Blue Dwarf Gourami Sitting at Bottom of Tank

Should I be concerned that my blue gourami just sits in a corner on the bottom of the tank. She (I assume) goes up for air, she moves quickly if tap on the glass lightly to see if she is dead. She is breathing fine, color is good, no outward signs of disease. Swim pattern is normal. She does not come up hungry for food like she used to but she is eating something because it's been two weeks of her doing this. She is in a 55 gallon with a male (I as me) gourami (he has now started doing it on the other side of the tank. They used to be joined at the hip. There are also 3 small angels, a cherry barb a cory catfish 3 black skirted tetras and a pacasamus. HOB bio wheel Marine Land 30/60 filter. The water tests all come up ideal and safe. (Test strip). A 25% water change is done every week along with a have tank gravel vacumn. Food fed is flake for the angels, pellets for the gourami, sinking pellets for the cory and algae wafer for the pacasamus. Blood worms once a week and live fish once a month in the tank, free for all but the Angel fish eat them because no one else does. Hope that's enough information. Now I think the sexes are she because her fin on her back has a round to it and him because it has a point to it. Yes the fins are clamped but they have both been that way for a month, we got them used. The only bully in the tank is one Angel fish has put another angel fish in its own corner. No one is bothering the Gouramis they are 4-5 inches also the temp is a constant 76°

#2

7 years ago

I highly recommend you get an API master test kit. It may seem pricier at the start but over time it lasts longer thus saving you more trips to the store for the strips and the liquid test kits are more accurate.

If I were you I would boost the amount of water changes because this must be a water quality issue. Try 50% a week between two different changes to help improve the water quality. Do you use dechlorinator with the new water you add? If so this is a must! Good luck.

#3

7 years ago

I use mainland aquarium conditioner for chlorinated and slime coat. Every time I add new water figure in the amount needed for each water change. Ok if I'm reading this correctly I should switch to doing two 25% water changes a week or is it one 50% a week? And do I vacuum with each one?

#4

7 years ago

To keep this simple really. This week change out 50%. If it remains elevated do another. You should be able to perform a 30% water change one time per week. Vacuum 100% of the top of your substrate and perform a deep gravel suction of 1/3 alternating areas each week. Week 4 change out 50% of your water and perform your weekly surface clean but no deep suction. Once a week dose your water treatment for your tank size. Any other waterchanges you perform within that week you only dose the replacement amount. Once a week you dose the tank as after 7 days your treatment is depleted. 😊

#5

7 years ago

Wiz, what level is too high? All my levels come back ok.My ammonia level shows 0 and I show 0 ppm nitrate, 0 nitrite ppm, 150 total hardness ppm, so needs conditioned. 0 ppm chlorine, total alkalinity is 120 ppm, and ph is 7.2 according to the testing bottle all my levels are ok. However my own caffeine level was 0 ppm is that the level you were referring to 😋 . Also I was not aware that the water conditioner/slime coat I put it only lasts 7 days, that explains why my water goes hard with having had nothing changed. Thank you for that tip. But seriously what level am I watching out for.

#6

7 years ago

Your nitrates should be at 20ppm or less but zero makes me believe your tank is not cycled yet. Plus, those values you reported are fine but their are many things in your tank that we dont test for that we should flush out a bit.

#7

7 years ago

What brings up the nitates? How do I help that along? I don't know alot about tank cycling just enough to know it should have been done but this was a used tank came with everything including the fish and we were not fish keepers so we just scrubbed it all out and now I know basically killed the good bacteria. So yeah, not cycled. But it's been a month how long does it take?

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