Gourami is dying

[FreshyFresh]

Sorry if I missed it, but what size tank is this and how much water does it hold?

I question your water parameter readings. 0ppm nitrates can indicate a problem with the nitrogen cycle.

A 20% WC every two weeks is likely not nearly enough.

 

[Fishnerd360]

Sorry if I missed it, but what size tank is this and how much water does it hold?

I question your water parameter readings. 0ppm nitrates can indicate a problem with the nitrogen cycle.

A 20% WC every two weeks is likely not nearly enough.

9 gallon with around 8 gallons due to driftwood and rocks. Maybe my test kit is old, it’s a API test kit and the only reason why I do 20% every 2 weeks is because I haven’t seen any reason why I would need to do it more frequently with this tank. In a different planted tank I had, my nitrates also showed zero, but I didn’t see anything wrong with this tank.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Are you following the nitrate test instructions exactly as written by API?

You need to shake the crap out of bottle #2 for at least one minute, it can take longer if bottle #2 has sat for a long time. Then shake the completed test tube until your arm goes numb, then let the test tube sit for 5 min before taking your reading.

With plants or not, with the live critters you have in that tiny amount of water and food being added, some nitrates should be present.

I've never had good luck with any dwarf variety of gourami, but I'm just trying to help you rule out a water quality problem first.

 

[Fishnerd360]

Are you following the nitrate test instructions exactly as written by API?

You need to shake the crap out of bottle #2 for at least one minute, it can take longer if bottle #2 has sat for a long time. Then shake the completed test tube until your arm goes numb, then let the test tube sit for 5 min before taking your reading.

With plants or not, with the live critters you have in that tiny amount of water and food being added, some nitrates should be present.

I've never had good luck with any dwarf variety of gourami, but I'm just trying to help you rule out a water quality problem first.

Yeah, I followed the instructions as written, i probably didn’t shake the solution 2 long enough since it had been sitting for a while. I’ll test it again soon.

 

[Fishnerd360]

I tested it again, this time I shoot solution 2 for around 2 mins and still shows up as 0. Maybe it’s time I need to buy a new kit if they expire.

 

[Gourami Swami]

If your water really is fine, and no other fish showing stress, I would chalk it up to iridovirus. Unfortunately the dwarf gouramis are very susceptible to it and there's really nothing to be done if the fish has it. Usually not a very fast killer, so if the fish doesn't improve in a day or two you may want to euthanize

 

[Fishnerd360]

He’ll eat but can’t stay balanced/floating ish. I am seeing a “lump” near his tail, I’ll try to get a picture.

 

[Fishnerd360]

Maybe a tumor, or is this a sign of iridovirus?

 

[Fishnerd360]

I left my test tubes still out just in case anything new happened. And now my nitrates read 5 after an hour+, and been a like that for 3 hours.

 

[Fishnerd360]

3 days ago he would seem fine for half the day, 2 days ago he would swim a little but would still eat, yesterday he couldn’t swim at all but will eat if it feed him with tweezers, today I found him dead.