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Just found this web site ad forum in a quick online search.

I am in dire need of help ASAP and appreciate any feedback anybody can give me. Never had fish as a grown up, so I am completely unknowledgable on the subject. My boyfriend hardly knows anything, either.

My boyfriend just got a new 55 gal tank from a friend who's moving away. Along with the tank he got a kissing gourami (I think).

We got the fish on Wednesday, July 7, then filled up the tank and put the fish in it within about 4 hours (just heard that this in itself is a death sentence).

Before we put the fish in the tank, the fish already had a single red dot above his right eye.

Everything seemed fine, but then two days ago he started being less and less active. He started spending a lot of time at the bottom of the tank with occasional spurts to the surface, only to go back down again. This morning he seemed his old self, swimming around alot.

Then, just within the last 2 hours, he started getting these red spots all over his body. It looks like the measles. He's swimming around alot. He seems to think that if he stops swimming he'll start to turn upside down. I think he's very attached to life.

Please, anybody! What is wrong with him and what can I do?

Try this site it may help you with your problem.http://www.tropicalresources.net/web/disease_profiles/tuberculosis.html

Do not stop at just this page. Scroll through the pages, there maybe a disease listed that has your symptoms.

In this site, look under New Tank

http://www.tropicalresources.net/web/disease_profiles/ammonia_poisoning.html

[span class="edited"][Edited by TigerAngel 2004-07-13 01:52][/span]

Thanks so much! I'm going there immediately. I'm still keeping my eye on this forum though.

My fish is starting to roll. Keeps kicking up to stay upright.

I'm here and at the other site ... gotta run ...

Aloha

Sounds very much like poisoning. Thats how my fish reacted. Excepted mine didn't have the red spots. Take it out of that water. But be careful Gouramis do not like ph swings. So make sure you put it in similar ph/temp water.

The fish rolled over on its back. It's been lying upside down for 10 minutes! How will I know he's dead? Can he be unconscious or is he already dead?

I don't have any of the emergency cabinet chemicals and items listed here and the other site to treat or euthanize him. I feel terrible and helpless.

Questions
How long was the filter setup on the tank?
Is the gourami the only fish?
Do you know what a cycle is?
Can you find out your water parameters and give us the exact numbers?
You might be having problems with tuberculosis, but maybe if the tank isn't cycled that could be causing other problems.

http://www.fishprofiles.net/faq/begin-cycling.asp

Well, I just did some reading

The Filter:
The original filter was set up on the tank as soon as it was filled with water. It was very loud, though, and almost leaked and flooded our place. So we bought a brand new filter system the next day to replace it.

The Fish:
The gourami was the only fish that came with the tank (day 1).
Day 2: we added 3 bala sharks (all dead already) and some kind of sucker fish.
Day 3: added a goat fish and a small, zany orange fish (don't know what it is).
Day 5: added 8 neons and 4 same-sized fish with an orange, kind of glowing, stripe that runs from the eyeballs to the tail.

Cycle: I have an idea NOW, after reading the articles. I wish I had known all this sooner. The original fishkeeper and the pet store sure didn't help much.

I think my boyfriend will go out and buy those testing kits tomorrow or in a few days. Then I'll be able to say what the water parameters are.

You're the second person who mentioned tuberculosis, but the TB description doesn't seem to really fit. From what I have read up to now it was probably ammonia poisoning (and among other things). Or simply New Tank Syndrome.

Thank you very much for trying to help. My boyfriend finally declared the fish as dead and threw him away. We both feel terrible.
I did a little reading up this evening, but there'll be alot more to study before getting any more fish!

Thanks again and plenty alohas!

Firstly the Bala Sharks were going to grow too big for that size tank. They grow upto 30cm.
The fish with a line fom eye to tail = sounds like Glowlight Tetras. http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile62.html
The tanks sounds like it has not cycled yet. That is probably what happened to the Gourami. New Tank Syndrome. Died of ammonina poisoning.
The tank should have been cycled fishless. Some people do use Neons to cycle their tanks, as they are small. So they probably be ok. Same to goes for the Glowlights.
Can not help with advise on sucker/ zany orange fish without knowing exactly what they are. When buying fish, try and find out what they are, cause not all fish are treated the same way with medications. eg. Suckers are scaleless fish, so you can only use 1/2 doseage for medications. Bala Sharks do not tolerate salt, etc.
When euthanizeing fish, I put a dish of cold water (2" deep) into the freezer. Wait till the top of the water has a layer of thin ice over it. Put the dish onto a table/counter. Put the fish into it. Make sure the water covers the fish. If it is a large fish, then you will need more water in the dish before freezing. After putting the fish into the water, sometimes it will die straight away, and sometimes it takes a 30 seconds. Leave the fish in this dish on the table for 30 minutes. Just to be on the sure side that it had died. Some people say this is a stressful way to euthanize. But I say, the fish is already in pain/ stress. You are only being kind and putting it out of its misery. I think cutting of their heads is alot more stressful/ savage way of ending their lives. Hopefully you won't have to euthanzie any fish. But I haven't met a fish keeper who hasn't at one point or another. Good luck with your tank. And its a must to get these test kits as soon as possible, so you get to know what is happening with your tank. A test kit would have told you if it was ammonia posioning.
BTW have you changed the water after the Gourami died. If not do at least 50% water change, and in a couple days if the kits read ammonia/nitrite, then do 30% change until the reading come back to zero. The nitrate, if you have no plants will climb. Don't go over 80. Sometimes 40 is too high for same fish, and they will get dropsy. If the nitrates do climb too high, again do a 30% water change.
If in doubt, a water change is a good solution at most times. Always keep the water clean. Once aweek water changes will do just this. Also after your tank has cycled, gravel/sand vac will keep your tank clean and ammonia free. You can do vacs now, but don't go overboard with the cleaning or your tank will not cycle. Clean filter once a fortnight, or sooner if necessary. To speed things up, you can get a product called "Cycle". This is a bottle of good bacteria that your tanks needs to cycle with. At the moment your tank has bad bacteria (which cause ammonia) and no good bacteria. Once you have good bacteria, don't be too concern if your tank goes cloudy. This is the good bacteria battleing a war with the bad bacteria. This then changes from ammonia to nitrite, then from nitrite to nitrate. Both the ammonia and nitrite is harmfull to your fish. Nitrate is not as long as it is kept low ppm. Once you have zero ammonia, zero nitrite and 10 ppm nitrate, then your tank is cycled. Plus the water should be clear. Once this is done, then you can arrange your fish to suit that size tank. I take it you have 15 fish left. This is going to be hard for your tank to cycle without more death occuring. Hopefully not. Good luck.

[span class="edited"][Edited by TigerAngel 2004-07-13 09:57][/span]