Gourami

[meagls]

Hi, we recently set up our fish tank. We have two Gouramis. I noticed this morning that one of the Gouramis has had it's fins nipped, all of them. He was hiding in a plant, but the other Gourami would come and nip at him more. I decided to put a divider in between them. When I did that, the hurt gourami floated to the bottom, and that is where he is at now. Will he survive? Anything else I should do? I turned the heater up, trying to get it to around 80 degrees. (I read that somewhere) My 3 year old son keeps saying he isn't working and needs new batteries. If only it was that easy! At least if he isn't going to make it, he'll go peacefully, and not by continuing to be nipped at.

Thanks!

Meagan

 

[meagls]

Now he is kind of floating around. To the top, into the plant, but swimming if he gets scared. I opened the tank when he was at the top, to try to put food right on top of him, so he would eat. But he swam away.

 

[Clarousel]

He may be traumatised by all the attacks from the other gourami. Does he show signs of illness? By floating do you mean... like in a sort of dazed, dreamy manner?

 

[meagls]

He may be traumatised by all the attacks from the other gourami. Does he show signs of illness? By floating do you mean... like in a sort of dazed, dreamy manner?

I almost called it a lazy floating, earlier. So maybe? When he went to the top, he kind of let the current take him over, until it pushed him against the barrier. Then after a few seconds, he swam away. Then he did it again, then he swam away into the plant. His head is up close to the top of the water.

He is now near the top again, just sitting there. He hasn't really eaten. He ate earlier, when it would float over him. That is when I noticed something was wrong. I was thinking, why is he hiding in the plant just eating what goes over him. So I went to the side, and then I saw his problem. Then after the other Gourami nipped at him some more, he hasn't eaten, even when I put it right over him.

Do you think the barrier is ok? It is a glass mirror. But I feel like it is taking the air bubbles away, since that air blower is on the other side. There is a small space on the sides though. The food I put on his side is slowly moving, so that should be good, right? I'm a worrier.

 

[Clarousel]

When you say his head is still up, I'm supposing he's floating diagonally? I suggest you watch him and see if his condition improves. Have you tested your water? I haven't used those barrier things before so I can't really say. I hope he gets better.

 

[KittyKat]

Did you fish-less cycle the new tank? If not, the fish are probably also suffering from ammonia poisoning. And how big is the tank? It's probably too small to house the gouramis. What species and sexes are the gouramis? They do tend to be aggressive.

A 50% water change with warm, dechlorinated water will do more good than harm, I think, so please carry one out, then buy a set of liquid test kits and test your water ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH levels, and same for your tap water after you dechlorinate. If possible, use a dechlorinator which "deals" with ammonia, such as Stress Coat or Prime.