Pls Advise Asap

[annesmith]

i have three mixed in with some angels, black widows tetris and a pleco....



anyway 2 of the gourami keep hiding behind and under the tank filter, they have actually moved the gravel so they can swim under the filter....from reading up on them online it says that they lay eggs in floating plants the top of the tank but i dont have any so is it possible they have laid eggs down there? im getting worried cos they've been hiding down there a lot for the past few weeks and the 2 that hide down there are very small compared to the other one and im worried the big one is gonna end up eating the smaller two cos i had started with 4 but the smallest one died cos the others picked on it and started to eat it.



any thoughts?

 

[annesmith]

pls? one of you must have an idea??? im really worried about it.

 

[dthoffsett]

What size tank do you have?
What all is it stocked with?
How long has the tank been set up, what are the water stats (actual numbers please)?

Gouramis are in the anabantoid family, males build bubble nests on the waters surface and the eggs reside there, so it is highly unlikely they have layed eggs. More likely is they are stressed, there are a few things that could be causing the stress: aggression - have you noticed any of the other fish picking on them; water quality - are there any readable levels of ammonia or nitrite, or nitrates over 50ppm; nowhere to hide - gouramis generally prefer planted tanks (wheter fake or real), and if your tank is very open with little decor/plants, they feel the most secure behind your filter.

 

[annesmith]

Thanks for replying.

Its a 65 litre tank stocked with 8 black widow tetris, 2 angels, 1 pleco and 3 golden gourami

Its been set up since april, i dont have the water stats , will do tomorrow cos its too late now but the nitrate levels are generally high, always have been and cant seem to get them down no matter what i do, the fish have never appeared to be bothered by it.

the bigger angel and biggest gourami are sometimes a bit aggressive... i have also just noticed that the 2 small gourami have a lot of black marks, they look dirty the marks are on their faces and also strips down their bodies which they never had before.

there are fake plants in the tank and some rocks that they could hide behind, do you think i should get some more or bundle them closer together to give them a bigger space to hide behind?

 

[Luketendo]

Nitrates stress fish and can be removed by frequent water changes, real plants, anti nitrate bags that go in external filters etc.
Golden Gouramis may be a little too big for your tank, angelfish will also grow too big imo. And you need to get the exact species of the pleco as if it's a Common Pleco it grows very big 30cm+ which is a problem.

 

[rdd1952]

Thanks for replying.

Its a 65 litre tank stocked with 8 black widow tetris, 2 angels, 1 pleco and 3 golden gourami

Its been set up since april, i dont have the water stats , will do tomorrow cos its too late now but the nitrate levels are generally high, always have been and cant seem to get them down no matter what i do, the fish have never appeared to be bothered by it.

the bigger angel and biggest gourami are sometimes a bit aggressive... i have also just noticed that the 2 small gourami have a lot of black marks, they look dirty the marks are on their faces and also strips down their bodies which they never had before.

Part on your problem is that you are pretty heavily stocked for a 17 gallon tank. What type pleco is it? If it's a common pleco, he needs a much bigger tank (50 gallon at least). How often do you do water changes? With the stock you have, you need to be doing 25% every week tokeep the nitrates in check. Have you tested your tap water to see if it has nitrate in it? Also, gouramis are very territorial so if you have more than one male, the larger one will bully the smaller ones. That is probably why the 2 smaller ones are hiding. It is probably the same reason the gourami and angel fight. The tank is just too small for that many fish that can be aggressive.

 

[dwarfgourami]

As just mentioned, both the angel and the gouramis are very territorial fish and the tank is too small to provide a territory for more than one of them at the most, so they are bound to fight. In fact, the tank is too small to keep even one of them- I would rehome them and get something else instead. If the pleco is a common or a sailfin, then he too will need a new home.