Odd Behavior In My New Dwarf - Injury?

[owl13]

Hi all!

Yesterday I brought home a couple dwarfs (of the blue variety) to add to my community tank. So far, one is doing fine; nervous and keeping low among the plants/rocks, but foraging on the bottom, swimming around, hiding when I come near, etc. The other worries me a bit. He's sticking to the top of the tank, which wouldn't worry me, but he doesn't seem to be using his body or tail to swim at all. Only the side fins, and he's letting himself drift in the current. I thought maybe he was being lazy or unhappy, but even when I fed them and he went after the food pretty actively, but he continued to only use his front fins to move and seemed to have some trouble staying upright.

When I inspected the tank before buying, I didn't see any obvious problems, and it did take the salesperson a little while to catch him. Is it possible he's injured in some way? Is there anything I can do for him?

Thanks so much!

 

[owl13]

Hi again!

No thoughts at all? He's still sitting up there, not dead but obviously not happy and well...

 

[This Old Spouse]

I'd watch him very carefully. I just lost 2 dwarf gouramis to the viral disease they tend to contract. I still have 2 males and one female that appear to be fine. The thing to watch for is odd sores that develop. Mine looked like they'd been attacked but they hadn't. They died within a day of each other, so I believe they had this disease when I bought them from the LFS. Nothing you can do for them.