Fish bacteria infection?

Bear w/me here. I know you think it's a bacterial infection, but the prob is that those are caused not by bacteria, per se, but by cold &/or bad water quality that allow the fish to become susceptible to illness. Bacteria & parasites are in all of their water, all the time. It's only when conditions aren't good that they succumb & get ill. Because of this, it goes back to a cold/bad water quality issue. And since fish don't get ill from other fish if the others are in the same tank they're being exposed to the same conditions that are making your gourami ill & will very likely get sick themselves. I would immediately do a partial water change of 10-25% (the amt. you normally do weekly).

Gasping for air & bacterial infections are both water quality issues, tho I believe you when you say the test results are perfect, so the thing to consider is the test kits themselves. If you're using test strips they're notorioualy inaccurate, so you need to get liquid test kits as they provide accurate results & are cheaper in the long run. However, if you currently use liquid test kits the liquid regeants in the kits expire after a yr., so if you've had them for longer you need to buy new ones. (This is the case even w/companies like API who refuse to print exp. dates on their products). Also, w/liquid tests make sure you really shake, shake, shake that bottle first & hit the bottom of the bottles on something hard before using them as the chemicals tend to sink & sometimes give false results if not mixed thoroughly enough.

Also, when did you last test the water? It needs to be tested weekly if the tank is cycled (more frequently if it's in the midst of cycling) & since you're seeing these odd behaviors & having these fish deaths we need to make sure it's a recent reading, like within the last 24 hrs.

Is your tank cycled? If not, then that's def also a factor. Also, overcleaning a cycled tank can cause mini-cycles which can raise levels that stress & sicken fish. For a cycled tank, make sure you only change 10-25% of the water (exact amount is determined by your water test kit results) & vacuum 1/3 of the gravel 1x/week.

Are you treating the water w/water conditioner? Water conditioners remove chlorine, chloramine & heavy metals needs to be added @ every water change. AquaClear (Walmart, PetSmart) or Novaquel & Prime used together (PetSmart) are both good brands.

Human meds are not suitable for fish. Dosing @ even the smallest strength will kill them cuz those meds are formulated for human absorption rates which aren't the same as those of a fish. Fish do have antibiotics that can be used to treat illnesses but again, your tank sounds like its has water quality issues & if they're fixed the ill ones will get better & the others won't get sick. You don't need to isolate him in a med tank cuz all the fish have been exposed to the same stressors, so if they're going to get sick you can't stop it w/ or w/o meds, but can stave it off w/tank changes. Essentially, the underlying problem needs to be addressed, not just the results of it.

Additionally, the meds you listed have not been recommended for fish use for a # of yrs. due to their overuse in the fish community from overmedicating & treating when the fish weren't sick so they've become basically useless to combat current strains of bacterial infections. There are good meds tho, for future use. Kanaplex/Kanamycin is best for infections & easiest on fish so order it online (Ebay's less $ but ask about exp. date before ordering). Jungle Fungus Eliminator or Clear @ PetCo/PetSmart. If you can't find either get Maracyn 1 and 2 (yes, both, since each only treats one type of infection) is also good @ any pet store. Do a 100% water change before adding meds if the tank isn't cycled; if it's cycled remove the carbon since its removes meds & do a 10-25% water change (the amt. you change weekly). Treat daily for 3 days (do a 100% water change each day before adding meds for uncycled tanks; follow package instructions for cycled tanks). Retreat if necessary for another 3 days. Wait 20 min. after water changes before adding meds, sooner dilutes them.

The problem with people working at petshops is half the time they don't know what disease their fish have and I can tell you that disease is haemorrhage septicaemia which is a bacterial infection caused by bad water conditions or low temperatures. Either that or you bought the fish sick. If the temperature is below 28 turn it up to 28 or 29 and if that is not the case , get aquarium coarse salt and fish medication that fights bacteria. The coarse salt must go in everyday. But only a small handful or tablespoon plus the fish medication. It might take 6 days or longer to get rid of the disease.

Of course the pet store wants you to use aquarium salt in your tank! They are trying to sell you the salt! You don't need salt for freshwater fish. And aquarium salt is no different or better than the sea salt you can get in the grocery store for about 1/3 the price. You can use any old salt that's not iodized. All salt does is stimulate the growth of the fish's slime coat. A fish's slime coat aids its natural immune system, so salt can help to speed recovery from disease or heal wounds, but it's not really necessary for every day use in an aquarium. In addition, live plants, shrimp and scaleless fish do not respond well to salt. It will also kill snails. Your tank is too small for a gold fish. Even a fancy gold fish should have at least 20 gallons to be truly healthy and comfortable. Otherwise they end up stunted and dying early deaths as their outsides stop growing but their internal organs continue to grow. Goldfish can live up to 20 years, but pet goldfish usually only live 2-5 years due to cramped conditions.

Most everyone is right except that first guy (death is smiling? REally?) BUt don't add salt it's not good for freshwater fish and you shoudn't add things to the tank that don't really have any benefit to them.

I think it would be best if you use a medication that is made just for fish.

Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back.