Pearl Gourami Sitting On Bottom Of Tank

[discus dreamer]

Hi all
been very busy at work for a while and not looked in to the forum much. This is possibly not exactly an emergency but i have two female pearl gouramis and over the past few weeks they seemed to only want to hang out above the outflow bar that runs the length of the tank almost as if they don't like the current but they were always fine before. Now one of them has taken to hiding right at the back and on the gravel, she just sits in one or another or two hiding places. She does occasionally come to the surface and will hang out with the other gourami for a bit but then goes back. I have seen her taking food and she has no visible signs of anything wrong. Stats are ph 6.8, amonia 0 nitrites 0 and nitrates 40.
Just been to check on her again and see that the other gourami has now taken up a position in the other hiding place, never seen that before.
Any idea what is going on?
DD

 

[WILDER]

Hard to say with no visable symtoms, I do know gouramis are prone to bacterial infections.
Have they darkened in colour.

 

[discus dreamer]

Hi Wilder
no they haven't darkened I don't think. I have added some myxazin to the tank anyway because I noticed that my congo tetras could have a bit of mouth fungus. Both gouramis are swimming around as normal at the moment. I just thought it was strange behaviour for a gourami as they are usually so near the surface.
DD

 

[WILDER]

The congo does he have white greyish bleached out lips or fluffy looking.
Turn temp down by two degrees as columnaris thrives in higher temps.

http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/hdcolumn.htm

 

[discus dreamer]

OK one has a slight whitish mark off centre on his top lip, another two have whitish bits on the edge of thier lips almost going inside their mouths, the forth one is fine. I had all four in a quaranteen tank for two weeks and only moved them on saturday to my big tank. I thought I would move them back to the quaranteen tank tomorrow if it looked any worse but did treat the big tank with myxazin anyway as it says you can use it when introducing fish. The only other new one I added was a silver hatchet fish and he looks fine. They did share the quaranteen tank with two cories that have gone on to my small tank by they look fine as well.
DD

 

[WILDER]

Mouth fungus can soon turn nasty if its a bad strain and rot the mouth away, I would try and get some pimafix to add with the myxazin.
Good luck.

 

[discus dreamer]

Thanks Wilder
the 4 congos are back in the quaranteen tank (glad I left it up and running now) with myxazin and pimafix they cetainly look no worse and everyone else seems ok. One gourami still on the bottom though but both were taking food last night.
DD

 

[WILDER]

Good luck.