What are the black streaks under my gouramis' eyes?

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Jade_Dragon

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
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I have two sunshine gourami and they both have these black streaks under their eyes and on their bottom fin. I noticed the black on them about a week ago. The black fades away for a bit, but when I check on them later, it's back. I don't know their genders, but I know we've had them for over a month and a half. They've recently stayed more towards the top of the tank where there's something above them like the filter or the live plants we leave floating. In the past, before I found the black on them, I mostly saw them around the bottom of the tank. Also, I've seen the two gouramis together more often recently. But sometimes I find them chasing each other, sometimes I see them circling each other with one chasing the other's tail and vice versa. Other than the changes in behavior and color, they seem fine. So that's the background on my gourami.

This is the background on the tank. They're in a 40 gallon tank with 20+ other fish. Their tank is 80 degrees. We haven't gotten the water tested recently and the only change in diet is that we've been putting in these frozen freshwater frenzy cubes that have brine shrimp, bloodworms, cyclops, daphnia, and watercress(it says it promotes health and color but, with the discoloration of my gourami, I don't believe it), and this frozen emerald entree which has an omnivorous formula(they hate this one but they're not big fans of the first one either). I hope this background wasn't a waste of your time to read, but I hope this background can help you tell me why my gouramis are discolored.
 

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I saw other pics on the web with black lines, maybe because they are young still. Also sometimes the males will be aggressive to each other as they mature into young adulthood, and may kill the other, I have had that with Flame gourami. They were okay together as very young fish and as they got older they chased and fought more. One was clearly more of the aggressor. Until one day the other was dead. At that time I did not realize they did that.
 
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They're not discolored, they're just both males- Which is also why they're bickering amongst themselves:)

Honey gouramis are pretty peaceful and social even, which is why they hang out together but because they're both males they're "frenemies."

I think a preference for the top of the tank is normal for them. A friend of mine has one and it's always at the top of the tank.
 
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