This Is Not An Emergency...yet.. I Just Need Some Advice (Gourami)

[J4G3D]

I bought 2 opaline gouramis for my 4ft tank last week. For the first 4 days they hid being rocks/decor but did pop up to eat. One of them stayed not only at the bottom hiding but motionless and resting on the gravel. So i carried out a water check and the stats are great. Amonia reading looked yellow with a tinge of green probably 0.05 or 0.10 amonia reading. Ph was 8.0 and all the others fine.

Anyway The 5th day onwards and they both have come out there shell and are swimming around at the top happily.

However ive noticed every now and again they sort of swim forward then backwards on the spot so to speak and there SLIGHTLY and only SOMETIMES aggresive towards each other(well 1 of them more than both). I beleive i have 2 females as there dorsel fins and what not are small and rounded and not long pointed.

ANy advice on the moving backwards forwards motion they do every now and again? or is it there normal way of just swimming on the spot? btw when they do it there not near each other.

Just worried as ive not been successful in keeping gouramis, i find them very hard to keep. Although ive only ever tried dwarfs.

Thanks

 

[onidrase]

I've had quite a few gouramis do that. Some of them do it as they grow, however, some people say it's a sign of parasites with gouramis. Often it just goes away over time. How old are the gouramis? Watch their waste, if it's white and stringy, they might have internal parasites.

 

[J4G3D]

I've had quite a few gouramis do that. Some of them do it as they grow, however, some people say it's a sign of parasites with gouramis. Often it just goes away over time. How old are the gouramis? Watch their waste, if it's white and stringy, they might have internal parasites.

I dont know there age. Got them from the local LFS, they had about 15 of them in a tank. There not small id say about 2.5 or more likely 3 inches in size.

 

[Col1957]

Hi , i had a couple of Gouramis and as i can remember mine also did the forward then backwards on the spot swim as well. They turned out to be ok but just keep as eye on them for a few weeks.

Col..

 

[coldcazzie]

As this is not an emergency I'm going to move it to the tropical discussion section instead of emergencies

 

[J4G3D]

Just to update, its turned into an emergency now.

The more healthier gourami, more aggresive one died overnight.

Didnt notice it struggling or acting as if it had a problem. Was eating fine 1.am then i went to bed woke up and it was at the bottom of the tank.

Colouring still there. Ever so slightly bloated on its belly but nothing ODD. Ever so slightly dis coloured above its mouth on its head but nothing drastic.

hmm... any ideas?

 

[ellejay]

Is your ammonia still at 0.5 or 1? Massive water change sounds like a good idea

 

[J4G3D]

Is your ammonia still at 0.5 or 1? Massive water change sounds like a good idea

My chart says...
YELLOW = 0
GREEN TINGE 0.25

But my reading was not green but more inbetween green and yellow. More yellow thats why i said 0.10 reading.

 

[ellejay]

Is your ammonia still at 0.5 or 1? Massive water change sounds like a good idea

My chart says...
YELLOW = 0
GREEN TINGE 0.25

But my reading was not green but more inbetween green and yellow. More yellow thats why i said 0.10 reading.

Ah sorry mate, I read your original post as 0.5 - 1.0 (shift work rots your brain)

 

[J4G3D]

Is your ammonia still at 0.5 or 1? Massive water change sounds like a good idea

My chart says...
YELLOW = 0
GREEN TINGE 0.25

But my reading was not green but more inbetween green and yellow. More yellow thats why i said 0.10 reading.

Ah sorry mate, I read your original post as 0.5 - 1.0 (shift work rots your brain)

No worries, I work 12 hour shifts and yes i get brain rot too!