Dwarf gourami bloated...moving very slowly...

[Barracuda]

Hi, dont know whether this is the right place to post or not, but I have recently purchased 4 dwarf gourami from a well known aquarium shop chain. As i brought them home, i noticed one of them, a blue one, looked rather "bloated" - its stomach was quite fat. When i released it, the other 3 dwarf gouramis swam out happily, however the blue one stayed in the corner, and didnt really move much, with its mouth constantly opening and closing. It has been about an hour and it still hasnt changed...is this a problem? I would hate to have bought a sick fish, with it to die soon!
Please help!

[Hollowman]

Give it a dose of epsom salts, it might be a blockage. I would do this in a hospital tank, just in case it dies without you knowing.
I am guessing you never qt'd these fish? you may now run the risk of transmitting a new disease to your existing stock

[Barracuda]

I dont think he is constipated as i saw him do a white poo...is this normal? Do you think he has dropsy? He isnt VERY fat like a porcupine, rather he just has a bit of a fat stomach. Will peas help or is this for constipation too? He still isnt moving much, hiding in the plants.

[lpiasente]

White poo sounds like worms.

[Barracuda]

Is it possible that it is just fat and shy?

[Barracuda]

White poo sounds like worms.

Is that a problem...how do I cure it? Should i try feeding it mashed up peas?

[lpiasente]

Yep it is a problem and all your fish should be wormed. There is a sticky here on the illness and meds site with all the information. Big L and prazi.

[Barracuda]

Yep it is a problem and all your fish should be wormed. There is a sticky here on the illness and meds site with all the information. Big L and prazi.

How can I be absolutely sure that it is worms...will it spread to all the other fish?

[Barracuda]

I should also add that it is a blue gourami...similar looking one to this:
http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_powder.php
Do you think that its just its colour that makes it look like it has a bloated stomach? Or do the white poos give it away...?

[lpiasente]

Worming you fish is something some people do every 6 months just like you worm a cat or a dog. I worm all new fish. They go into qt and are wormed with big l and then prazi. Have a read of the stickies on worming

[Barracuda]

Worming you fish is something some people do every 6 months just like you worm a cat or a dog. I worm all new fish. They go into qt and are wormed with big l and then prazi. Have a read of the stickies on worming

Cool, thanks for your advice.
Do you have a blue dwarf gourami? Do you notice a bulge in it stomach area?

[Hollowman]

I don't think you are listening....

Constipation means you use epsom salts .at 1tsp per 10 gallons
Worms means Big L and Prazi
Did you read the sticky on worms

Can you post up your water parameterrs please:

Ammonia
NitrIte
NitrAte
Ph
Water chsnge volume and frequency

[lpiasente]

I have had gouramis in the past just like this one. Sometimes they have had potty bellies. The white poo is quite possibly worms. As hollowman asked did you read the sticky on worms. This will help you understand if worms are what you are looking at and then it will tell you how to worm them.

[Barracuda]

Thanks for all the help guys
I have been monitoring it for the past few days and noticed that the white poos have stopped - it has turned brown again. As for the bulge in the stomach...maybe it is a female?
Thanks again!

[luckylugs]

Your Goorami has a desise known as DGD or Dwarf Gourami Desise. It is incurable and always fatal. First it is a male as females have little or no colour. Second the bigest percentage of Guoramis are imported from asia and the dgd. is prolific in the streams. It has been found that 20% of them have it. Once in a tank with infected fish it will soon catches it. Once the scales start to pinecone death is nigh. Most respectable LFS wont stock them. Put him in the freezer now. Sorry. Altho dgd is contagious it will only efect other members of the Gouramie species.

[Barracuda]

Your Goorami has a desise known as DGD or Dwarf Gourami Desise. It is incurable and always fatal. First it is a male as females have little or no colour. Second the bigest percentage of Guoramis are imported from asia and the dgd. is prolific in the streams. It has been found that 20% of them have it. Once in a tank with infected fish it will soon catches it. Once the scales start to pinecone death is nigh. Most respectable LFS wont stock them. Put him in the freezer now. Sorry. Altho dgd is contagious it will only efect other members of the Gouramie species.

How can you be sure that it is DGD? In this websitse, have a look at the female pics - theres a blue one, and it looks like it has a bulging stomach:
http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=269372
I did buy the fish from a respectable LFS, they have 7 stores throughout NSW - they are quite well known.