Blue Gourami Pale

[lukestanislaus]

I recently put a male opaline blue gourami (~3inches) into a much large tank, (from a 25g to a 75g) howver the 20g was densly planted with lots of surface vegetaton and the 75s is rather sparely vegetated, sinc i moved him he has been VERY pale save fo the dark blue opaline making on the back half of his body, in the other tank he was heavily striped and wasa a deep blue colour most of the time, and even moreso during feeding
also in the old tank there was a smaller female gold gourami (blue goruami colour morph) that he occaisionally chased and in the new tank there are no other gouramis, only small rosy barbs and 2 angelfish of similar size to the gourami and no evidence of fin nipping or anything and the 70g has PLENTY of space

what causes this and is this a problem?

 

[sylvia]

It's not a problem and is almost definitely because the female is no longer around. When stressed or excited, three-spots get darker and may show various markings like you describe. When they are calm, they stay a less patterned, lighter color.

Having said that, if he is also lethargic or has a poor appetite, he may have lost his color because of disease - I doubt it though. Or he may just be settling in.

Just in case, try adding a few more plants - particularly floating ones.