even one single fish shows these symptoms, then assume they're all infected. I personally wouldn't buy dwarf gouramis EVER except from a local breeder... but it's your money. Honey gouramis are resistant to the disease (as are most other gouramis) BUT they are intrinsically more delicate fish. They need soft/acid water, period. If you don't have that, they're likely to be short-lived. I honestly cannot recommend the alternatives too highly: Colisa labiosus and Colisa fasciata. These are easy fish that look like Dwarf gouramis but can be practically guaranteed to last for years. Being a bit bigger they're also less shy, and easier to tame. They're quite commonly traded, and not difficult to find. Please look them up in your aquarium book. Hope this helps, Neale>
Re: dwarf gouramis? Sel.   8/28/07
thank you so much! I'll ask and if the dwarfs are from Asia, I'll get a different gourami. You guys rock!
<Sounds like you have a plan. Good luck, and thanks for the kind words. Cheers, Neale>

Sick Red Honey Gourami : (   4/4/07
Hello!
<Hi there Krista>
I hope that you can answer my question.  I have looked every where for the answer. I have a sick Red Honey Gourami.  
<Sick? How?>
He is in a hospital tank.  I have checked both pH and nitrate levels and both are normal.  
<Think about what you have written here... This is not useful information... but your opinion re the facts that you should present...>
I just started giving him/her Melafix and will do this for another 6 days.
<This material is of little use>
One thing I am not too sure about is, should I leave the tank light on or off for the fish?
<Likely not important>
Would having it off have less stress on the fish?
<Perhaps>
If you have any other tips on helping my fish that would be much appreciated!  Thank you!  Have a good day! Krista
<... need more real data... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/GouramiDisFAQs.htm  and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Dwarf Gourami disorder... and successful trtmt.   3/3/07
Hello BobF and crew,
<Brian>
I've seen a few reports of bloating in dwarf gouramis on the WWM Daily pages lately and wanted to report a cure of this using Metronidazole/Praziquantel medicated food and erythromycin in the water.
<Please do!>
One of two dwarf gouramis in a US 10 gal tank began showing symptoms.  The tank is well planted, pH 7.0, 4*dKH, 8*dGH, 10mg/L nitrate and no detectable ammonia or nitrite (AP liquid test kits).  Other inhabitants were four Brochis cats.
<Need more room when grown...>
The symptoms displayed (only the one male Gourami had symptoms) were: First, he hung out at the top of the tank, gulping air, and then seemingly almost floating himself out of the tank with each gulp of air.  That lasted a day.  The next day he began laying on the bottom on his side, at about a 20 degree angle from horizontal.  This continued for a week during which I began a four week treatment with Jungle's anti-parasite food (Metronidazole/Praziquantel) consisting of three days feeding medicated food, then four days of regular food per week.  Halfway through the treatment, the dwarf Gourami did not appear to be getting any better and had developed open sores on his side.  After much frantic reading, I came to the conclusion he was experiencing "dwarf Gourami disease" a.k.a. "epizootic ulcerative syndrome", and expected to lose him very quickly.  I performed seven days of dosing 200mg erythromycin/day into the tank, and by day six he was eating and defecating again.  Completed the anti-parasite course, and he is looking very well -- no more lying on his side, very active and paying a lot of attention to the female dwarf Gourami.  Through all of this, the female never displayed a single symptom that anything was wrong.
<Interesting>
Now, six months later, he is still doing well, only the slightest discoloration on his side where the sores were that I can only see in certain light. The Metronidazole/Praziquantel food plus erythromycin appears to be effective on this problem.  He (Lazarus) went from nearly dead to a continued healthy life. Thank you for your efforts at WWM, -Brian
<Thank you for this important sharing, relating... You have very likely saved MANY Colisa lalia and hobbyists! Bob Fenner>
Re: Dwarf Gourami disorder  3/3/07
Hello again BobF,
<Brian>
I never meant for the Brochis to be in the 10gal for an extended period of time.  It was a quarantine tank until the Gourami got sick and the 29 gal the Brochis were meant to go to lost nine Corydoras in a very short time, losing both new young ones and a beautiful six year old C. julii.  Fearing a Corydoradinae-specific disorder the Brochis were never moved.
<Ah, thank you for this. Understand that I (sense that I should) respond to such open statements for the sake of others reading... on the Net... all goes on for quite a while, circuitously... Just wanting to make useful remark re the genus...>
Do you think the four fully-grown Brochis cats would be suitable tankmates for an 8" Chocolate Cichlid (H. temporalis) in a well-planted 75 gal tank?
<Yes, likely so... This species of Neotropical Cichlid can be a "wild card"... some becoming quite agonistic... but the Brochis are indeed tough.... and I do think having a school of them will be useful here>
The cichlid has been alone in the tank for 15 months, but seems friendly enough.  I've had to move Corys in the past whose fins were being nipped by a territorial Blood Parrot cichlid they had lived with for years, so I want to make sure the cats will be safe with the big H. temporalis. I really do hope some dwarf gouramis can be saved with the Metronidazole/Praziquantel + erythromycin treatment -- this fish's recovery was nothing short of miraculous.
<I assure you... your observations will be of tremendous value to others>
   I also found a very interesting reference while trying to sort this out - the American Society for Microbiology's 1974 "Evaluation of Aquarium Antibiotic Formulations" (Trust and Chipman, http://aac.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/6/4/379).  Reading through the concentrations required for effective inhibition of particular organisms helps in treatment selection. Thanks again to all the crew! -Brian
<Ah, yes... the industry has had this sort of "wake up" call before... the occasional challenge to prove the efficacy of such "med.s"... I do believe this (legislature) is due. BobF>

Sick Dwarf Gourami
Hello, I have a 5 gallon fresh water tank in addition to my 72 gallon brackish. This week one of two dwarf Gouramis in the freshwater tank has become sick with Popeye. I have been treating the tank with Epson salts (as I read in the WWM Faq's for Popeye) and antibiotics.
<Good treatment protocol. One note, it is better to use an antibiotic food versus medicating the entire tank.>
The Popeye has effected one side terribly. The swelling has yet to go down. I've also been doing daily saltwater baths to try to draw out some of the fluid behind the eye.
<This would not be my course of action. Popeye is not a terrible disease. Rather minor affliction that I would not treat so aggressively.>
I've seen no improvement, it's only gotten worse. This morning I got up and he is leaning against the side of the tank, breathing with some difficulty. When I fed them however, he did make an effort to swim up to have a bite. I'm at a loss, I do not want him to be in any discomfort, but I have had other fish pull through with other conditions before, so I am not hugely sure about euthanasia. I am not sure what to do. Should I keep treating him or should I euthanize the poor soul.
<I would not give up the fight just yet. Epsom salt, medicated food, and a good water change/cleaning to ensure peak water quality would be what I would do.>
Any help would be great. Thank you so much for your help. Take good care, Amy
<You too. -Steven Pro>