Male Dwarf "Powder Blue" Gourami, Bacterial Infection or Cancer?

[Mangala]

Ok, I've got this dwarf gourami... and I've had him for maybe 4 months. and in this time, he's very very slowly developed a small bump on his side. Then the bump turned into two bumps and then it turned into 4 bumps... and now it's a whole patch of missing scales that are an ugly red... The bumps were like, one scale was missing and the bump was white. I'd look, but it didn't look like fungus... I treated him for fungus, added a bit of salt to the water, but it wouldn't change for weeks... I keep thinking this is bacterial - No one else in the tank has wierd patches of missing ickie stuff... the other two dwarfs are beautiful and robust, constantly blowing bubbles, etc. and this guy doesn't clamp his fins or really display that he's ill aside from that he doesn't compete in the bubble contest. He eats well, but is the only one in the tank who's terrified of the net. My parameters are ph 7.8, ammonia 0, nitrites .05 (currently in the midst of pruning out some dead plants the gouramis killed and hoping that's the cause of the nitrites), and temp of 81. They are in a 30gl tank with three female bettas (female bettas, unlike males, get along just fine with dwarf gourami males) with 6 otos. But, he's had this thing forever and ever as far as I've known the guy. Just didn't realize he had this bump on his side when I bought him.

So, I guess the question is, is it bacterial? or some kind of cancer?

And I know I have horrible photography skills and even worse photoshop skills (so comments about my photo skills are really unnecessary)... but aside from that, here's a photo:



The picture just looks like a reddish patch in the side of my blue gourami anyway.

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[aquamoon]

It sounds like Furunculosis.

[Mangala]

Iiiinteresting... looks like I treat it like a bacterial infection... mm.. the red patch DID occur after I let him rub against a stiff plant a little. He seemed to like doing that... and now the white bumps are gone, red patch in place. very very interesting.

Also, I've heard the powder blue dwarf gourami types are more prone to this type of thing. I think I'm going to stick to the stripe and the fire-red... (I've heard the fire-red are a hybrid between gold(or pearl?) and dwarf, so therefore are somewhat healthier.

*shrug* ok, I guess I have a good excuse to go to the fish store. Even if I'm going 'cause my fish is sick, I still like to go and look at everything.

Also, it doesn't look like it's nearly as bad as every single photo I've seen online. Mine looks relatively benign in comparison... And considering that my guy's must have been dealing with this for nearly 4 months (I thought it was a scar from some fight in the fish store...) it must mean that he should be able to pull through this if I just get him the meds.

I remember a time when everyone said to never ever trust the info on the internet 'cause no one checks it and only encyclopedias were good sources of information... ahhh... the early 90s...