Wezas Wezas
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  • Posted on: 9/10/2020 21:41
Dwarf Gourami with large growth. #1
I noticed this growth on the fish 2 days ago. It has gotten much bigger each day.

It looks like it's kind of fluffy/fuzzy, so thinking its maybe fungal.

PH 7.4 / ammonia 0.25ppm / Nitrite 0ppm / Nitrate 10ppm

160lt tank setup for about 4 months

Fluval U4

4 dwarf gourami, 10 neon tetra, 4 corrydora, 7 male guppies, 6 endless guppies.

Effected fish has been in tank for around 3 months.

4 weeks ago, 3 neon terta had, what I think, was cotton mouth. I added an interpet anti fungus and finrot treatment to the tank. After about a day and a half I decided to remove the 3 tetra into a treatment tank and did a large water change to the main tank as the treatment was making all the fish very lethargic and not eating properly. The main tank returned to normal after a few days after the water change.

I left the tetra in the treatment tank for 2 weeks. Replace their water and retreated. But they didn't recover and passed.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If this is cotton mouth/finrot related. Any recommendations for treatment?

Cheers

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/EgwoRKx4pcpxBGhg9
fcmf fcmf
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  • Posted on: 10/10/2020 17:46
Re: Dwarf Gourami with large growth. #2
A few questions:
* What test kit are you using for the ammonia? The reason I ask is because various test kits need interpreted slightly differently but really ammonia needs to be at 0 otherwise it causes health problems, potentially fatal.
* What is your tap water level for ammonia? Also, what type of dechlorinator are you using? Do you know if your water supplier uses chloramine?

Sorry about the neon tetras' demise.

There are a couple of possibilities that spring to mind that may account for this problem - lymphocystis or dwarf gourami iridovirus.

However, of more/crucial importance for the sake of *all* the fish is to get your ammonia to 0, as any presence of ammonia will impede any medication for sick fish from working (if indeed any is indicated as required) and a consistent reading of 0 ammonia may well resolve any health problems altogether without the need for medication as well as prevent health problems in fish that may not yet have succumbed.

Don't contemplate buying any more fish until this issue is resolved. [Long-term, it would be useful to work out whether you have soft or hard water so that you have fish whose requirements for softness/hardness in CaCO3 or German degrees hardness match those of your water.]

Hope this is helpful.
Wezas Wezas
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  • Posted on: 11/10/2020 23:10
Re: Dwarf Gourami with large growth. #3
API Fresh Water Master test kit.

My ammonia was 0 until I used the interpet anti fungus. It did a number on the tank.

Tap water is 0 ammonia and ridiculously soft. I add api salt and aqua buffer to add hardness and stabilise pH.

The declorinator is interpet bioactive tap safe plus.

No idea on the chloramine.

The large growth actually fell off and is regrowing again now.
BS001 BS001
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  • Posted on: 12/10/2020 15:09
Re: Dwarf Gourami with large growth. #4
That’s interesting I had something similar in my dwarf Gouramis mouth and debated for weeks with help on this forum as to whether I should medicate. I used king British disease clear which is a dual fungal and bacterial medication and used two doses each after 3-4 days. The growth in his mouth which I called a white lump went away and now months later I feel like it’s creeping back.

The problem with medicating the tank is that it also kills the good bacteria. I haven’t had the best luck with Gouramis as they tend to get sick / infected easily and didn’t know one of my other bloated dwarf gourami had the iridovirus until it was too late and lost her recently. The shopkeeper told me she was constipated if only I’d referred to this forum instead for advice!

I’m refraining from purchasing this species in future as they come with some challenging diseases and they are such a great fish with personality, losing them is sad.
fcmf fcmf
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Re: Dwarf Gourami with large growth. #5
The only point I would add to BS001's helpful advice (regarding why you had a short-term case of ammonia presence) and their helpful personal experience of this species is:
* my concern over whether you might have had chloramine in your water, and might therefore have needed a different dechlorinator to address that, is unfounded - if your tap water ammonia is 0, then you won't have this.