I feel like an idiot- Honey Gourami

[Chriznat20]

2 days ago, I noticed that my honey gourami was sitting in the corner during feeding time, and not eating. I made note.

Yesterday, I cant find the honey gourami! I look and hes laying on the gravel on the side like hes dead. I get the net to bring him to his grave (i.e. the toilet) and once I get the net near him, he darts around real quick, swims upside down, spirals down like an airliner crashing to the ground and lays back down on the gravel playing dead. His breathing was very weak, and it looked like a few times he stopped breathing and then about 5 seconds later, caught his breath again.

I figured something is up... it had been 2 days since I had done a PWC and Im nearing the end of my cycle (have NitrItes and a small registering of NitrAtes). I got the test kit out and found nitrItes to be high (somewhere between 2.0 & 5.0 on the API card!). I quickly did a 75% water change and hoped for the best.

Today, the honey gourami was doing much better. Hes swimming 90% normal (I did observe some weirdness but all in all...), he looks better, and hes upright. I did a 40% WC.

So are gouramis hyper-sensitive to water conditions?

I feel like an idiot and like I tortured my gourami.

 

[cabezon]

Gouramis dont breathe under water, they make a gulp of air at the surface. so, they are not really sensitive per se, but if you are going through a cycle it could be very stressed.

 

[Chriznat20]

Gouramis dont breathe under water, they make a gulp of air at the surface. so, they are not really sensitive per se, but if you are going through a cycle it could be very stressed.

Yeah, Ive read up about the labyrinth tube or whatever its called. I can tell you this - yesterday the fish didnt have the energy to make it to the top. Should I have netted him and kept the net towards the top?

Ive never had a problem with gouramis ever, and Ive been aquarium-ing since I was 9 (Im 30 now) lol.

I just fed, hes still not eating. But hes more energetic. Is there anything I could/should be doing to stimulate his appetite and coax him to eat? Currently I feed betta bites (I have no bettas - figured they'd be good variety for my community), tetra flakes, and freeze dried bloodworms. Occasionally (1-2x a week) my corys get a shrimp pellet and my pleco gets 1/3 of an algae wafer 1x week.

 

[dkpate]

My dwarf gourami did the same thing, so I made this little mesh box thing so he was closer to the surface. He quit eating and got really skinny, and he ended up passing away. Someone mentioned some gourami disease, but I still don't know why he passed. My water params were perfect....I had had him for 4 months.

EDIT: Don't flush fish. Can introduce all sorts of diseases.

 

[Chriznat20]

My dwarf gourami did the same thing, so I made this little mesh box thing so he was closer to the surface. He quit eating and got really skinny, and he ended up passing away. Someone mentioned some gourami disease, but I still don't know why he passed. My water params were perfect....I had had him for 4 months.

EDIT: Don't flush fish. Can introduce all sorts of diseases.

Yikes..Ive heard of neon tetra disease, but never a gourami specific disease! If he doesnt eat tomorrow, hes getting put into this breeding box I have that sits at the top of the tank. That way he can be closer to the top for air, and I can put food right over/in the box.

Is there anything that is "irresistible" to fish? Something that he cannot resist and give in to temptation? lol

 

[dkpate]

Yeah, you can try soaking the pellets in garlic.