View Full Version : i think my neon dwarf gourami is sick!?
Rashironaldo818
01-29-2007, 6:42 AM
Please help. I just got some dwarf gouramis (one male and two female), they've been in the tank for about a four days. They seem pretty happy, they eat well (flakes and frozen bloodworms) but it seems the male gourami is sick with something. he's got this dark colouring beginning to spread on his body... i've recently changed the water to no avail...
if anyone can help please do....
Sammie7
01-29-2007, 9:41 AM
Is he acting funny or is it just the coloring that worries you? How long has the tank been setup for? What are the other tankmates? Have you noticed any poop yet? Also if the plant behind him in the picture is a real plant then it isn't a true aquatic and will die and pollute the water. http://classygroundcovers.com/item--Acorus-g-Variegatus-%7B24-Pots-3-1-2-in-%7D-gramineus-Variegated-Japanese-Sweet-Flag--158
Deddo
01-29-2007, 12:56 PM
Please help. I just got some dwarf gouramis (one male and two female), they've been in the tank for about a four days. They seem pretty happy, they eat well (flakes and frozen bloodworms) but it seems the male gourami is sick with something. he's got this dark colouring beginning to spread on his body... i've recently changed the water to no avail...
if anyone can help please do....
:) it's ok!! The male always colors dark at his tummy and around his head when he is coming into adulthood and is in good shape. He realy must like your female gouramis!! So don't worry, he's just fine! Just watch him, he might be starting to make some bubblenests in the near future and will try to get one of his females to drop her eggs between the bubbles! When there is a bubblenest, be carefull when you open the hood of your tank (if you have one), otherwise you might disrupt the bubbles!
It is a good choice to have Dwarfgouramis in a harem (1 male and 2 females). You will enjoy their courtship!
You might want to read this:
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/anabantids2/p/dwarfgourami.htm
This is a picture of a male Colisa lalia, see the colour! The female is much more pale coloured.
Rashironaldo818
01-29-2007, 5:38 PM
Thanks for the quick replies.
i think ur right deddo. i woke up this morning and there was a bubble nest being built around one of the floating plants. (i'm so excited!) hope fully he will be a father soon!
BTW the plant in the back was from my LFS, The tanks been running for about 10 days and only houses the two female and one male neon dwarf gourami. They're poop was a normal brown colour.
It wasnt the behaviour that really struck me but the colour (though the male was fairly territorial).
I heard if the male is building a bubblenest he shouldnt be fed because it will distract him is that true?
Sammie7
01-29-2007, 6:03 PM
I know that you did probably get it from your LFS, but it isn't a true aquatic and it will die in your tank. It is meant to be a bog plant on the edge of the water not fully submerged. LFS are notorious for selling bog/terrarium plants for use in aquariums, where they die short after.
Rashironaldo818
01-29-2007, 6:10 PM
thanks for the words of wisdom Sammy. I'll get rid of it now.
yourchoice
01-29-2007, 10:33 PM
How big is the tank and is it cycled?Chances are the eggs and early fry will all get eaten unless you scoop the nest out or take the females out after fertalization then remove the male after 24-36 hours..The whole front half of the male can turn blackish when breeding then return to normal colors and will spawn probably many times.The male may be pre-occupied to eat either way no food should be getting to the bottom of the tank.
Rashironaldo818
01-29-2007, 11:53 PM
The tank is 60x30x40 so about 72L and it has been cycled.
So your saying I can scoop the bubblenest out? how? won't the bubbles burst and eggs dies?
I was also wondering what to feed the fry. Some say insuforia (spelling?) others say Baby Brine Shrimp and some even egg yolk. Whats best?
The tank is 60x30x40 so about 72L and it has been cycled.
So your saying I can scoop the bubblenest out? how? won't the bubbles burst and eggs dies?
I was also wondering what to feed the fry. Some say insuforia (spelling?) others say Baby Brine Shrimp and some even egg yolk. Whats best?
When there are egs the male will protect them vigiously (english? :)); he'll take little or no time eating and will become very territorial. He'll even chase the females away. So to give the females a chance for hiding from him, you will need lot's of plants. For instance some hornwort, Cabomba aquatica or Limnophylia sessiflora, these will provide excelent hidingplaces for your females AND the fry. When the eggs hatch, daddy will protect the little ones for a day or 3; trying to keep them between the bubbles, then even he will eat them if he gets the chance!!
If you only have the gouramis in your tank, there are 2 things you can do when you have fry:
1. leave the fry in the tank, take daddy out (into a small planted and cycled tank with the same water you have in the big tank! Including filter etc.) until the babies are big enough. Feed the fry with infusoria, baby brine, Liquidfry
2. scoop out the bubblenest (be careful) and put this in a small cycled tank, feed them there
The chance of really getting fry is not so big, since it is his first time!! Usely it will take some time before there will be any babies. So don't be disappointed if this time it doesn't work.
Enjoy!!
Ps. as I said before, don't open the entire hood to often when you have bubbles! Otherwise you'll disrupt the nest. Also the hood keeps the air above the watersurface around the same temperature as your water, which is very important for your gouramis as they belong to the Labyrint familie (they go to the surface and inhale air). If the temperature above the watersurface is lower, they will get sick.
Hi! How are your gouramis doing!? Still building a nest? If I am not mistaken you have Colisa lalia; I have some Colisa chuna gold, which are a little smaller than lalia, but behave the same
They are doing fine and the male is building a wonderful nest which is being inspected by the females now.......................
http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto=XLYMWKND
In front you see the male, his colouring is not good to see, but he is turning black all over the front of his body; in the back the female inspecting his bubbles to see if they are sturdy and beautiful enough for her young ones......................
Rashironaldo818
02-05-2007, 12:54 AM
Hey! Sorry for not posting for a while, but my dwarf gouramis have finally had fry. The male had been building a nest for days and eventually i guess it happened. I only realised so when he became very aggressive and started to travel all around the tank chasing the females. Since then the two females have been removed but he is still in there (hopefully its around one to three days like u said) so he can help guide the little ones.
How do you know when the fry are big enough to not be eaten by the male?
I want to move the male out in the future but im scared i might also net the fry, what can i do?
The fry seem healthy, is it because they eat he insuforia from the plants?(something i heard)
Will this be enough to keep them fed or should i change to BBS and liquidfry?
I don't know if they are called free swimming, but they are away from the nest and spreadout all over the tank, it looks like they are eating the algae off some rocks, Good or bad?
You can just make out their little faces and if i do a rough count theres probably 50 or so around.
Sammie7
02-05-2007, 1:03 AM
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/anabantids2/p/dwarfgourami.htm That has some general info on the process. Try googling dwarf gourami breeding.