Dwarf Gourami Spitting Out Food And Acting Slow.

[MylesVinno]

Hi everyone,
 
I have had two dwarf gouramis for a couple of months now, one flame and one neon blue. In the last few days, I have noticed that the flame gourami has been spitting out his food which he used to always eat, and is staying near the bottom of the tank all whilst doing it in a slow kind of motion. Whereas the other gourami seems perfectly fine as he swims around frequently and eats food presented to him.  
 
The water is 28 degrees Celsius and the ammonia is fine.
 
Any ideas to what is going on with the flame gourami? Any help is greatly appreciated. 

 

[DoubleDutch]

I think 28C is too high for DG's. It is the trigger for them to get in mating mood and could be the blue one is the dominant one taking the upper part of the tank. That would not explain spitting food out though.

 

[MylesVinno]

I think 28C is too high for DG's. It is the trigger for them to get in mating mood and could be the blue one is the dominant one taking the upper part of the tank. That would not explain spitting food out though.

Ok, I just set the heater to 25 so I'll see how that goes.

 

[DoubleDutch]

That's better !!! What fish are in with the DG's.
Even 23/24 would be great.

 

[MylesVinno]

That's better !!! What fish are in with the DG's.
Even 23/24 would be great.

They are with 4 rummy noses, 5 neon tetras, 2 pepper corydoras, 2 glass catfish, 2 clown loaches, 3 pristella tetras, one sucking catfish and 4 bristlenoses (3 adults 1 young one).

 

That's better !!! What fish are in with the DG's.
Even 23/24 would be great.

They are with 4 rummy noses, 5 neon tetras, 2 pepper corydoras, 2 glass catfish, 2 clown loaches, 3 pristella tetras, one sucking catfish and 4 bristlenoses (3 adults 1 young one).
 

And I just set the temp to 24 as well

 

[DoubleDutch]

Ok, don't exactly know about the loaches, rummynoses and pristella. The other would do great at 23/24 I'd say.

 

[MylesVinno]

Ok, don't exactly know about the loaches, rummynoses and pristella. The other would do great at 23/24 I'd say.

Ok thanks man. Does anyone else have an idea to why he isn't eating?

 

[NickAu]

How big is your tank?

 

[MylesVinno]

How big is your tank?

It's 57cm x 27cm x 29cm
 
I have also noticed that the flame gourami is never splaying his top fin, the very back of it has a slight brown on the edge.

 

[NickAu]

 
Even 23/24 would be great.

Maybe not with Clown Loaches.
 
 

 
It's 57cm x 27cm x 29cm

 
Your tank is way over stocked, I would be looking at water quality.
 
That tank is too small for clown loaches  they grow to over 12 inches long and you need at least 5.
 
That tank is too small for 4 Bn plecs.
 

 
2 pepper corydoras

These should be kept in groups of 6.

 

[MylesVinno]

 

 
Even 23/24 would be great.

Maybe not with Clown Loaches.
 
 

 
It's 57cm x 27cm x 29cm

 
Your tank is way over stocked, I would be looking at water quality.
 
That tank is too small for clown loaches  they grow to over 12 inches long and you need at least 5.
 
That tank is too small for 4 Bn plecs.
 

 
2 pepper corydoras

These should be kept in groups of 6.
 


Yeah I am aware that the tank is too small for the amount of fish but that is how I bought it as the tank came with the fish and decorations (I bought it off gumtree). So I couldnt really NOT take all of the fish.

 

[DoubleDutch]

Try to rehome the clownloaches. Those get huge and like a group as well.

 

[MylesVinno]

Try to rehome the clownloaches. Those get huge and like a group as well.

Ok I will see what I can do

 

[MylesVinno]

The flame dg has started to rest on the bottom of the tank more, the neon blue dg has also became a little bit more aggressive towards it. And the flame dg will very often make the action with his mouth of when he is trying to eat food, but he is doing it in open water, when there is no food around.
Here are some pics of the flame dg:
http/i328.photobucket.com/albums/l334/MylesVinno/IMG_3567_zps5kzzqkkx.jpg
http/i328.photobucket.com/albums/l334/MylesVinno/IMG_3578_zpsxg3xglxz.jpg
http/i328.photobucket.com/albums/l334/MylesVinno/IMG_3571_zpssnkonhwv.jpg
http/i328.photobucket.com/albums/l334/MylesVinno/IMG_3576_zpsdttxlnic.jpg
http/i328.photobucket.com/albums/l334/MylesVinno/IMG_3577_zpsbfzisrjs.jpg

 

[Essjay]

With 2 male dwarf gouramis, one is probably bullying the other. These are territorial fish. If the neon blue has become more aggressive, it will get worse and the flame DG will be picked on even more.
 
 
 
You also need to rehome the sucking loach. These also grow big and as they mature they stop eating algae and may well attempt to eat the slime coat of the other fish. The dwarf gouramis are particularly at risk - bigger surface for the loach to get hold of.