Gouramis

[Ld123]

I can't seem to keep gouramis, any ideas why?!

 

[jpchin]

here's a profile on the gourami. i have 7 dwarf that i've had for almost 2 years. for me they don't seem any harder to keep that any other fish however good stock is a must. where are you getting your fish? also i do a 20% water change every 3rd day.

Tropical Fish for Freshwater Aquariums: Dwarf Gourami Labyrinth Fish

Trichogaster lalius (Dwarf Gourami) — Seriously Fish

 

[Ld123]

I get all my fish from the same 2 stores. I do 50% once a week

 

[jpchin]

that sounds good on the water changes although 50% might not be necessary if your water parameters are good. i like to do smaller more frequent changes myself. i should ask the basic questions such as how long has your tank been set up? is it cycled? what are your water parameters? ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and ph? also do you use strips or liquid tests? if you look at the posts on this site most people want to know these numbers to make any suggestions and strips are not as accurate as liquid tests. i also assume that when you do your changes you are using a good water conditioner and are temperature matched to the exisiting water. again the conditioner most recommended is seachem's prime. have you noticed a correlation between your water changes and the problems with your gouramis? are you losing the fish after these changes or can you relate anything to the fish dying?

 

[Ld123]

Ammonia 0, nitrites, 0, nitrate 10, ph 7.8 ish. The water change routine fits in with my everyday life that's the only reason I do it like this. I'm not losing any other fish just gouramis. Red robins. Yes it's cycled. Been set up for around 4 months. No there doesn't seem to be any correlation. I purchased 4 about month ago and lost the last one today. They seem to slow down and begin to flatten their fins. If that makes sense?!

 

[Ld123]

And with the water changes I use tetra aqua safe and match temp.

 

[jpchin]

what size is your aquarium? how many fish do you have? are the 2 fish stores you buy from chain stores or mom/pop stores? are there any other fish stores close by? it could be poor stock but i can't say for sure. it sounds like you are doing everything right. some fish do better in a more establised tank. 4 months might not be long enough for the gouramis. you might wait until the tank is a bit more established before you try again. i wish i could be of more help. even though i have 7 gouramis myself i have never had any trouble with them.(knock on wood. driftwood wood. i have a 45 gal. community tank that's been set up for 2 years. my gouramis have been in for about a year so my tank was pretty well established before they came.

 

[GoldenPlecTony]

Yeah come on buddy give us some more details ... Just lay it all out for us. You might not think its significant but its something we could pick up on... What ratio of males to females are you purchasing? This may not be an issue in a larger tank as they have their own space but in a smaller talk the ratio needs to be right. I had a Dwarf Grouami bullied to death through starvation. He didnt come out for food as he was being bullied too much.... Local pet store wouldnt take the fish back and I had no other tank to put the gourami in to keep him safe till I upgraded.... (Just a point I was sold 2 males by the LFS for my 90L tank... This was some time ago... Always do your own research on the net before relying on the advice from your LFS) ...

Anyway where was i??? lol ... What temp are you keepin the tank at? Just basically any information you have would be helpful... Like what other fish do you keep?

 

[GoldenPlecTony]

Judging off your other posts in this forum do you have a 90L Fluval tank? 4 in my opinion is too many for a 90L... I had 2 in a 90L and 1 was bullied to death (That could be due to the ratio being wrong and the bullying wasnt shared out) ... Do you watch your fish closely to see if there is a bully in the group?

 

[Ld123]

Ahhhh bombarded with advice!!! I got all males. Tank temp, 25 degree c. I have platys, mollys, cardinal tetra.

 

[GoldenPlecTony]

4 males isnt a good combo for 90L tank... (Im assuming its 90L as you asked for stocking tips on a 90L).... See they are mid level to high level fish so they are competing for the same territory.... I had a bad experience with 2 in my 90L so i was advised to get more but along with a bigger tank. So now i have a 200+ litre tank with 3 and they dont bother each other.... I think its a case of if you cramp them up then they will become a lot more aggressive....

 

[Samzter]

Yes, if all males they are known to fight. I do have two males in the same tank and they never fight. That's probably because I have females with them though lol.

 

[jpchin]

well i have 7 male gouramis in a 45 gal. coffeetable tank. the tank is 56" long so there is lots of swimming room. my tank is all male. in my experience is you leave females out of the tank there is very little to no aggression. i must repeat this has been MY experience and i'm sure others have had a different experience. i have apistos, rams, tetras, gouramis,serapaes, and bumblebee cat fish. my tank is community with all males. my local fish store keeps males and females separate so it's not too difficult to get all males. i'm sure they make a mistake occasionally but not with me. most of my fish are south american. i'm putting in apicture of my tank and some of the fish. i still think you might have success with the gouramis after your tank has "aged" a bit.

you can see how long my tank is and how much swimming room the fish have. i think this also cuts down on aggression.

 

[Samzter]

Them tanks cost a fortune!! Yur so lucky! Yeah like you said that is your experience. We are the lucky ones ! I also have has good experiences with these fish and agree that most people have bad experiences.

 

[Ld123]

Yes possibly too many males in one space