Cherry (i Think) Gourami Has Turned Black!

[Benson112]

Hi all,

Ive got a double barrelled issue....

I have a drawf gourami and a cherry gourami (i think that was what it was called). Now when he was young he used to clearly be red. As he got older he gradually turned orange. Now he appears to be turning black! His fins and tail are totally black, and the majority of under body is going the same way.

At the same time as this, my dwarfs fins are turning a darker shade so i am pretty worried now! And ontop of it all....the orange one is now bullying the dwarf. The dwarf has always been the daddy of the tank and has never been bullied.

I also still have a white gourami in a different tank on his own because he is a persistent bully! And when i say persistent...i mean he is completely relentless on the cherry/orange gourami, he doesnt stop for a second its just constant chasing.

Anyhow....i have been treating the tank with metafix and doing a 50% water change every week but the fish just seems to be getting worse.

ill post stats later when i get home.

 

[Benson112]

Stats are:

pH - 7.6
amonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 10/20 (cant tell the difference but edging closer to 20)

On closer inspection, my glow light tetra's are looking a little bit dark aswel. The only fish who dont seem to be effected are the neon tetras and the pleco.

Help!! Should i keep treating the water with melafix?? And should i re-introduce the bully fish into the tank yet? (he has been isolated for about 3 weeks...and considering there is something wrong with the tank its prob not a good idea?)

 

[WILDER]

Have his eyes turned black.
Turning black can be a number of things cancer, fish tb, ammonia burns that are healing.
Or this.
http/puffernet.tripod.com/myxobacteriosis.html

 

[Benson112]

thanks for your reply. Hiseyes havent gone black its just his fins, tail and under body. other than the discolouration, he seems fine.

ill keep treating with melafix and see how they get on. the glowlights are looking a bit better today.

what do you think i should do with my bully fish? he is currently in a tank with a heater that is far too big for the size of the tank and a filter that it on its last legs. i just didnt want to put him back in when he constantly bullys the fish that is turning black

 

[WILDER]

I would phone the lfs and see if they would take him back.

 

[Benson112]

Cant really do that beings ive had him for so long. His pal died pretty soon after i got him, and this little chap has been fine until he got bullied. Since ive removed the bully...he has become the bully!! Thinking about putting the other bully back in to even things out but im worried it will effect this ones health futher! What do you think?

With regards to his current health, he seems fine, blackness has gone down a bit. Ive been treating the tank with melafix and doing regular water changes so this seems to have helped. Will keep going but the filter ha packed up on teh hosp tank so really i need to put the white one back in???

 

[nosoup4you]

Could your "cherry Gourami" actually be a honey Gourami? Some Honey Gourami males will get a black line to their underside as they mature...

 

[Benson112]

Yeah thats it!! I couldnt remember. Yeah it is a honey gourami and that is exactly where he is going black! Not quite as dark a shade of black though. Thanks for your help, any idea what sort of age they should start to get a black streak?

 

[nosoup4you]

Not sure about Honey Gouramis but other Gouramis reach sexual maturity at 12-14 weeks.

 

[Benson112]

Hmm so this doesnt tie up really then, ive had him about 6 months maybe longer! Ill try and get a picture up of him tonight (But then again, England are playing tonight so its unlikely ill be in a state to play with the computer lol)