Why do my Powder Blue Gouramis keep dying?

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ReignsAngel

AC Members
Nov 17, 2006
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Ft. Walton Beach, FL.
We're not having any luck with our powder blues (males). The first one we bought, lived for about 3 weeks. When we got him, we brought him home with a dwarf gourami that was aggressive, so we moved the dwarf into his own tank and left the powder blue in the community tank. Three weeks later, we woke up to find he had passed away in the night. We tested the water, and everything was fine. None of the other tank mates had passed.

About two weeks later, we decided to get another male powder blue. This time he lived longer, well over a month, but today, he's having trouble, we think he's going to die. His color is bad, very blotchy, and he looks bloated. He's having trouble staying on the surface, and just drifts to the bottom. We removed him from the tank and put him in the q-tank. We tested the water again, and all is fine.

We have two female gouramis that are showing plenty of life, with no problems. The other male dwarf that we put in another tank is still doing fine. So why are our powder blue males struggling? We love these powders, but are afraid of getting another.

Thank you,
T
 

Nolapete

Monster Tank Builder
May 29, 2007
5,274
1
0
New Orleans, LA
By powder blue do you mean powder blue dwarf or 3 spot?

If it's powder blue dwarves that are giving you problems, I advise just to stay away from them. I suspect that the males are fed steroids to make them grow fast and enhance color.

If you mean 3 spots, then that's a different story. I would just try a different LFS as you probably are just hitting on a bad batch.

Have you been quarantining these fish before putting them in the main tank?
 

ReignsAngel

AC Members
Nov 17, 2006
315
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Ft. Walton Beach, FL.
Right, we have the powder blue dwarf gouramis. We quarantine them first before introducing them to the community. I don't think it's the batch, because both PBs were purchased from a different LFS.

I didnt realize they fed them steroids. From what I read they are just another strand of the dwarfs. We just love the powder blues, they are so social and the color is just beautiful. I just would like to see if this is something that is common in this species, and if other people have the same trouble.
 

Nolapete

Monster Tank Builder
May 29, 2007
5,274
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New Orleans, LA
I suspect that they do. I have no proof though. I've always found the "color strains" of dwarf gouramis to be enormous in comparison to regular color ones.
 

Luvbugz

The Suicidal Townie
Apr 18, 2007
368
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0
Indiana
IME dwarf gouramis esp the powder blue ones are not the hardiest of things. They are very very inbred to get them to be powder blue. They seem to easily susceptible to fugus. They also seem to have alot of congenital defects.
 

Nolapete

Monster Tank Builder
May 29, 2007
5,274
1
0
New Orleans, LA
Yep, I never have trouble with normal color dwarfs. IMO, they are much prettier than all the flame, powder blue, etc. If you've ever seen a regular male dwarf in breeding color, you know there's nothing more beautiful.
 

Marinemom

AC Members
Apr 8, 2006
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I agree. For whatever reason the powder blues for me have always given me a problem and do not live too long. I am not exactly sure why. Try another strain and see if you have better luck with them.

Marinemom
 
Apr 2, 2002
3,532
640
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New York
RTR posted this on the Forum that is not allowed to be mentioned on this site:
Dwarf gouramis are over-bred, hormoned and antibioticed until they are one of the most delicate fish relatively common in the hobby. If you want to keep them, kept them species-only and QT for 1-3 months if not forever. They are notorious for carrying drug-resistant infectious septicemias.

All JMHO, YMMV, but I would not have any of the dwarfs in my house unless from a local and known-to-me breeder.
Trust this info for sure.
 
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