New Paradise Fish Very Inactive

[MrNiceGuy]

i got myself a paradise fish the other day. the tank at the fish store was stocked with paradise's and dwarf gouramis. a few of the paradise fish were very active... so naturally, i went for the most active and dominant one. however, after looking at the tank more i realized that one paradise fish hiding in the corner of the tank was larger and much more colorful than the rest. for some reason, despite his colorful, large bodied appearance he was getting picked on by other paradise's and even dwarfs. he's really a good looking fish though, so i got him instead hoping that he'd settle in well in a tank to his own. when the guy at the store went in to net him he moved around pretty quickly and seemed pretty capable of dodging the net. but now i've brought him home and after 3 days, he isnt moving much at all. most gouramis are very curious in a new tank, but this guy has hardly moved at all, often times spending 5 minutes at a time in the exact same spot. he's eaten a little but he's very scared of my hand. is there any hope for him? i'm starting to think he may be a stupid fish due to inbreeding or something of that nature, he seems pretty out-of-it most of the time.

 

[jacko32]

hi what temp are you keeping him at i know paradise like it cooler

 

[MrNiceGuy]

hi what temp are you keeping him at i know paradise like it cooler

yeah, i took the heater out after my betta died. i dont know the exact temp but its probably in the low 70's

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Are there other fish in the tank with your new Paradise?

 

[MrNiceGuy]

Are there other fish in the tank with your new Paradise?

nope, just the one guy. he showed a sign of trust today as i was able to feed him pellets one at a time without him running away. the fact that he doesnt move his fins much makes me think he might be injured and maybe he's just getting over the pet store trauma. after all, he was the biggest and most colorful fish in the pet store tank and his brothers all seemed active and healthy. maybe i should add a little salt?

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

What are the tank parameters?

 

[VaegaVic]

A nice water change with some warm water (not hot, just 1C higher than the tank), some frozen or live blood worm, rinse and repeat every day, except for one day a week where you'll fast him (not give any food at all).

Remove some of the hiding places so he has to physically get used to his tank and it's surrounding area. As fish keepers we often deck out our tanks full of hiding places, and as such, the fish never get used to the world outside of the ornamental sanctuary, remove some of the smallest and but the biggest one in the centre of the tank.