Dwarf Gouramis "Feelers" look shorter than they us

[gfink]

My wife pointed our yesterday that the feelers on my Drawf Gouramis look shorter than they did a few months ago. They now look about half the length as the feelers in this picture.

My tank pH has been rising to up to 7.6-7.8 range lately as I was experimenting with some crushed coral to bring up my kH. Do you think this did it?

 

[Toirtis]

You sure that the tetras and platies are not getting nippy?

Why are you trying for harder water? Most of your fish will not thank you for it.

 

[oxymoron]

I'm a complete newb, but another fish nipping seems a lot more likely than a chemical problem.

 

[gfink]

My kH is 2 and gH is 3. I was having some pH instabilty issues, and I wanted to experiment with creating a buffer.

ANyways, I am backing away from the experiment because the tank was more stable without it.

Maybe some of the other fish have started to nip. The platties do chase each other around from time to time, but they don't seem too interact with the gouramis.

The two gouramis nip eachother's tails, but there is no fin damage.

 

[Guest]

what are the feelers for on gouramis?

 

[pitt420dude]

Exactly that Rudy, feeling. They give the gourami an idea about what is around them, in front of them, as well as behind and underneath them. Many other things have feelers too like shrimp and other fish like Angels. My dwarf gourami is growing one of its feelers back that was injured. If they get cut short they do grow back over time. My male dwarf Gourami is always touchng the female with his feelers, it is kinda cute but he doesnt seem to respect her when she is not in the mood ( ) Haha! Good for him that she cant file charges!

 

[Zezmo]

I read elsewhere that the feelers on Gouramis have some "taste buds". This seems reasonable to how they seem to use them. They also seem to be fencing with them when fighting other gouramis.

I don't know why yours got shorter, but I do know they grow back over time.

 

[Blucat]

don't worry. it won't really harm them to have short feelers and they grow back eventually, that is unless they get bitten of again

 

[RoK]

Depending on how much was nipped off it usually doesn't take them that long to grow back, at least IME. I usually notice a little increase in the re-growth of the feelers every day, when it happens to my gouramis.

 

[Blucat]

same here RoK