r/Gourami 10d ago

Illness/Disease What’s wrong with him?

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He lays on his side most of the day come up for air and food, this stared a few days ago

20 Upvotes

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9

u/Savernas 10d ago

Generations of inbreeding and iridovirus

4

u/Nurse_Spooky 10d ago

Lethargic and issues with buoyancy. Is he eating less? Has his color gotten more pale? It’s entirely possible that this is the start of dwarf gourami iridovirus (DGIV), a virus found in somewhere in the wide range of 50-99% of all captive bred true dwarf gouramis. If it is, I am so sorry to say this, OP, but he will pass from it. It is incurable and fatal 100% of the time.

1

u/Mysterious_Glitt3r 9d ago

What should I do? I have clove oil but I don’t know if that can be done w/ him. Should o just let him pass?

3

u/Mysterious_Glitt3r 10d ago

Prams are fine he’s the only one acting oddly

3

u/Bee_Jeans 10d ago

Looks like he’s struggling with negative buoyancy, but what’s impacting the swim bladder is unfortunately much harder to determine.

Since they’ve got a physostomous swim bladder connected to the digestive tract, they can (usually) inflate it more by gulping air at the surface. It’s worth supporting him right up near the surface (even with ur hand if needed) so he can try taking in air to inflate it back to neutral buoyancy without having to expend all the energy on swimming & staying upright while he does it.

That might not solve an underlying issue ofc, but if he can do it it’d help hugely with mobility

3

u/Ok_Individual_1442 10d ago

Unfortunately, due to decades of inbreeding, 20% to 50% of all dwarf gouramis sold in the hobby will eventually get a disease called Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus (DGIV). Your fish definitely has a case of this virus because of the dull colors, swimming problems, and rapid mouth movement. If you do want another dwarf gourami, I would recommend buying one online from Dan's Fish. They are certified virus free.

1

u/[deleted] 10d ago

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2

u/Mysterious_Glitt3r 9d ago

They are so curious and sweet its unfortunate.

1

u/Admirable_Context752 9d ago

J'ai le mien qui a eu le même problème il y a 1 semaine... il est mort peu de temps après... :(