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Noticed two days ago one of my sparkling gourami was quite bloated in the belly area, with a reddish wound on the right side. At first I thought it was just digestive problems so I tried feeding it some shelled peas. That was for two days but there's no noticable reduction in the swelling.

I'm not sure what else it could be. Right now there is something white hanging from the anus, visable in the first picture below. Appetite is good, will eat when given the opportunity though I haven't fed anything but a pea or two in the past two days. Any ideas?

BTW, nitrate - 15-20ppm, nitrite - 0, ammonia - 0, pH - 6.4

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Back in the saddle!

Thats an odd one,its on one side and not the other, looks to me like cancer or a rupture ( granted the rupture could initially be caused by worms). Has the white thing hanging out of the anus dropped off, and if so what does it look like? Some nematode worms are translucent, but your average roundworm are usually pink and callamnus are reddish, its not tapeworm either as they are usually whitish and laterally flattened with visible sections.

It could concievably be a fluke, and that would explain swelling on just one side, as liver flukes in particular tend to outgrow their host organ, but the fish would be long dead of renal failure if that were the case. I suspect the white thing is just a very cellulose poo, and signs that it either has worms or as you say , hasnt eaten recently.

Constipation again tends to be more uniform in shape , so my money goes on a stomach rupture or hernia. Precisely what your supposed to do about it if it is a hernia, other than throw antibiotics at it and not overfeed the animal is anyones guess, that pretty much goes for cancer too.The fish may well need deworming, but if it has a rupture the medication could kill or cure it, its hard to know.

Sorry its unwell, good luck!

thanks longhairedgit,

whatever was hanging out of it did indeed drop off, I guess it was just a bowel movement. the swelling is still there, though. I guess the situation warrents some more observation, though i have been treating with Metro.

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Back in the saddle!