Pearl Gourami Collapsed And Gasping

[hanny93]

Just seen my new pearl gourami lying on the sand gasping heavily and just being flipped over by the other fish and the current.

I tested my water immediately and got between 0 and 0.6 for ammonia (Nutrafin test kit - it isnt very good) and 0.1 for nitrites (the lowest score on the card, it was a bit paler than the test strip)

Please can anyone help?

I dont have a quarantine tank, just bucket.

 

[hanny93]

Never mind, he died.

 

[KittyKat]

Why are you buying new fish if your aquarium is not cycled? A lot of fish just can't deal with ammonia and nitrites, even in smaller quantities.

 

[hanny93]

It is cycled, as I've said before in previous posts. This tank has been up and running for over 6 months, with plants, good filtration and a light.

Thanks for assuming I know nothing.

 

[electropunk06]

It is cycled, as I've said before in previous posts. This tank has been up and running for over 6 months, with plants, good filtration and a light.

Thanks for assuming I know nothing.

Hi could your tank have become uncycled because if it is cycled then ammonia and nitrite should be 0ppm.
have you cleaned or replaced you filter/media recently?
have you added new fish?
Could there be any rotting/decaying things in the tank? (plants, left over food)
Lloyd

 

[hanny93]

Hi,

It isnt measured in ppm, its a nutrafin test kit, which measures in mg/L.

No I haven't changed my filter media, only washed it in tank water as it was full of sand the cories muck up.

Yes I have added new fish, and I see where you are going with this - the bioload was too much for the filter.

But the tank has always had lots of fish in, other than for a couple of days in between getting rid of old fish (3 guppies 4 mollies and 2 corys) and getting new fish (4 more corys, 11 neon tetras and 2 pearl gourami).

I also vaccuum the sand as best I can bi-weekly (this counts as my water changes aswell)

It's not that I don't know what I'm doing, I just don't know why this guy died

 

[electropunk06]

Hi, i would guess it was ill/weakened from the LFS and the ammonia and nitrate in the tank probably didn't help.
How long was he in the tank for?
Lloyd

 

[hanny93]

Thing is though he was fine, eating well and just swimming round, then half an hour later he's dead.

He's been in since Friday, I acclimatised them properly etc and I've done two vaccuum's/water changes to accomodate for the increased bioload.

 

[electropunk06]

Hi sorry for your loss, my only other thought is there a aggressive fish in the tank at all?
Lloyd

 

[hanny93]

I wouldn't think so. The cories stay on the bottom with an occasional dash to the surface (4 bronze 2 peppered) and the neons stay to themselves in their school.

The only thing is I think both gouramis were males (I bought them as a pair and I couldn't choose there were that many in the LFS tank).

They both had the orange fin tips on the underside of their bellies and the one that died was the smaller one, but why would he sort of have a fit when he died if he as being bullied?
He was convulsing and gasping which I've never seen before

 

[electropunk06]

I'm not too sure then, maybe someone who knows a little more about gouramis might be able to help.
hope you find out
Lloyd

 

[hanny93]

Thankyou for all your help

Regards