How to cure a sick gourami

A popular and vibrant addition to many home aquariums, gouramis give the tank a pop of color and individuality. But occasionally, even the toughest gouramis can become sick. Take immediate action to address any unusual behavior you observe in your gourami, such as a lack of appetite, strange swimming patterns, or obvious signs of distress.

The first step in giving your gourami the proper care is figuring out what might be wrong. Problems such as dropsy, parasite infections, or fin rot are common. Every one of these ailments has a unique set of symptoms and needs to be treated with a particular strategy. You can assist your fish in healing and getting back to its vibrant, healthy self by identifying the symptoms early and taking the proper action.

We’ll walk you through some useful procedures in this guide for identifying and treating common ailments in gouramis. We’ll go over how to recognize symptoms, the significance of water quality, and the most effective ways to use prescription drugs and home remedies. Your gourami can return to swimming contentedly in your aquarium with the correct care.

Gourami diseases

If we take into account the prevalent illnesses that are innate to gourami, we can emphasize:

Lymphocytosis

The first signs are the body’s open wounds showing up. They have an appearance similar to black spots or gray nodules. The impacted regions start to swell. An infected person has a semolina-like appearance. On the fish’s body, however, the rash is white when it comes to ichthyophthirius (manka).

Pseudomonas

The gourami initially has dark patches on its body, which develop into ulcers in a few days. Open wounds are a common entry point for other diseases, such as saprolegniosis.

Aeromonosis

Food and the pathogen enter the aquarium together. Weakened individuals are the ones who initially exhibit the first signs of infection. The scales first start to rise, followed by a refusal to eat. Since they spend all of their time at the bottom of the aquarium, gourami essentially never move. Aeromonosis is evident if the fish’s belly is swollen and red spots have started to appear.

Fish that are infected should be moved right away into a different container and given treatment right away. The disease will spread to the remaining underwater world residents if this is not done, which will lead to the start of the mass death.

You should take quick action to bring your gourami back to health if it appears sick. As different illnesses require different treatments, start by identifying the symptoms. Examine the quality of the water in your tank because unsanitary conditions frequently result in illness. Check the water’s cleanliness, adjust the temperature, and, if needed, add medication. A healthy habitat and careful observation of your fish can go a long way toward aiding in your gourami’s recovery.

Atypical behavior is a cause for concern

Experience has shown that practically every disease has symptoms that can be used to identify an infection. At first, gastrointestinal issues manifest, the gourami loses all appetite, and it stops moving. It’s critical to realize that a single symptom may be present in twelve different infections. This is the reason it’s important to weigh all of your options rather than just one.

Scale peeling

If the fish’s scales are peeling, the following could be the cause:

• damage to the individual on decorations or equipment with sharp edges. It is also worth considering that gourami can fight among themselves or with other inhabitants if the neighborhood is chosen incorrectly or the volume of the aquarium is critically small;
• the absence of scales can also be caused by a bacterial or fungal infection, which results in a disruption in the functioning of the internal organs;
• osmotic stress (sharp change or other discrepancy in the chemical composition of water) – this leads to scale loss, deep wounds.

In the event that a fish has wounds, water will seep into them and wash out the salts, causing stress and pain syndrome.

Red fins

If the fins become red, fish poisoning has most likely occurred and the aquarium’s nitrogen balance has been upset. For these reasons, it is worthwhile to collect water samples and conduct tests right away. It’s also important to keep in mind that if treatment is administered and medication dosage is not followed, the fins may become red.

The appearance of mucus

Alkalosis

The gourami develops white mucus on its body, gets agitated, loses its hue and turns transparent, and breathes frequently. After the afflicted person is moved into a clean water container, the acidity level is progressively raised to the acceptable range.

Acidosis

Gourami starts to exhibit extreme anxiety and become fearful of nearly everything. You can observe how they swim in circles while looking for somewhere to hide. The degree of acidity is progressively lowered during treatment.

Costiosis

The fish’s body produces mucus, and it constantly rubs against the ground, plants, and decorations. Simultaneously, the fins may stick together, the appetite completely vanishes, and blue spots may appear. You will need to prepare a bath with salt and/or malachite green for the treatment.

The appearance of red spots

Not all red spots indicate illness. These are typically color characteristics that emerge during mating or under stressful conditions. In addition, red spots may be bruises brought on by internal problems or injury. To get rid of parasites, specific preparations are made. Larger wounds will require medical attention; smaller wounds usually heal on their own.

Red spots can appear in various locations on the fish’s body and, based on the existence of concomitant symptoms, may either be a sign of an illness or disappear on their own. Still, this is always a good excuse to keep a closer eye on the fish!

Among the signs and symptoms are:

• blue opacities form along the edges of the fins, forming a border;
• spots appeared as a result of blockage of blood vessels;
• fin rot;
• eyes become cloudy;
• white ulcers appear on the fins.

The water is heated to the highest allowable temperature during the treatment process. In addition to adding special preparations, 40% of the total volume is changed in water every three days.

Bloated belly

The fish starts to refuse food and becomes inactive during bloating. Though there could be a number of causes, they can all be classified as either safe or not compatible with life.

When examining the most prevalent causes, the following aspects come to light:

1. Perhaps the most common and at the same time pleasant reason is that the female"s belly is filled with eggs, so it seems swollen. Some females swell so much before spawning that it may seem as if they have a tumor.
2. The second reason is the appearance of tapeworms. They can be brought in with food. As a rule, they do not cause harm. However, if you create favorable conditions for them, the reproduction process will not take long to come. Due to the large number of tapeworms, the gourami begins to weaken, it lacks nutrients, which can lead to death. Anthelmintic drugs are used for treatment.
3. Gourami swell due to an unbalanced diet, with severe and frequent overfeeding, this can also be caused by obesity.

It will not be possible to save the sick person if the swelling is brought on by an internal organ tumor.

Although caring for a sick gourami can be difficult, you can frequently assist your fish in recovering and thriving if you take the proper precautions. To begin with, pay close attention to your gourami’s symptoms and make sure you’re treating the problem the right way. Finding the underlying cause of any issue—be it bacterial, parasitic, or related to water quality—is essential to implementing a successful treatment plan.

Retaining optimal water quality is essential for both illness prevention and recovery. To maintain a healthy environment, periodically check the water’s parameters and make any necessary adjustments. Toxins and dangerous bacteria can be avoided by cleaning your tank and doing partial water changes as needed.

Apart from treating the water quality, you might want to use medication made especially for the kind of disease your gourami has. Recovery may take some time, so pay close attention to the dosage guidelines and exercise patience. Isolating the sick fish in a quarantine tank can occasionally help stop the sickness from spreading and make it simpler to keep an eye on their recovery.

Finally, make sure your gourami is getting enough food and don’t overfeed it. A healthy diet strengthens the defenses against illness and promotes healing. Your gourami can return to its vibrant self and maintain its beauty as a feature of your aquarium with proper care and attention.

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