Gourami not doing good

[Annie]

Hello, I just noticed today for the first time that my gourami  keepsis laying on the ground this is the first time I’ve ever seen him act like this. I change the water I check the water first which is perfectly on point I did a water change all the other fish in there seem happy but I did lose one small one tetra last week. Is there any advice of how to save him or maybe this is just his time to go?

[Ken Burke]

Check your temperature.  If it is too low some fish may turn lethargic like that.  If you can post a picture it may help as well.  

Oh just noticed, you posted this in intro and greetings.  Welcome!

 

[Annie]

The temp is 85%. When I try to go take a picture of him he gets up and start swimming A little bit

[lindabee53]

Welcome!

I don't know anything helpful, but I expect someone knowledgeable will come along.

[JettsPapa]

Unfortunately, due to their popularity dwarf gouramis have been overbred, and not always with the best genetics.  They're prone to health issues that don't seem to bother other gourami species.

[Wally]

In my experience, they aren't hardy fish. I've lost some in conditions that were fine for other fish. 

[meadeam]

On 12/7/2021 at 10:19 PM, Annie said:

The temp is 85%. When I try to go take a picture of him he gets up and start swimming A little bit

 

If you mean 85 degrees F, that might be a bit on the warm side unless I am mistaken.

I've had bad luck with dwarf gourami as well.  I've had 2 since rejoining the hobby a couple years ago, and neither of them lasted a full year.  I still have other fish from that period.  I am sure I made a mistake, but whatever it was I don't feel it was an obvious, egregious error.  

Gourami are cousins of the betta, and some betta (I've heard... never kept one myself) lay down on their side when resting.  Perhaps your Gourami does as well?  Otherwise I would suspect a swim bladder issue.  If it were a bladder issue, he probably wouldn't be able to right himself though.  If he swims normally and responds to food, he may just be an odd fish.

Edited December 8, 2021 by meadeam

[Annie]

Thanks for responding. He seems to be doing better today but I did notice I have one glass ghost fish left who normally hides in the Cave but he’s come out and I see he has ICK again. I’ve dealt with this a few times recently. I suspect my substrate is the culprit I don’t know why but I hate my substrate and I wish I could change it out easily

I am going to my fish store right now to go buy more of that medicine.

I think I may have turned the temperature up a little because I had heard that helps with the ICK 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@AnnieI agree with everything that has been said about dwarf gourami genetics. 

So yes, it is recommended to turn the temp up for ich. It should be done slowly, about 2 degrees per day over several days. Once the ich has resolved you should do the same again heading the other direction to get the temp back down. Gouramis often like things middle of the road temp wise - about 75-78 degrees. Temporarily they can go up or down temp wise. Aquarium salt or Instant Ocean etc is also helpful for ich. 1 tablespoon per 3-5 gallons can be helpful along with Ich-X - I usually do the 1:5 to start, if they respond well then I go up.

After Ich fish are prone to bacterial infections so some advocate for using Marcyn in conjunction with it but it also is quite reasonable to use the salt and wait before doing so. I also will throw in an extra airstone to help oxygenate the fish as it reduces stress. I follow the recommendations for water changes after the meds. You do have to do a good vacuum of the substrate after treating for ich - as a parasite it drops off on the substrate. I usually do this faithfully every 2-3 days for a couple weeks to catch any stragglers. 

Let us know how it is going and how we can help.