Honey Gourami not thriving please help!

[Goshfush]

Hello, 

I have one honey gourami that is small, not growing and barely eating. 

I have 3 more honey gouramis in the tank they are thriving, eating, pooing and very active at the top of the tank. This one sits on the bottom and often lies on her side. There are no other signs of disease but she doesn't look right. Onevof the other gouramis we got at the same time has outgrown her. I have tried many different types of food both frozen and dried but am not having much luck. She has been like this since I got her a couple of months ago but I feel like she is getting weaker. She perks up now and then than lies back down. I have been keeping her in a breeder box in the tank so she doesn't have to travel so far to gulp air and so the other fish don't disturb or out compete her for food. She poos very little compared to the others but when she does they look normal.

My tank is 125 litres, planted, GH 6, do weekly water tanks, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate are 0 and the PH is 6.8 All other fish are healthy. I really want to help her but I'm not sure what to do. Also I'm in Australia and we don't have much of a range of medication as you do in the US. Any advice or help is much appreciated.

[Goshfush]

[Hobbit]

Poor fishy! I’m not sure what’s wrong but I wonder if getting some food in her would help her gain strength. Do you have access to live foods? Maybe that would entice her to eat? Something like daphnia or medium brine shrimp or small-ish worms—anything that wiggles.

Since there aren’t any obvious signs of disease I’m not sure which way to point you. She may have some kind of internal problem that we have no way of knowing about.

Honestly the fact that she’s been weak for so long but hasn’t developed any signs of parasites or fungus makes me think you have a really clean tank!

[MaxM]

If you do a google search for "Honey Gourami on side" a lot comes up. I did a lot of research for you and it appears that it is most likely, "dwarf gourami Iridovirus". This issue actually is a big problem in Australia. Unfortunately, my understanding is there is little you can do for it other than removing it from spreading the virus to the other fish. 😞 

See the following links:

http://www.tfhmagazine.com//Areas/TFH2NA/img/TFH_Favicon.png Viral Aquarium Fish Diseases | Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine

WWW.TFHMAGAZINE.COM

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A longtime aquarist and current Curator of Fishes at the Toledo Zoo describes the illnesses that may afflict your fish beyond the commonly seen...

 (scroll down or search for "dwarf gourami Iridovirus")

Problem in Australia:

Detection of dwarf gourami iridovirus (Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus) in populations of ornamental fish prior to and after importation into Australia, with the first evidence of infection in domestically farmed Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus) - PubMed

PUBMED.NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV

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The movement of ornamental fish through international trade is a major factor for the transboundary spread of pathogens. In Australia, ornamental...

HOPE THIS HELPS!

 

Edited November 12, 2020 by MaxM

[Hobbit]

I was under the impression that honey gouramis weren’t susceptible to the viruses affecting dwarf gouramis. But maybe the viruses just affect honeys less?

[MaxM]

@Hobbit I was under the impression that Honey Gouramis were yellow. That fish does not look yellow.

[Hobbit]

Ah, I see. Some female honeys are gray. 👍 

[Goshfush]

Thank you so much for your kind replies! I think I'll see if I can get my hands on some live food. I was wondering if it is the virus but she has no lesions is this normal? Would you quarantine her or leave her in the main tank. There are lots of plants and hiding places in the main tank but maybe a smaller area would be better? It's such a mystery I really want to help her but I don't know how! 

[MaxM]

The other possibility is "Swim Bladder Disorder". See this: 

http://www.thesprucepets.com//static/5.61.0/icons/favicons/favicon.ico How to Treat a Swim Bladder Disorder in Aquarium Fish

WWW.THESPRUCEPETS.COM

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Swim bladder disorder refers to issues affecting the swim bladder, rather than a single disease. Affected fish will inappropriately float or sink.

 

[Hobbit]

@Goshfush If you’d like to try some meds with her or you think it might be a virus, it would be best to quarantine her so she can’t spread the disease to your other fishes. Either way, I think you’re smart to have her close to the water surface and away from other fish so she has a chance of getting some food.

Other than the swim bladder disorder that MaxM mentioned, the only other thing I can think of is metal poisoning. It’s a long shot in my mind because your other fish seem fine and I’m guessing you use something to neutralize chlorine and metals when you do water changes. It’s possible (though unlikely) she was poisoned before you got her though, and in that case I’m not sure there’s much you can do for her other than hope she regains her strength on her own. 

http://www.theaquariumwiki.com//favicon.ico Metal poisoning - The Free Freshwater and Saltwater Aquarium Encyclopedia Anyone Can Edit - The Aquarium Wiki

WWW.THEAQUARIUMWIKI.COM