Gouramies on hunger strike

A

Aefroze

Registered Member
Aug 22, 2004
4
0
0
Hi

My Giant Gouramies are on hunger strike. They have not eaten anything for four days. Blood worms, Bread Worms, Wheat germ, Prawn, Bananas, Chicken .... nothing. They loved eating bananas and grapes .... but now even they won't touch them.

What can I do?

Let me tell you they are a little afraid of me because four days ago, I was trying to measure the length of a new aquarium background placing it on the front glass of my aquarium .... they just got disturbed and one of them hurt itself a little ... just a little ... because one of her scales near head came out. Since then they are on strike.....

Can somebody help?

Aefroze
 
Sounds like a stress related issues. Big fish tend to remember trauma a bit longer than other fish. I wouldn't worry--4 days isn't that long, as long as the fish remain in good condition. Give them a break, make sure the water is in good condition.
 
Some things you can try if the hunger strike continues: (I agree, 4 days isn't long. don't worry yet.)

Basically treat for stressed out fish: Dim lighting, lots of cover (plants, caves, ect.. places to hide.) Keep noise and people away from the tank, and the biggie: Clean water! (No Ammonia, no nitrites, low nitrates, stable pH..)

A different note: hmm.. Giant Gouramis like bananas? I wonder if my DG's would like em. They seem to try to eat everything I put into the tank, including my fingers if I keep 'em still.. Kinda neat, really. I think they have a lot of character. (the gouramis.. not my fingers.. :p )
 
Today I tested the water. Results are:

pH: 7.6
Nitrites (NO2): 0 ppm (mg/l)
Ammonia (NH3/NH4): 0 ppm (mg/l) - Nessler method
KH: 89.5 (0dKH = 5)
GH: 214.8 (0dGH = 12)

And, the hunger strike continues on the sixth day. Tomorrow, I am going to test live food. Generally, the gouramies are in good health. Very agile as usual, fighting a little ... everything normal ... except that they are not eating anything. I hope live food will be a good thing for them.

Aefroze1
 
Try raising the water temperature a bit.
 
Hmmm... well!

The hunger strike is over! And it was the last thing I could offer them ... feeder guppy!

As soon as the first guppy was introduced, they started chasing it as if there was nothing wrong with them. And as I put some 100 guppies in the tank, they relished on many in minutes.

I know store bought feeder guppies are a potential trouble, and a carrier of many diseases, but it is good to know that my fish are at last eating something. In future, I am planning to rearing guppies in a new tank.

:)

Aefroze

P.S. The tank is a 30 gallon and accomodates a pair of Giant Gouramies (8").
 
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