strange fish s

Question
k my tank is not cycling and my ph/nitrate levels are fine yet one of my gouramis died.. it just suddenly lost appetite! no other fish are bothering it(1 other gourami, platys, guppies)i've had two others dye like this in the past! ive tried various treatment nothing works... they just get weak and dye after about a month! they always seem fine but they slowely get weak and dont eat!

Answer
Dear Sam,
There is something with certain gouramis, especially dwarf gouramis in particular, they are well-known for being weak and often sick with internal parasites or other internal health problems and they often come into petstores very weakened and stressed. I wouldn't medicate for any diseases just yet. Could you please tell me how their symptoms were before you lost them?

Internal parasites is indicated by pale and stringly droppings, pale coloration and the fish often becomes very thin and sometimes they lose their appetite. Internal parasites can be treated with medicated food sucessfully if caught early enough and there are some medications that can treat internal parasites with fish that do not eat.

It's very difficult to know what could have caused the loss of your gouramis. What you described could be internal parasites, stress, or just bad stock to begin with. Have you tried a different petstore yet? Sometimes petstores can just get bad stocks or have a bad source of gouramis. Keep in mind dwarf gouramis are often dyed to be a brighter color and that alone can weaken their immune system. Many dwarf gouramis are also inbred which also leads to weakened fish. It's a very sad deal. The best you can do is try a different petstore and make sure your water quality and food is of the best quality you can manage.

I really hope this helps and feel free to let me know how the the gourami dillemma turns out.
Best of luck!
Karen~