Adopted blue gourami - M/F? Community tank?

[ClownLurch]

Take em to the LFS first thing tomorrow.
Next fish rescue time take whatever you don’t want to the LFS on your way home from the rescue tank. It sounds like you’ve a good LFS and a good relationship with the. Keep em informed of your plans in advance and I think you’ll be ok.
Next time take no notice of a stranger on the internet who says they’d be interested in your rescue fish. If they’re THAT interested they can go to the LFS and buy them.
Sorted. Nexxxxxxtttttttttttt.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

It's possible the shark has been harassing her...or she's just getting used to different surroundings, and activity outside of the tank

I really do think that's what's been going on. Can't ever be sure of course, but that's my gut feeling, just from the way she's so shy and nervous, and the shark's behaviour I saw when I put them both into QT together. If she's been living with a shark that's harassed, nipped, beaten her up - she'd have lost every battle, and they were in a 30g tank together for two years... the way she spooked and zoomed away into hiding so fast, never saw the gourami in my dad's tank react like that. But it would take some time for her to calm after all that, not to mention the water quality.

The first potential home with the 6ft tank backed out, but another really knowledgeable friend I've traded fish with before said he's willing to take the shark and collect him. Hoping I can arrange that as soon as possible! Then move out the cories and otos with mine, and keep the gourami in the 22g alone for now. Want to see her recovered and looking better before passing her on, and find a suitable home. I don't want her with my own fish in case she turns aggressive, and so living with her doesn't stress them out, but I feel really bad for her, and want to see it through, see her get better.

 

[Colin_T]

The gourami and other fish will need time to get use to clean water, flush out their systems and remove all the toxins that have built up due t the high nitrates they were exposed to, get use to people being around them, and get over the stress and shock of being moved.

It takes most animals about 2 months to adjust to a new environment and fish are no different. Sometimes if they are healthy and go into a nice tank, they settle in straight away. But if they have been isolated, stressed and ignored, they need time to adjust to the new tank and water.

Give the fish some time and let her settle down. When she has recovered from this stress, she should start to come out and feed and then show her true colours.