Dwarf Gourami

[Dooner]

Yesterday I was looking to buy some coreys for my 30 gallon tank with 5 silver tetras, 7 neons and 2 bala sharks. I could only find one corey in the store though (it was weird) but I did see a really nice looking dwarf gourami, and I got him.

He was shy yesterday, but he was fine in a couple hours, and was swimmin around happily.

Now he's not swimming at all, he mostly lays around in the corners of the tank- When he does get up he doesn't swim so much as he floats aimlessly, crashing into everything in the tank. What's wrong with him?

Please help soon.

 

[WILDER]

Can you please post test results in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph, how big are the bala sharks as they need a 125gal tank.

 

[Dooner]

Nitrate: 40 ppm
Nitrite: less than .5 ppm
Ammonia: less than .25 ppm
pH: 7.2

The balas are about 2.5-3 inches long- they're not any problem yet.

 

[WILDER]

How long has the tank been set up as it saying not cycled.

 

[Dooner]

It's been set up for several months now.

 

[WILDER]

In that case your tank is not coping with the load, you are going to have to get a bigger tank for them sharks, for now you will have to buy another filter to run along side the other one, how often do you maintain the filter, and gravel vac and water change.

 

[Dooner]

It's an established tank with an undergravel filter attached to two powerhead jets and a whisper hanging dual cartidge filter. It is planted with only plastic plants that have been there since I set it up several months ago, at which time it was cycled and conditioned and the 7 neons and 5 silvers have lived in it ever since. I originally had three balas, but one died we believe because of an ammonia spike, but even that was several weeks ago.

I read that small balas need a 3ft tank, which is what this tank is, and that's why i bought them...I wouldn't buy them without doing the research first.

All the other fish are acting fine, if not better than usual. But the gourami is laying in the corner gasping. So please tell me anything you can about my gourami and any sickness he may have.

 

[WILDER]

Well you have high readings so all you can do is a water change.

 

[WILDER]

Undergravel filters are no good for larger fish as the clog up with the waste, i would pull it out and get another filter, as it no doing it job anyway, as the bala's need a bigger tank.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=54527

 

[Dooner]

Undergravels are fine for large fish, although they clog up you can prevent this by vacuuming them, and this is what we do for our Oscar.
In this tank, however, there are no large fish in the first place. The balas are small. I know they get very big and I have always known that, long before i decided to buy them. I have a person already interested in taking them from me when they do get too big for the tank, but right now they are fine.

The balas are not my concern, nor is my undergravel filter. The poor gourami is my concern. If anyone could help me with that I'd much appreciate it.

 

[boxman]

I don't know if gouramis are shoaling fish but I have 4 and they're really happy, they do pair off so that could be your problem.

I haven't looked at your stocking levels so make sure you don't over stock.

Are any of the other fish bullying the gourami?

Good luck

 

[WILDER]

You need to do a water change as your tank isn't cycled that's why it's ill, due to the stress of poor water quality.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I agree wilder very much and i think you should take her advice, here's some pointers on why your fish is sick;
a. You tank is not established, "established tank" or "mature tank" is the term you give when your tank is cycled and has been for at least a month, but as long as you still have nitrites showing in your tank this simply means your tank is not so and is still cycling as nitrites are only present in cycling tanks or tanks that are having mini cycle problems, but due to the length of time your tank has been running, it is still cycling and not going through a mini cycle.
b. Due to the amount of fish you have in your tank and it not been cycled, the filter bacteria cannot handle the bioload of your fish which is partly why you have been experiencing nitrites fo so long and also why you have ammonia present in your tank. Even if your tank was cycled, these fish are still making it overstocked, for a cycling tank they are making it very overstocked.

Nitrites and ammonis are both lethal to fish and can bring on desease and illness in them at best, to help make your fishs health better you will need to lower these but i shall go into that later.
c. By "silvers" if you are indicating silver dolars, these fish grow to 5inchs each and are making the tank overstocked with the other fish in total.
Bala sharks will grow to 12inchs+ and need a 75gal tank minimum- gallons are far much important than tank length as if you tank doesn't have enough gallons to support your fish it doesn't matter how long your tank is, the tank simply won't be able to support them healthily.
Overstocking leads to bad water quality if water changes are not done on a daily basis in your case but obviously you cannot keep this up forever- the first step you need to do is rehome some of your fish to help improve the water quality as the tanks filter is not coping with their bioload as it is.
c. The second step you should take after rehoming some of your fish to help lower lower some of the harmful stats in your tank is regular water changes- i suggest you do a 60% one right now, followed by a 30% water change every day after that until ammonia has been reduced to 0 and nitrites are 1 or under.
d. You fish is sick because of the harmful stats present in your water and the stress of overstocking from its tank mates- if you don't do somthing soon it is highly likely he will get a desease as stress will lower his imune systems efficiency and this will only make it much more difficult for him to regain full health.
If you want to make your fish better you must deal with the water stats and overstocking as it is very unlikely he will recover otherwise.