# Opaline Gourami Troubles



## mydartswinger (Sep 7, 2014)

After cycling my new 38 gallon for a bit over a week (including adding in food for the bacteria to eat), the water parameters checked out fine, so I decided to go ahead and put some fish in the tank. So on Tuesday, 09/16, I pick up a juvenile male Opaline Gourami and 2 Pepper Corys. The fish are seeming to adjust well to the tank, hiding mostly, but staying active (particularly the Gourami). The Gourami is starting to keep his dark spots more. All 3 eating well. Until I go to feed them this evening.

The Corys are still eating and hunting for food in the gravel. However, the Gourami is staying by the heater with his mouth at the surface and won't eat. I know Gouramis are labrynth fish, but he's not submerging often or for very long. When he does, he seems to have some trouble swimming, a little tilted to his left with his nose up at a 45+ degree angle. He also has what looks like thin strings of pearls coming off of his left "feeler".

pH is 7.2, temp is 78 F, 0ppm Ammonia, 0ppm Nitrates, 0ppm Nitrites. The water is a bit cloudy (thinking that it may be from overfeeding). I did do a 6 gallon change on Monday, 09/15 and am looking to do a 12 gallon change this Monday.

What could be wrong with him? The closest thing that I've found that I think it could be is Freshwater Ich, but I haven't seen any images or anything saying that the spots could grow in strings. Is it ich?

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## mydartswinger (Sep 7, 2014)

The "strings of pearls" have fallen off, but no other signs of improvement. He's lethargic, hangs near the top, won't eat, and his fins are droopy. Leading me to think that it's not ich, but the onset of dropsy.

Is this possibly the case?


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## chenowethpm (Jan 8, 2014)

It doesn't sound like you're tank is cycled with zeros for all the tests. You should have some nitrates. You should change 50% of the water pronto. Do you know about the nitrogen cycle?
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fish-poop-you-primer-8310.html


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## big b (Jun 28, 2014)

i hope he gets better.


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## mydartswinger (Sep 7, 2014)

I've been reading on here and talking to folks at a couple of LFSs about the nitrogen cycle. By no means am I an expert, I'm still very new to it, but I thought that I had enough of an understanding of it to get the aquarium started. I dosed the tank daily with Quick Start (later Stability after the Quick Start ran out) for a week, and put some small amounts of flake food in (still no fish at the time) twice to give the process a "kick start". I explained everything that I'd done to get the tank going to the folks at the LFSs, and brought a water sample to one of them (one that does setups and maintenance for businesses and individuals). They said I was good to go (they got the same readings that I did on their tests, which were the same readings that I posted here. They haven't changed at all since I set up the tank.). 

The tank had been cycling for 11 days when I got the fish (water was untreated and filtering for 3 days, then treated with Quick Start/Stability for 6 days, stopping 2 days before getting the fish, then did a water change without a gravel vacuum the day before getting them). Symptoms came on 4 days after in bag drip acclimating the fish to the tank, then netting them in. I treated the tank with Stress Coat after getting the fish in the tank.

As for the Gourami himself, I was hoping so to, but unfortunately, he passed away Sunday before I could get off of work and get the water changed. All within less than 24 hours of noticing symptoms. I didn't do anything during that time because I had no idea what was wrong and didn't know where to start. I didn't get to read chenowethpm's message until right before I had to get to work Sunday, and the Gourami was still alive then. The Corys seem to be doing fine. Hiding a lot, but eating and rummaging.

I've also been told that the Gourami's condition also could've been due to water pollution from overfeeding (I was feeding dime sized amounts twice daily for the Gourami and 2 Corys).

I did a 12 gallon change after I got off of work Sunday and got the Gourami out of the tank. Today I picked up some Tetra Lifeguard and am treating the tank with it as a precaution in case of illness. Filter cartridges are out and thrown away (filter is still running with the bio filters in place) and the lights are off. I'll be treating the tank with the Lifeguard through Friday and do another 12 gallon change on Saturday, replacing the filter cartridges after the change.

Throughout this process, I'll be keeping a close eye on the Corys.

Should I do another water change shortly after the one on Saturday, or would that be too much stress for the Corys to handle?


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