Gourami`s

[elaine128]

i`v had my two 3 spot gourami`s for approx 4 years,there in a rio 180,never really had any problems with them untill sat,one of them suddenly went beserk round the tank,hitting everything and anything,hit the lid with such force that it lifted up,lasted about 5 sec then it sat quietly at the bottom of the tank for about an hour,then went off swimming as normal,since then its done it at least 3 times,whilst i`v been watching it,its looking a bit battered now,is it the begining of the end?

 

[sylvia]

Three-spots can live for 7-8 years so you don't have an old fish. Check your water parameters and think about what you may have changed around in the tank or even the external environment. Fish are particularly sensitive to vibrations and gouramies, and, because they breathe atmospheric air, can also be particularly perceptive of droplets of chemicals in the air. Temperature changes and pH fluctuations can also have a serious effect though three-spots are one of the hardiest species.

Obviously, I'd like to know the sex of the two fish and what other fish are in the tank - especialy if there's something new - and also how many of each. I know you've had them for a while, but even small changes (maybe you have a pair of cichlids that started to breed or some livebearers gave birth etc) can have an effect on behaviour and tolerance of other fish.

What I would do for the time being is get some floating plants and reduce the current in the tank a tad. Also perform a water change (just in case), taking care to ensure there are no temp. fluctuations.