2 dead chocolate gouramis

[canis_lupus]

i was with my friend when she bought 2 chocolate gouramis....cute little guys...after floating them and stuff she put em in the tank and one gourami looked rough...he looked pretty unhealthy in the bad too...the other seemed fine tho...today she told me that they both died so that means she had em for 24hours. she said that they were at the surface gasping but i don't know why because the other gouramis she has are fine...help would be nice

 

[smithrc]

may well have been stress.

can they go back for a refund?

 

[Gourami Lover88]

Chocolats are gerneraly the one of hardest fw fish to keep, they need very soft (4-6 pH)calm water, they also need to be in groups. stress was probabaly what killed them either from transport, or not adequet water conditions.

 

[canis_lupus]

oh...wow...the person at the store didn't say anything like that...her tank has a bubble wall so it's deffinately not calm. we did ask lots of questions and the girl said that she had kept chocolates too...thx for the help

 

[sylvia]

If your friend decides to go for chocolates again, persuade her to go for a species tank with several and the low pH as mentioned.

 

[trevo878]

Chocolate gourami are an extremely difficult fish to care for. As people have said they need very soft and calm water.

 

[Doggfather]

Sorry to hear about the 2 dead chocolates, as mentioned they are one of the hardest fw fish to keep, and even harder to breed! Here are some things i written myself on chocolate gourami over the last few months that could come in handy if you want to try keeping these fish again, when you're a little more prepaired

Chocolate gouramis are an extremly delicate fish which prefer a heavily planet blackwater aquarium with din lighting. They prefer peaceful tankmates and like to be kept in groups of 6 and above. An acidic Ph (6.0 - 6.6) will be best and soft water. Unless kept in perfect conditions they will not look their best, fold up their fins and refuse to eat.

These fish should be fed on live food, but if you can't afford/obtain these foods, frozen will do. They will reject any type of flake food, except in rare cases. They prefer temperatures of 28 Degrees C.

These fish are also very hard to breed and will either mouthbrood, or build a bubble nest. If you wish to breed these fish, condition them for weeks with live foods.

The water must also be effectivly filtered but it must not be turbulent. It is also a good idea to include lots of bog/drfit wood in the aquarium. A species tank is best.

And heres a link to ryan profile on the fish

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=34965

 

[ryan]

As mentioned they are delicate fish and the first step of getting them settled into the tank is often the hardest. Fish gasping at the surface is normally a sign of nitrogen pollution, either Nitrites or Nitrates. Add this to the stress of the move and maybe an adjustment to different water chemistry and it may have been to much for them to handle.