# Awfully weird (sickly) gourami behavior. advice?



## R/CBOONE72 (Jan 14, 2011)

I purchased a dwarf gourami from petsmart instead of my usual lfs. I got it home, along with my botia kubotai babys, i put botia in seperate tank. put gourami with other fish in 20g. with 4 gold barbs, 3 albino cory. tank is cycled, nitrates 20-40. other fish are fantastic. voracious eaters when i feed. the DG was fine the first two days, out and about. would not eat flakes but enjoyed freeze dried brine shrimp. he was about three inches already, very virbrant. He all the sudden went behind the plants, by heater. I thought nothing of it till yesterday, I wondered about him, I removed the plants, he scurried out but swam fast and tight circles. His tail slighty grey at the tip and dark blue streaks on his face. now all he can do is lay on his side, still has decent color, on the bottom and cant swim. he only moves his head back and forth to swim, gets him no where, he is all over the tank and is breathing just as he was when i brought him home. He does not act like a dying fish, i began pondering the though he went partialy brain dead, broken back? his fins are discolored slightly, obviously stress. sometimes he manages to get himself wedged upright in plants and sits for awhile, moves somewhere else, wont eat tho. help please thanks. tanks is 78-79F


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## Platysaurus (Oct 7, 2010)

It might be swim bladder. I've had a problem with it before. It was probably swimming in circles because swim bladder basically takes away their balance. Does he seem to be stuck at the top one minute, and then unable to get off of the bottom the next? That would be a more sure sign.


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## R/CBOONE72 (Jan 14, 2011)

He is never at the top. Has never been to the top since in my tank, first two days he was mid level, now he is on his side on the gravel by the heater. Has not moved all night, but still has regular gill function.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Check into Hexamita, and also Gourami virus


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## R/CBOONE72 (Jan 14, 2011)

Well I believe is is hexamita. It's hard to say but I don't have what it says to treat with.


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## R/CBOONE72 (Jan 14, 2011)

aafter looking at pictures of healthy one, I definatly notice a depression in top of head.


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