gourami fish diseases
Gourami Fish Diseases
Gouramis are among some of the most common tropical freshwater fish species that find their way in a lot of aquariums, owing to their liveliness and bright colors. Read about some common gourami fish diseases, in the following article, to know what afflicts your fish when it acts odd or looks sick.
- Freshwater Ich: Caused by the freshwater protozoa Ichtyopthirius, this is one of the most common blue and dwarf gourami fish diseases, that appears as white grain-like nodules on the skin, and the affected fish exhibits various other signs of ill-health, such as cloudy eyes, loss of appetite, aversion towards schooling, preferring to stay near the bottom of the aquarium/pond, abnormally fast respiration, and formation of lesions around the dermal nodules. This protozoan infection also affects various other freshwater fish such as Siamese fighting fish, Cichlids and Clown Loaches.
- Costia Infection: This is also a protozoan infection which affects a lot of freshwater ornamental fish species. The symptoms typically include the skin of the fish becoming cloudy, with occasional incidences involving appearance of discolored blotches under the scales. Dark blotches usually symptomize a wide array of protozoan infections as well as infections caused by water contamination.
- Fish Flukes: Flukes are parasitic flatworms that settle inside the body of the fish, draining out all nutrients from its body, and making the host weak and pale. A fluke infestation may be possible if the fish exhibits any of these symptoms - scraping against hard surfaces, development of mucus over gills, rapid respiration (seen as rapid gill movement), drooping and decaying of fins, the color of the fish turning pale, etc.
- Nematodes Infection: Freshwater fish are often easy targets of thread worms or nematodes, that attach themselves within the host's digestive canal. Sometimes, these nematodes can be seen hanging out of the host fish's body from the anal opening.
- Fungal Diseases: A lot of fungal diseases such as mouth rot, mouth fungus, flesh decays, etc., affect freshwater fish and make their existence a misery, unless steps to clean up the fish as well as the water (by replacing water, giving fish a bath and medicating the water with antifungal solutions) is taken during the early stages of infection.
- Viral Disease: Many aquarium and fish tank owners who keep gourami species mention a peculiar behavioral affliction that seems to typically affect these particular species. The gourami in question becomes diminished in body mass over time, and gets reddish spots on its skin. They also exhibit short spurts of hyperactivity, swimming in circles all around the aquarium/fish tank. Loss of appetite is also common. This is typically known as Dwarf Gourami Disease, as this viral infection seems to typically target this particular gourami species.
- Tail and Fin Rot: This is a bacterial infection that is very common among major blue gourami fish diseases, though it also affects a lot of other freshwater fish species as well. As the name suggests, the tail and fins show signs of decay and discoloration, as the tissues are eaten up by pathogenic bacteria.