I have had a Blue Gourami for a while now (about 5 months) that was passed down from a family friend who couldn't take care of it. I had heard that they were easy to care for but, as of right now he is sitting at the bottom of the tank looking a bit pale. He has also refused to touch his food. He normally stays around the top of the tank and also has a good appetite, however, he hasn't been eating as of two days ago. I have checked the water parameters and they all checked out. Does anyone have some suggestions for why he may be acting like this?
So the tank does have real plants so it is planted the temp I like to keep at around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. For the diet I feed it omega one freshwater flakes and sprinkle some blood worms and various other treats (like shrimp). The test results show as normal and the test that I used tests the whole range like ph, nitrates, nitrites, and chlorine (if that gives you any clue). I am on a well so the water is hard but tests well.
Do you do regular water changes? High nitrates can effect a fish's health over time and will build up without regular water changes. Assuming you are doing water changes and nitrates are <20ppm, you could try increasing the water temp and aeration, feed little/nothing and monitor the fish. This can help speed along something bacterial. If it's viral the fish can get worse.
Try a bit less protein in the diet as well, that can block/bloat them. It does sound like you feed good quality food. Read the labels. The first 3-4 ingredients should be whole plant or protein matter. Not grains and fillers.
Try a bit less protein in the diet as well, that can block/bloat them. It does sound like you feed good quality food. Read the labels. The first 3-4 ingredients should be whole plant or protein matter. Not grains and fillers.