Gourami is sick/injured!

Question

Gourami   QUESTION: Hi,
We are new fish owners. We have 2 Gouramis in a 10g tank. They seem to get along fine. When we brought the fish home & finally got them settled into their new home, we realized one of them looked to have been injured on his left side. His fin looks damaged & the tentacle thing that hangs down on that side appears to be have been injured as well as it is shorter on that side & is split into 2. He had what looked like scales sloughing off from an injury right under his left side fin. Since then (3 days ago), a red outline has appeared around it and he seems sick - swimming oddly, sometimes leaning to one side & looks pale. I've attached a photo. Is there anything we can do to help him?

Thanks!!

ANSWER: Well first off the Gourami in the picture is a pearl gourami which needs a 30 gallon. All Dwarf Gourami need 20 gallons. Two male gourami's should never be housed together without numerous females or else they will fight and hurt each other. One male and one female should never be housed with each other as they'll fight as well.

Its an injury that has grown infected. Either he has been attacked by the other Gourami or scrape himself on a decoration it has now grown infected.

The infection is already pretty bad. I would suggest returning him to the petstore as the tank size is not appropriate for neither of them.

- Ash

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: How frustrating! We told the pet store fish guy about our tank and we trusted his suggestion to get 2 Gourami! What fish would you suggest for a 10g tank with heater & filter for beginners?

Answer
Petstore people like to give out misinformation so they can get a paycheck. They are not well informed at all which is why you need to do your own homework whenever you purchase a living creature and not on someone else.

Not all but some fish suggestions...

I suggest a 6+ school of Dwarf Rasbora, like Harlquins or Celestial Pearl's.

Pygmy Cories, the only cory cat of appropriate size, in a 6+ school will work as well.

6+ Ember Tetras will do good as some schooling fish.

3 or so all male or all female guppies.

African Dwarf Frogs

Ghost and Cherry Shrimp

Netrite Snails

If you look online you'll find a lot of suggestions!