Sick Pearl Gourami's

[DMGGT]

We are new to this forum and are looking for your advice and wisdom please.

About a year ago we bought a 240 litre tank that came with a variety of fish.   We lost a couple of the older fish at the end of last year.   Early this year we purchased two Pearl Gouramis from a reputable supply.     About 5 weeks ago, one of the Pearls developed a lump on its side that then turned into an ulcer looking wound.   It died a couple of days later.   Our second Pearl then started to not eat as much, not be as active and staying at the top of the water.   We did a water change and planted some new plants and following that the Pearl changed colour.   We presumed due to stress.    It is only the front half of the Pearl that has changed colour.   It is now about 10 days since it changed colour and it is still alive but still not eating and staying at the top of the water level.   Today, we are concerned that our big Red Rainbow is sick as well as it is not as active, is not eating like normal and has turned a very dark colour.

I tried researching the unusual Pearl colour change and could only find one reference to it and it indicated that it may be iridovirus.

Our water tests are all ok.

I have attached two photos of the Pearl with the lump and two photos of the current Pearl with the colour change.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[maxxi1]

I've never come across the colour change but if the lump was by a fin sometimes this happens due to water quality, I know you have said water is all okay but can you post the actual parameters as well please. Ammonia nitrite and nitrate.

[Caryl]

What other fish are in the aquarium? I have never seen a colour split like that but had a look and found someone who had a similar problem and it was suggested it was the result of damage to the chromaophores (colour cells) and could be the result of physical injury or infection. I'm wondering if you have a fish that is getting nasty and attacking others, causing the lump and colour change.

[DMGGT]

Thanks for your replies.   Sadly, the Red Rainbow, ended up having white fluffy muscous looking poop, so we actually euthanised it with clove oil.     Our second Pearl died the following morning.   The Red Rainbow, was probably quite old, so could have been old age for him.    We are thinking maybe a parasite or infection of some sort though.     We have not seen any evidence of fish attacking or being nasty to each other.

We still have 1 x  Siamese Algae eater,  2 x Rainbow Bozemans, 2 x Giant Danios, 2 x Venezuela cory's, 1 x red Whiptail, 6 x Cardinals, 1 x Starlight Pleco, 5 x zebra loaches.

Our water is as follows:

Ph 6.8

Ammonia 0

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 40

We have just bought some aquarium salt to put the fish into for a brief time and also will get some methylene blue to treat the tank.    Tonight we cleaned the filters as our water was starting to have very small bits floating around rather than being crystal clear like it used to be.

Thank you again for your thoughts maxxi1 and Caryl.