New Dwarf Gourami - Rip

[severina]

Ok...so I got my new babies, and they were very shy at first...but the powder blue came around and he eats normally. When I sprinkle food he comes to the top and eats with the rosies. The other one sort of peaks around from one of his hiding places and will occasionally swim upwards a little bit to grab some food that is falling downwards. He's never come to the top to eat food, and I've even seen him picking from the bottom. At least he's eatting right? I thought he might have looked bloated a bit but I looked at the other one and they look exactly the same...and when looking at him head on he doesn't look bloated at all. I was going to try the shelled peas thing..but then I thought the others would just eat it all before he got to them.

On the other hand I think he may just be slow to adjust. If he just had a bacterial infection or something that wouldn't explain him hiding. I'm afraid if I remove him to another tank to treat him and then put him back, it'd start all over again with the hiding and such (since stress can cause such infections if he has it?).

What I would really like are some step by step instructions and a little bit of encouragement , I have another tank and heater if he needs it but no filter (would that be ok?) A list of good meds to use would be great too. I live in the US..Houston, TX specifically.

 

[sylvia]

He just sounds shy.

Rather than feeding green peas, try some live (or frozen) daphnia in case the problem is constipation. Don't feed the tank anything else for a little while.

Think about re-homing the minnows - they are not tropical fish and should not be in a tropical tank.

Moving the dwarf to the unflitered tank would be alright but is best avoided because the tank won't be cycled and high levels of ammonia/nitrIte can very easily kill the dwarf.

The reason he is hiding is probably due to stress from being kept with the active minnows and also because he's new to the tank.

If you re-home the minnows and the remianing gouramies seem healthy, adding 4 more FEMALE dwarfs should improve the situation and encourage everyone to come out more. Just note that you should not add them immediately as you need to first make sure the two you have are in good condition.

 

[severina]

"adding 4 more FEMALE dwarfs should improve the situation and encourage everyone to come out more."

Easier said than done. I cannot find a store that carries them!

 

[sylvia]

I know where you're coming from. That's unfortunate.

Just stick with the two you have but, like I said before, the rosy red and fathead minnows are not tropical
and should be re-homed. That, also, should improve the situation.

Something else to try is to add some small rasboras or tetras - try harlequin rasboras in a school of 7. Small schooling fish like these usualy have the effect of encouraging shy fish to come out more as they are a sign that 'the coast is clear' in the wild.

 

[severina]

He died and I can't even find the reciept! I still have the bags that they came in though... hope thats good enough. Maybe if I whine enough they'll let me return it.

BTW: Now my I'm worried for my powder blue..becuase he looks like he's starting to bloat..I'll get some meds tomorrow when I return the dead one. Would tetricyclin (however you spell it) work?

 

[sylvia]

Yes, but chances of success are poor. Unfortunately, internal bacterial infections develop rapidly and unexpetedly in dwarf gouramies and it is rare that one makes it. It's still worth a try though. Note that the infection is not contagious as thigns stand but, if the fish dies in your tank and another decides it would like a taste of it, you may end up with another case on your hands... Investing in a quarantine tank in future is a good idea.

 

[severina]

I have a quarantine tank. I'm setting it up as we speak...it takes a while for the water to warm up. Petsmart gave me another fish, though...I'm going to treat that one too, with my powder blue. The dwarfs are going to stay in the 10 gallon until I find some more females...then they are going back into the 55, and the rosies are going into the 25 gallon (I'll wash the whitespot out, I promise!) and the plecostomus thats sitting there wondering "Wtf!?" while I'm moving the fish all about, will stay in the 55 gallon

 

[Luanda Pym]

I know what you mean about bacterial infections being fast in Gourami's. I bought 2 honey gourami's and 2 dwarfs, within a day the 2 dwarfs were looking as if they had been bitten all over although i couldn't see any fighting (and i stare at the tank a lot, how sad am I!). I treated the whole tank for internal and external bacteria but yesterday 1 dwarf did a back sommersault and karked it there and then.
The remaining gourami's are fine.
i'm new to these fish but they seem very susceptible to bacterial infection.
No other fish were harmed in this mini drama!

 

[severina]

I know! Its craziness. I think after this, no more dwarf gouramis of any kind for me.