Jynx

I have a dwarf powder blue gourami who's looking more pale than usual. Tank was just cleaned last week (not yet time for a change), all the other fish in the tank are still their normal vibrant colors, including the rummy nose tetra's that would be more sensitive to changes in the water quality. He (she?) gets a variety of foods, including peas, blood worms, krill shrimp, and flakes (they get flakes every day and the goodies every couple weeks, rotating them out). I can't see anything noticably wrong with him other than his color. I have had to call him (yes, he comes when I call him) for feedings this morning and this evening. Usually I just have to tap on the tank, and they all come swimming over.

Any clue as to why this may be happening?

~Jynx

john&jen

My dwarf gourami can change nasty colors on occasion. I blame water quality, but my wife thinks it has too do with poo. Appartently after the fish has a good bm his color comes back

Jynx

ROFL... well that's good to know... maybe he just needs a pea!

~Jynx

mumzy50

Hi this can also happen if another fish is harrasing him.mumzy50

Shawnie

Can you post the water parimeters? ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates? I hope he/she is dong better!

Jynx

Ok, he looked to be getting better after I had originally posted this. but he's taken a turn for the worse since yesterday.

The water parameters are fine for that tank. No amonia, everything else is in the clear. I did a water change yesterday, and it's not only the fading colors now, he's very lethargic. He'll come when I call him, but very slowly like he has no energy. None of the other fish mess with him, he's the one they would all 'run' from I guess you could say, but he didn't really bully them either. He wouldn't go after them unless they got too close to his corner of the tank. I had to hand feed him yesterday.

I wound up moving him into a brand new fully cycled tank that has no fish in it yet. It's been cycled for months, we just haven't put anything in it yet (we're going on vacation, it'll be stocked after that), I added stress coat for him. We thought he was dead again this morning. I went in to check on him, and he was laying (leaning may be more appropriate wording) near some plants, and I was like ", he's dead." So we got out the net, and he started swimming again. I've put a pea in there thinking maybe he's constipated, even tho he was munching on an algae wafer the other day. I saw him eat 1 flake of food yesterday. He seems to want to try, but just doesn't have the energy. I put him in a breeding net this morning so I could have easier access too him, and so that he could get to the surface to breathe easier than at the bottom of the tank. I went and checked on him and talked to him, and he came up, tried to eat some of the flakes that were in there... but they seemed to just come right back out. I don't know what to do with him. I don't want to see him suffer, and if my water quality was poor, surely the other fish would be affected by it too, not just him. I have WWAAAAAYYY more sensitive fish in the other tank and everyone else is their normal self.

Anyone have ANY idea on what could be happening... I mean is it old age? I've only had him for a year or so, I have no idea on the age of gourami's.

~Jynx

mumzy50

Hi you are doing every think right,water is fine.No sign that other fish are sick.Is there any markings that dont look right,fungus,or sunken look to stomach.Do his poos look thin white and theady.Gouramis can live four or five years.I have heard of longer,but think its rare.It happens to the best of fish keepers,some times fish get sick with no known reason for it,as long as you do your best,thats all you can do.Good luck

ER9

this reply is a bit late but coud be/ could have been internal parasites. i had a couple danios that suffered similar symptoms as you describe. i never treated them as i became aware of the possibility of internal parasites too late so i cant recomend a medacine. very similar symptoms though.

Jynx

He's still hanging on... very weak, I had taken him out of the breeder net and let him have the tank to himself, but today I had to put him back in there 'cuz I thought he was dead... again. He's not eating now. I'm seriously debating on whether to euthanize him or not.