Gourami with swelling: help needed

[Vicki PS]

I have a 5 gall. hex tank with one coral blue gourami, 8 neon tetras and 2
albino corys. The tank has been stocked for 8 days, after fishless cycling,
although I've had the gourami in a small tank sharing with 2 guppies for a
few weeks prior to moving him to the new tank. There's one live plant on a
chunk of bog wood in the tank. Temp is usually around 28 -- 29 deg C (it's
nearly summer here in Australia). Water parameters are normal -- ammonia 0,
nitrIte 0, nitrAte 20, pH 7.6.

I usually feed OSI Staple Granules, with occasional flake food, frozen brine
shrimp or freeze-dried bloodworm. Two days ago, I fed some cooked, crushed,
de-shelled peas and carrot. Sine then, the gourami has become very quiet,
he's not eating and there is large swelling on his right side, behind and
slightly below his pectoral fin. His belly on the left side is slighty
enlarged, but it's very pronounced on the right. His colour is normal, his
fins aren't clamped, his scales aren't protruding, his eyes are clear and
there's no sign of any other abnormality.

At first I thought constipation, but the swelling is now very asymmetrical.
Any thoughts? Tumour, internal blockage, intestinal parasite? Any help
greatly appreciated!

Vicki PS

[Margolis]

"Vicki PS" > wrote in message
...
> I have a 5 gall. hex tank with one coral blue gourami, 8 neon tetras and 2
> albino corys. The tank has been stocked for 8 days, after fishless
cycling,
> although I've had the gourami in a small tank sharing with 2 guppies for a
> few weeks prior to moving him to the new tank. There's one live plant on a
> chunk of bog wood in the tank. Temp is usually around 28 -- 29 deg C
(it's
> nearly summer here in Australia). Water parameters are normal -- ammonia
0,
> nitrIte 0, nitrAte 20, pH 7.6.
>
> I usually feed OSI Staple Granules, with occasional flake food, frozen
brine
> shrimp or freeze-dried bloodworm. Two days ago, I fed some cooked,
crushed,
> de-shelled peas and carrot. Sine then, the gourami has become very quiet,
> he's not eating and there is large swelling on his right side, behind and
> slightly below his pectoral fin. His belly on the left side is slighty
> enlarged, but it's very pronounced on the right. His colour is normal, his
> fins aren't clamped, his scales aren't protruding, his eyes are clear and
> there's no sign of any other abnormality.
>
> At first I thought constipation, but the swelling is now very
asymmetrical.
> Any thoughts? Tumour, internal blockage, intestinal parasite? Any help
> greatly appreciated!
>
> Vicki PS
>
>


Are you certain it is a "he" and not an eggbound "she"? Female gourami's
will fill with eggs, become eggbound and die without a mate to spawn with.
You should always buy gourami's in male/female pairs. But not in your case
since your tank is too tiny for even one gourami ;o(

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[miskairal]

Vicki PS wrote:

> I usually feed OSI Staple Granules,

> Vicki PS
>
>
I usually feed the OSI staple granules too (am also in Oz) but I can't
seem to get them anymore. The petshop rang their supplier (maybe it was
OSI themselves) who said they dont' make them anymore :(

miskairal

[Vicki PS]

"miskairal" > wrote in message
...
> Vicki PS wrote:
>
> > I usually feed OSI Staple Granules,
>
> > Vicki PS
> >
> >
> I usually feed the OSI staple granules too (am also in Oz) but I can't
> seem to get them anymore. The petshop rang their supplier (maybe it was
> OSI themselves) who said they dont' make them anymore :(

Bugger. Have you found a good substitute? I like the OSI granules because
they're a good size for the smaller fish and fry, and the sinking ones keep
the corys happy.

BTW, my gourami died.

Vicki PS