Gourami is scared of me

[Lynz781]

I've had my dwarf flame gourami for a few months now and recently, everytime I approach the tank he darts away and hides. I sometimes think he may try to jump. He never used to mind me watching him. Any ideas whats wrong with him? I'ts really annoying. Other tank mates are danios cories and a female black molly.

 

[sylvia]

Is anyone bullying him? He sounds stressed. Do you have young children or some similar disruptive creature running around the tank ? My suggestion would be to add more cover for him. The safer he feels. the more secure he will feel coming out and the more time he will spend in the open. He won't feel as threatened so he won't go swimming off all the time when anyone approaches. Another thing you can do to help him if your tank is big enough is to add another couple of female dwarfs. He will suddenly be dominant over other fish and that will give him confidence. Small, peaceful, shoaling tetras would also help by acting somewhat like dither fish and making him feel safe. Things like harlequin rasboras, cardinals, rummynoses, black phantoms and neons are useful for this.

 

[Ethos]

Does your tank have lots of plants? I Have a gourmi tank, and all my gourmis would hide wenever I came in the room. I decided to add more plants Closer to the front of the tank, and now they are all spread out throughout the front of the tank. It amazed me how much $7.95 worth of plants can help a tank.

 

[LoachLover]

Usually the more places you provide fish to hide the more they come out.

 

[Lynz781]

Is anyone bullying him? He sounds stressed. Do you have young children or some similar disruptive creature running around the tank ? My suggestion would be to add more cover for him. The safer he feels. the more secure he will feel coming out and the more time he will spend in the open. He won't feel as threatened so he won't go swimming off all the time when anyone approaches. Another thing you can do to help him if your tank is big enough is to add another couple of female dwarfs. He will suddenly be dominant over other fish and that will give him confidence. Small, peaceful, shoaling tetras would also help by acting somewhat like dither fish and making him feel safe. Things like harlequin rasboras, cardinals, rummynoses, black phantoms and neons are useful for this.

I'm really the only person that looks into or disrupts the tank, as it is in my room. It's a two foot tank and I definitely have no more room for more fish so I couldn't add female gouramis. He was, still is the bully of the tank except when I'm around. Although when I'm sat in one place he acts perfectly normal. Probably could add plants but I'm not fantastic with them. I'd say the tank has enough plants really. It could be due to the fact that over the last couple of months I removed the big huge ornament boat, and rearranged the tank. Theres still a bit of bogwood in there and elodea he can hide in. sigh.........

 

[sylvia]

If you re-aranged the tank that is deffinately the problem. For him, it feels like he has just moved into a completely new territory he doesn't recognise. So while the old place he lived in was his territory and he felt comfortable in it, this new place he's founf himself in is unfamiliar and it'll take quite a while for him to settle down. Eventualy he should get used to it but it can often take a very long time before he realy feels secure again. Something that may help (and I'm terrible with plants too) is some floating duckweed. Duckweed is wonderful in that it is impossible to kill so do consider it though, once he has settled, you may want to start taking some out (especialy if the whole surface gets covered - the gourami has to have access to air or he'll suffocate!).

 

[Lynz781]

Well he elodea in the tank grows really quickly and I have recently cut that back so hopefully that will grow for him. Thanks guys for the input. I just want thim to be happy!