Peacock gudgeons, one acting weird

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
šŸ¶ POTM Poll is Open! šŸ¦Ž Click here to Vote! šŸ°

CosmicCow09

New Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2021
Messages
56
Reaction score
6
Location
New York
I recently got two, and I donā€™t think they are settling in as nicely as I thought. Iā€™m really trying to keep them happy but I moved fish and it seemed to stress them. The main issue is I donā€™t know the way they act, where they usually swim when they are happy. I added a cave witch seemed to help. Also now my panda corys seem to be stressing. Not sure whatā€™s up, I just did a water change today, about 30-35 ish percent. Itā€™s a 20 gallon by the way.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    282.8 KB · Views: 1,034
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    361 KB · Views: 83
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    352 KB · Views: 88
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    195.7 KB · Views: 84
If caves seem to be helping I'd add a few more... What type of 20 gallon is it? Is it a 20 gallon long (30 inches) or a 20 gallon tall (24 inches)... How many peacock gudgeons do you have and how many cories do you have?
 
Also when did you get them? And the cories? When Iā€™m that time did you add the caves?

Thatā€™s a lot of things going on in a tank especially in a short period of time.
 
Peacock gudgeons live on the bottom of the tank. They usually hang out in caves or under/ around plants. They don't go swimming around the tank like tetras or barbs do.

If fish are acting unusual, test the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, then do a big (about 75%) water change.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.
 
In addition to the other questions, a summary of the tank's history would help.
I have these fish and the are very chill. I imagine the bottom dwelling Pands cory are a bit boisterous.
Please elaborate...
 
In addition to the other questions, a summary of the tank's history would help.
I have these fish and the are very chill. I imagine the bottom dwelling Pands cory are a bit boisterous.
Please elaborate...
Exactly what I was thinking... By him saying the cories are even acting strange I'm thinking he just chose the wrong tank mates... They are both bottom dwellers, so they both take up floor space, not leaving room for the others... And since both species are not aggressive they wont fight each other... I honestly think its the issue of tank mates and he'll have to either take one species out OR get a larger tank...
 
I recently got two, and I donā€™t think they are settling in as nicely as I thought. Iā€™m really trying to keep them happy but I moved fish and it seemed to stress them. The main issue is I donā€™t know the way they act, where they usually swim when they are happy. I added a cave witch seemed to help. Also now my panda corys seem to be stressing. Not sure whatā€™s up, I just did a water change today, about 30-35 ish percent. Itā€™s a 20 gallon by the way
Also, I really can't make out what's going on in the pictures.
Can you post another?

Also, if you can separate them for now. You can make a DIY tank for cheaps. Ask how!
 
Wellā€¦ one of the gudgeons died last night, not sure why. I didnā€™t consider them not getting along like that. Itā€™s strange cause the other one though heā€™s alone is acting normal. But they need a friend so Iā€™m going to have to go back to the store far away to get him one. But to answer some of your questions this thank has been my guppie nursery/ panda Cory tank. The cories have been there for a while. Thank you all for your responses and knowledge. Iā€™m pretty bummed about that one dying. Hopefully I can keep the other one alive until I can get him a friendā€¦
 
Wellā€¦ one of the gudgeons died last night, not sure why. I didnā€™t consider them not getting along like that. Itā€™s strange cause the other one though heā€™s alone is acting normal. But they need a friend so Iā€™m going to have to go back to the store far away to get him one. But to answer some of your questions this thank has been my guppie nursery/ panda Cory tank. The cories have been there for a while. Thank you all for your responses and knowledge. Iā€™m pretty bummed about that one dying. Hopefully I can keep the other one alive until I can get him a friendā€¦
Also I could move the pandas to my other community but I worrie it may be too many cause I already have salt and pepper cories in there. And what I consider max fish.
 
Don't add any new fish for a month after you lose a fish.
If your current fish have a disease it can kill the new fish.
If there is a water quality issue, any new fish will probably die.
If the current fish are in a weak state for whatever reason, adding new fish can introduce diseases or stress the fish past the point of no return.

If you want more fish, put them in a quarantine tank for a month.
 
I donā€™t have the resources to set up a quarantine tank right now sadly. But I would guess that that that one just died randomly. Seemed like he just wasnā€™t acclimating properly. The other one is eating and acting normal. Sad that the other one died.
 
You can buy a pretty good size storage bin at Target, the dollar store, Lowe's for probably $5 if you hunt around

Small air pump
small sponge filter
Some some airline hose (some stores sell it by the foot)
And and a small heater
I think you can find all that stuff for $30


I really don't have a clear picture of the timeline or situation involved in this particular tank, or any information about the other tank you have, so it's difficult to say what happened to your fish

in the picture, the one fish I could see and, that was kind of upside down or sideways was a female.

Gudgeons hang out on the bottom, unless they're very comfortable and hungry then they will move up to the middle
(also if they are comfortable they will come up to you and interact) šŸ˜„
They are shy and not as quick moving as Cory's. When I feed mine I have to make sure that I get food enough for them because they will get out competed

They move in little spurts and most likely she got extremely stressed out. Also, the decor in your tanks doesn't provide for enough room for the peacocks to sprint away, when they do move they move quickly and for quite a bit of distance.

Your decor is right in the middle which would have blocked them from their natural movement. she could have gotten injured along the line somewhere and wore out.
(Keep in mind the same scenario may occur with the remaining fish).

In addition, although the males are not aggressive when breeding, absent a place and atmosphere to breed may have placed stress on both fish.

If your water was clean and any other issues in the tank such as diseases parasites excetera are not present, I would say your fish did not die as a result of of acclimation. You do still have one remaining fish. In your first post you stated that you didn't really know how these fish act, but now you're saying the remaining fish is acting normal? Sorry, and I absolutely don't mean to be harsh, but I had to point that out.

I don't know much about Corys but I think that they can be together with other Cory's I'm not sure. You also didn't say what other type of fish you had in the salt and pepper Cory tank. Also, what you mean by overstocked? Perhaps they could go together and the gudgeon could go in the other tank? Especially if the other inhabitants are top dweller's and the water parameters are the same and the layout of the tank is suited for peacock gungeon.

Then then if you make enough room you could put the other new gungeon in there.

Getting the remaining fish a friend I do not believe is a good option for you right now and until you have the right environment to house peacock gudgeons you may want to hold off. The best option may be taking it back to the store for now.

I applaud your taste in fish by the way! They're wonderful fish, I have 7 breeding adults and probably 30 fry. I have posted a couple of videos and pictures of them here on the forum.

If you do take the time to prepare a right environment for them they are really easy to breed and I would get a few

This is just my take on your problem because I do have experience with these fish regarding their habitat requirements, temperament, and behavior.

As far as diagnosing what EXACTLY happened please take my input with a grain of salt since I really don't have enough information about your scenario
 
Last edited:
This tank will be for 3 peacock gudgeons... I have multiple caves and hides, the front and back of the tank has an open swim space that can comfortably fit 2 at a time... I plan on doing very minor rearranging...
1110211959.jpg
 
You can buy a pretty good size storage bin at Target, the dollar store, Lowe's for probably $5 if you hunt around

Small air pump
small sponge filter
Some some airline hose (some stores sell it by the foot)
And and a small heater
I think you can find all that stuff for $30


I really don't have a clear picture of the timeline or situation involved in this particular tank, or any information about the other tank you have, so it's difficult to say what happened to your fish

in the picture, the one fish I could see and, that was kind of upside down or sideways was a female.

Gudgeons hang out on the bottom, unless they're very comfortable and hungry then they will move up to the middle
(also if they are comfortable they will come up to you and interact) šŸ˜„
They are shy and not as quick moving as Cory's. When I feed mine I have to make sure that I get food enough for them because they will get out competed

They move in little spurts and most likely she got extremely stressed out. Also, the decor in your tanks doesn't provide for enough room for the peacocks to sprint away, when they do move they move quickly and for quite a bit of distance.

Your decor is right in the middle which would have blocked them from their natural movement. she could have gotten injured along the line somewhere and wore out.
(Keep in mind the same scenario may occur with the remaining fish).

In addition, although the males are not aggressive when breeding, absent a place and atmosphere to breed may have placed stress on both fish.

If your water was clean and any other issues in the tank such as diseases parasites excetera are not present, I would say your fish did not die as a result of of acclimation. You do still have one remaining fish. In your first post you stated that you didn't really know how these fish act, but now you're saying the remaining fish is acting normal? Sorry, and I absolutely don't mean to be harsh, but I had to point that out.

I don't know much about Corys but I think that they can be together with other Cory's I'm not sure. You also didn't say what other type of fish you had in the salt and pepper Cory tank. Also, what you mean by overstocked? Perhaps they could go together and the gudgeon could go in the other tank? Especially if the other inhabitants are top dweller's and the water parameters are the same and the layout of the tank is suited for peacock gungeon.

Then then if you make enough room you could put the other new gungeon in there.

Getting the remaining fish a friend I do not believe is a good option for you right now and until you have the right environment to house peacock gudgeons you may want to hold off. The best option may be taking it back to the store for now.

I applaud your taste in fish by the way! They're wonderful fish, I have 7 breeding adults and probably 30 fry. I have posted a couple of videos and pictures of them here on the forum.

If you do take the time to prepare a right environment for them they are really easy to breed and I would get a few

This is just my take on your problem because I do have experience with these fish regarding their habitat requirements, temperament, and behavior.

As far as diagnosing what EXACTLY happened please take my input with a grain of salt since I really don't have enough information about your scenario
Wow thatā€™s a lot of info in one thank you so much and I said it was acting normal from what I gathered from the forum. But I definitely want to rearrange to make him or her happy, and I only mentioned getting it a friend cause I thought that was necessary to make him or her happy. Iā€™m curious how and what would make a good cave, I have a small pot in there I could empty and put in the sand or something. Maybe use some rocks to make a cave? Iā€™m just a little lost one that part. I added the big head thing to try and give it a cave but maybe itā€™s just getting in their way. But I e him go in and chill on it or around it often. Also my other tanks is a hodgepodge of some guppies a flying fox, a school of danios and some mollies, oh and my little angel. They all seem to be doing good but it makes me nervous putting the peacock in there cause I donā€™t want to stress him out more then I already have. Although I donā€™t think heā€™s happy where he is( not sure if itā€™s actually a he but for time sake). He will eat but I donā€™t think that means heā€™s happy. And oh way your tank sounds awesome, I recently found out about peacocks and just love them. Itā€™s really unfortunate that my ignorance made one die though.
 
You can buy a pretty good size storage bin at Target, the dollar store, Lowe's for probably $5 if you hunt around

Small air pump
small sponge filter
Some some airline hose (some stores sell it by the foot)
And and a small heater
I think you can find all that stuff for $30


I really don't have a clear picture of the timeline or situation involved in this particular tank, or any information about the other tank you have, so it's difficult to say what happened to your fish

in the picture, the one fish I could see and, that was kind of upside down or sideways was a female.

Gudgeons hang out on the bottom, unless they're very comfortable and hungry then they will move up to the middle
(also if they are comfortable they will come up to you and interact) šŸ˜„
They are shy and not as quick moving as Cory's. When I feed mine I have to make sure that I get food enough for them because they will get out competed

They move in little spurts and most likely she got extremely stressed out. Also, the decor in your tanks doesn't provide for enough room for the peacocks to sprint away, when they do move they move quickly and for quite a bit of distance.

Your decor is right in the middle which would have blocked them from their natural movement. she could have gotten injured along the line somewhere and wore out.
(Keep in mind the same scenario may occur with the remaining fish).

In addition, although the males are not aggressive when breeding, absent a place and atmosphere to breed may have placed stress on both fish.

If your water was clean and any other issues in the tank such as diseases parasites excetera are not present, I would say your fish did not die as a result of of acclimation. You do still have one remaining fish. In your first post you stated that you didn't really know how these fish act, but now you're saying the remaining fish is acting normal? Sorry, and I absolutely don't mean to be harsh, but I had to point that out.

I don't know much about Corys but I think that they can be together with other Cory's I'm not sure. You also didn't say what other type of fish you had in the salt and pepper Cory tank. Also, what you mean by overstocked? Perhaps they could go together and the gudgeon could go in the other tank? Especially if the other inhabitants are top dweller's and the water parameters are the same and the layout of the tank is suited for peacock gungeon.

Then then if you make enough room you could put the other new gungeon in there.

Getting the remaining fish a friend I do not believe is a good option for you right now and until you have the right environment to house peacock gudgeons you may want to hold off. The best option may be taking it back to the store for now.

I applaud your taste in fish by the way! They're wonderful fish, I have 7 breeding adults and probably 30 fry. I have posted a couple of videos and pictures of them here on the forum.

If you do take the time to prepare a right environment for them they are really easy to breed and I would get a few

This is just my take on your problem because I do have experience with these fish regarding their habitat requirements, temperament, and behavior.

As far as diagnosing what EXACTLY happened please take my input with a grain of salt since I really don't have enough information about your scenario
`i suppose i could move the gudgeon that's left into my 38 but i would have to do some sorting, also there is a flying fox in the 38 that might cause problems. if anyone wants one and is willing to talk me through and pay for shipping hes yours, he cleans pretty well (no idea what gender or if it even is a flying fox tbh i just say he cause its easier) not super consistent but he will eat Blackbeard, especially any large buildup and does that well but hes a little mean. no actual attacking, however he will follow around all my other small fish, but in a big tank with some big boys he will do great, hes been in one before, hes quick enough to get away, although none of his old tankmates where actually big enough to eat him. other than that that tank has similar water parameters and very close to the same temp. also i would move my mollies as two are prego and kinda mean. also i would probably add the head thing to that tank so the gudgeon has another hide also he seems to like it.

also i really don't know about moving him in there because of the flying fox, but I want it to live. also the 38 has much better filtration in my opinion.
the flying fox is only mildly aggressive but i think its because hes the biggest fish in the tank.
 
Last edited:

Most reactions

trending

Members online

Back
Top