Gouramis Spawning?

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Gouramii

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Oct 6, 2011
Messages
58
Location
Canada
Hey AA!

I had to clean out my tank because the wood I put in my tank made the water orangish. So I did a 80% water change and it's starting to look better. I've removed the wood, did the water change, prepared some water, added some aquarium salt (if there needs to be any help for respiratory issues or healing, just in case) and some cycle. Water is conditioned by the way.

Anyways I poured the water in but the water is still low in the tank. My two honey gouramis immediately started circling each other then following each other around the tank. Do I have a spawning pair? Is my water toxic? Are they actually freaking out? Will they die?

I tried to save them because I did lose a fish before I did the water change. That's why I did the water change.

If you think the wood is toxic to my tank, let me know. Other fish seem OK. Except that weird behaviour from the gouramis.

Thanks in advance!
 
I have some floating plants. That might encourage bubble nesting. I see no bubble nest thus far.
 
What's the parameters of the tank? (NitrAte, NitrITe, Ammonia)

The "orangish" hue might have been the Tannin leaching from the wood, where did you purchase it? & how long has it been in the tank? did you do anything to the wood before adding it?

As far as the Gouramis, does it seem like the chasing is aggressive?

They might just have been startled from the water change, they shouldn't die if there is nothing wrong with the tank, although more information is needed.

Edit: My Gourami males make bubble nests even though there is no female, one of the tanks is bare but he still makes the nest near the filter intake. How long have they been in the tank?
 
The "male," I'm not to sure if it is a male or not, is not chasing the "female." All gouramis are like, feeling each other up like crazy with their feelers. I've never seen them do this before.
 
Ammonia 0.5, nitrate 0, nitrite 0.5. I bought the wood from Petland. I washed the wood before putting it in with regular tap water. Chasing seems a little agressive. He is only chasing the other honey. He is leaving the thick-lip alone. The thick-lip is a girl too I think. All three of them are feeling each other like crazy. All they want to do is eat some food from the bottom and the male honey looks annoyed at other honey? Like the other honey "rejected" him or something so he decided to get drunk and chase her around. That's exactly what it looks like.
 
Gouramii said:
The "male," I'm not to sure if it is a male or not, is not chasing the "female." All gouramis are like, feeling each other up like crazy with their feelers. I've never seen them do this before.

Could we know the tank, and stock too? Sorry but im just wondering, because multiple gouramis in a tank usually doesnt have a colorful and happy ending. And yes , do you have a test kit for the water? We all stongly suppest the API Liquid Master Test Kit. Gives specific and accurate results. Also, as said above, did you soak and boil the driftwood? This could be your problem. Boiling it for several hours or soaking for several weeks releases most of the tannins, or "orange coloring" that unfortunatly, is not very appealing in a tank :)


Edit: ahh poop! I wrote this before seeing your responce :D sorry haha but still answer some unanswered questions i asked please :)
 
The "male," I'm not to sure if it is a male or not, is not chasing the "female." All gouramis are like, feeling each other up like crazy with their feelers. I've never seen them do this before.

To determine the sex, if they are mature, females are usually larger than males, but the dorsal fin on males is pointy and long, running towards his tail.

The females dorsal fin is rounded and short, stubby looking.

Well I should be asking what kind of Gourami is it?

Male:
11611_9.JPG


Female:
img_1627358_1_ee58d1a7faa89279fc9e5059e7d60df0.jpg
 
Thick-lip started going after female honey and the male honey chased him off? This behaviour is so weird! They are usually so peaceful! Maybe the dead dwarf kept them in line when he was a alive. Maybe honey trying to assert his dominance?
 
Tank Info:

20 G

Lots of fake plants

One cave (for hiding)

A handful of duckweed (it looks like duckweed) floating plant

Those levels of ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. (0.5, 0, and 0)

Tank is 3 months old. Cycled for one month. Had fish for two.

Stock is (don't know the genders accurately):

1. Male honey
2. Female honey
3. Female thick-lip
4. Doctor Fish
 
Ammonia 0.5, nitrate 0, nitrite 0.5. I bought the wood from Petland. I washed the wood before putting it in with regular tap water. Chasing seems a little agressive. He is only chasing the other honey. He is leaving the thick-lip alone. The thick-lip is a girl too I think. All three of them are feeling each other like crazy. All they want to do is eat some food from the bottom and the male honey looks annoyed at other honey? Like the other honey "rejected" him or something so he decided to get drunk and chase her around. That's exactly what it looks like.

Hmm, the 0.5 ammonia reading is odd. As well as there being no NitrAtes or NitrItes.

How long has the tank been set up?

If you find the color of the water unsightly you could boil it or soak it, it will leach most of Tannis out.

Well how many Gouramis are in the tank? As well as tank size?
 
Tank Info:

20 G

Lots of fake plants

One cave (for hiding)

A handful of duckweed (it looks like duckweed) floating plant

Those levels of ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. (0.5, 0, and 0)

Tank is 3 months old. Cycled for one month. Had fish for two.

Stock is (don't know the genders accurately):

1. Male honey
2. Female honey
3. Female thick-lip
4. Doctor Fish

And you have answered before I posted haha.

So 20G tank with 3 Gouramis?

When Honeys spawn they aren't aggressive towards each other, but actually more courteous. The presence of the thick lip Gourami might have something to do with it, but I'm leaning more towards there being more than 1 male.

Those readings aren't to promising though, have you changed the filter media recently? What tests are you using?

The top is a male and bottom is a female:
img_1627366_0_e8f4a789f0c24f57edf82bbdeb1f416b.jpg
 
picture_117 said:
Hmm, the 0.5 ammonia reading is odd. As well as there being no NitrAtes or NitrItes.

How long has the tank been set up?

If you find the color of the water unsightly you could boil it or soak it, it will leach most of Tannis out.

Well how many Gouramis are in the tank? As well as tank size?

She has answered it :)

Nit sure how well the goiramis will get along in the long run, however. And what is a doctor fish? Never heard of it
 
She has answered it :)

Nit sure how well the goiramis will get along in the long run, however. And what is a doctor fish? Never heard of it

Yeah what exactly is the doctor fish?

Also in the brief period that I had two male Gouramis in the same tank they constantly chased one another, one male would finally chase the other as soon as it saw the other. Continuous chasing until it was out of its territory. This sounds like what's happening with yours. Although knowing the sexes would help.

Edit: If the pictures in your album are of the current stock then yes you have more than one male, they look like dwarfs though not honeys, are the pictures correct?
 
This behaviour is very odd because everyone lived in harmony and the two honeys were inseperatable, and now my male honey is leaving the thick lip alone, the doctor alone, and now is bothering my female.

I can't remember the readings exactly but petland used their liquid water test for me thursday.

My "male" and a upward pointed dorsal fin and a round anal fin. My thick-lip is grey but has a pretty blue anal fin. Does the color mean he's male too? And the "female" has both rounded fins and roundish belly.

When they "danced" it was beautiful. But all of a sudden he's a great big bully. He isn't touching her just chasing her away.
 
A doctor fish is a bottom feeder and it's other name is something like a "gamma russo." I can't spell or pronounce it but it looks something like that.

Maybe I should take pictures of all fish?
 
Plus those are old photos. I had to get rid of those fish because there were too many males.
 
A doctor fish is a bottom feeder and it's other name is something like a "gamma russo." I can't spell or pronounce it but it looks something like that.

Maybe I should take pictures of all fish?

Yes this would help lol.

Edit: Okay if the album photos are outdated then current pictures would help.
 
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