Sick Gourami?

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

I wanted to ask a few questions about my Three spot blue Gourami "Ben".  She's been perfectly fine up until a few days ago when I noticed her "burping".  She'd spit a bunch of bubbles, almost as if she was choking, and then come up to get more air, taking several large gulps.

Today, I noticed just how sick and lethargic she really was.  I thought for sure I was going to lose her. At first, I had to carefully let her lay in my hand and hold her at the surface of the water so that she could get air, and I did that for a good half an hour (and it actually worked).  I did a 25% water change, added some cycle and a little bit of medicine.  After that, she actually started to come around a little.

Here's the part that's really bugging me.  One, she is blind in one eye and has been for quite some time now, but she's bumping into alot more things, and on top of that, her spots are gone and on her right side, about mid-back there's a dark black line that appeared after I had done everything with the water.  I don't know if it's an internal bleed or what it is, but it's got me worried. I honestly don't know if she'll even make it until morning. She has problems swimming to the top for air, whether it's the fact she sinks like a rock right after she gulps a breath, or she spirals around in fast circles and can't get the air at all, and takes a few seconds to correct herself in which she then lets herself fall to the ground and just lay there. She's laid on her stomach, on her side, and she's trying to find places she can lay in so she'll close to the top for air. She also swims up for air straight up vertically, but ends up upside-down and has a lot of problems trying to correct herself or just get air period.  The other fish I have in the tank don't have any problems at all.  It's only Ben.  Can you possibly tell me whats going on and try to help me? I jut hope that she make it.. ): I'm very attached to her..

Thank you in advance <3
~Julzy

ANSWER: Hi Julzy,
Ben may have Swim Bladder Disease, or maybe something wrong with her internally.  When fish get Swim Bladder Disease, it is caused by overfeeding, and poor diet.  The fish get constipated, and if left untreated, it may lead to dropsy.  If she is still eating feed her a cooked frozen pea with the outer layer removed.  Cut the pea into bite size pieces, and feed them to her one pea at a time.  If you notice that she is still not wasting, you will have to treat her with "Kanamycin" or "Tetracycline" or "Furan-2"  Do not wait, act quickly.  Keep your tank well cycled, making sure you have no ammonia in your water, and always use a good water conditioner such as "Stress Coat" or "Aquaplus"  There are many other good water conditioners on the market, and they must be used each time you do a water change.  I do not understand why you use cycle.  If you have an established tank, you do not need to use cycle when you do a water change.  In fact, cycle will not cycle your tank properly.  Maybe you could get back to me on this.
It could also be a viral disease.  They are many, so it is difficult for me to say which one.  Bacteria may have entered her body, and infected her internal organs.  There are no cures for viral disease unfortunately.  
I hope that little Ben will recover.
Lynda

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

QUESTION: Hello Lynda

I ended up doing that water change (at 1am lol) and I took four hours of babysitting her, helping her up to the surface for air etc and found some Furan-2 as well as a good cycle medicine, and by the next morning, she was doing much better. Her color was back, she was actually swimming around, and could go up for air. She still had a few problems with keeping up properly (She'd fall to one side or lose her balance) but she's just been getting better by the day.  I'm still worried about her bumping into things though.  It's almost as if she's blind in both eyes. She bumps, or sticks her feelers waaaaay out in front of her and she's just. I dunno, clumsy?  But she'd doing much better and that black line thing is gone too.

Do you suggest anything else I can do for her?  Everyone else in the tank seems happy and healthy too so hopefully whatever it was was fixed.

Thanks again <3
~Julzy

Answer
Hi Julzy,
You are very welcome.  I'm happy to know that the little lady is feeling better.  There is nothing more you can do for her.  You are doing everything you can.  God Bless You, and I hope Ben will have a quick recovery.  I do not know if she is blind in both eyes, sometimes this happens, you will see in the next days to come if she keeps bumping into things.  Make sure that she wastes.  Feed her the pea, and nothing else for one day.  
Keep me posted on how she is doing.
Lynda