Behavior Problem

[Phage]

Well, I have a male Gold Gourami in a 55 gallon tank and he acts really strange. He has always been skittish and hides when I look into the tank, sometimes bouncing off the sides :\ Well, I try to approach slowly as not to scare him. Lately, he has been acting very, I guess the word is, dumb? Once in awhile he just rams himself into everything full force. I am no where in view of the tank and sometimes the light's aren't even on. Then I hear him bouncing around. I go to look and he knocks himself senseless. Slowly spiraling up to the surface or swimming on his side on against gravel, just being dumbstruck. In a few minutes he recovers and acts like nothing happened. So my question is, what's wrong? I feel very bad for this quality of life and wonder what to do.

Tank Size: 55 US gal.
Tank mates: a pair of mating Angelfish, a pair of German Blue Rams, about 8 Danios (Zebra and 'Ocelot'), an upside down cat who hides until nightfall
pH: 7.2
NO2: 20 ppm
NO3: 0 ppm
Temp: 76-80F

 

[Corleone]

First to get the obvious out of the way: did you reverse NO2 and NO3? 20 nitrIte is pretty much fatal to anything in and around the tank. 20 nitrAte is pretty much harmless. Also, what are your ammonia (NH3) levels?

 

[Phage]

Oops, I think I did.
Currently:

NO3 40 ppm
NO2 0ppm
pH 7.2
kH 40ppm
gH 180 ppm

Ammonia.. I cannot check because I ran out of tests for it.

 

[WILDER]

Is he darting around the tank and swim fast in circles as that can be brain damage to parasites.
Any sgins of flicking and rubbing.
An excess mucas on body or gills.
Do gills look pale withe excess slime, or red and inflamed.
Does he look bloated or skinny.
Check his anus to see if its enlarged or red and inflamed.
What does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.

 

[Phage]

It's kinda hard to get a good look. When I get to close he darts off. He looks normal in color, doesn't seem pale. He swims slow in circles after his meltdowns but not that much. He goes up for air and swims (seems normal) about the tank when I'm not in view or goes in his little cave. Likes to stay close to my angels. Haven't seen him rub on anything. Eats normally. I haven't seen any poop yet. His 'cheeks' seem red, but I'm not sure if that's normal. Not fat or skinny. I can't see the gills. I try to get a picture but he darts off so they are really blurry or really orange.

This is the only good one I could get

 

[WILDER]

His cheeks do they look inflamed.

 

[Phage]

What should I do?

 

[WILDER]

He dosn't look good.
Inflamed patches can be parasites, bacterial.
If there no sign of him flicking and rubbing issolate him and try a bacterial med.
Good luck.

 

[Phage]

Alright, I will try that. What about the other fish he is with though?

 

[WILDER]

Yes best to issolate sick fish when treating with bacterial meds so the other fish don't build an immunity up to the meds.
Good luck.

 

[Phage]

Video update:

http/tinypic.com/player.php?v=291p0si&s=4

 

[WILDER]

How long have you had the sick fish.

 

[WILDER]

There three things it can be he dying as they show them signs when dying, swim bladder, to internal parasites.
Once they swim fast in cirlces they never seem to recover bless him.
How long has he been spinning in circles.

 

[Phage]

I've had him for 2 years. He was fine, just really skittish. This didn't start happening until two weeks ago, the knocking himself senseless thing.
I had another gourami who had his tail bitten pretty bad (was with my mystus leucophasis and thats how I learned that catfish wasn't a real synodontis), his tail grew back bent a little so he swam funny. This is the only odd fish I've had. My pleco (10 inches long) died about a month ago because he got stuck in between the glass and a log, so I think. I haven't had any other fish die since I established this whole tank about a year ago.

Clearest picture I could get, quickly trapped him to get a good look. No red anus, doesn't look really skinny or really fat. Haven't seen any worms from its anus. I can never seem to see any poo though. I'll look at my other fish too.

He only swims in circles for maybe 5-10 seconds. He hasn't done it before these two weeks.

 

[WILDER]

Not sure how long gouramis live will have to find out.
He not good and to be honest there not much you can do really, only issolate him and try a bacterial med.
If he carrys on spinning I would put him down bless him.
Several years according to this site, so he's still fairly young.
http/www.aquariumfish.net/catalog_pages/...three_spots.htm