prairielilly

OK a little freaked out here...among many other things I'm inexperienced in is keeping dwarf gouramis - I've got one male who's been in QT alone in a fully cycled 5g for about 2 weeks now. He gets a gravel vac and 25 % WC once a week. He's been active, interactive, and an all around joy - I've become pretty attached to him.

One thing I never really understood is why my fish was sort of pearly-beige with orange stripes while in pictures DGs are often shown as blue and orange. Didn't think it mattered. Anyway this morning all was as usual - tonight I got home and my DG appears to have turned bluish-grey. His lips are greyish, his dorsal and pectoral (name? back and belly) fins are edged in grey and there's a stripe running from his gills to his belly fin. I'm including some pictures but he doesn't stay still very much and there's incandescent lighting in the aquarium so I don't know if anyone can see it very well.

He had a pretty big appetite tonight - ate his usual flakes and then swam around the front of the tank looking at me (he likes to come right up to the glass). I gave him a little bit more and he wolfed that down too. I tested his water and got ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5.

Is this normal (is he a baby and just growing up)? or is he sick? Please help?

Edit: tonight also there were a lot of little bubbles at the water surface - that's new too. Is he making a bubble nest? they're a lot smaller bubbles than my bettas ever made.

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Amanda

It looks like he's coloring up!

prairielilly

so he's supposed to do that?

Amanda

It looks like in th picture that he's turning blue & orange.
That is normal DG colors.

Nick G

A lot of fish don't show their true colours at the petstore, it takes a few weeks until they colour up in the home aquarium. My Kribs were grey when I bought them home, and now they're the most colourful fish I own!

prairielilly

Wow.

Feeling just a wee bit silly right now for overreacting...I'm not exactly used to finding out my fish is HEALTHY (yet!) Had some hard luck. This is wonderful!

Is he making a bubble nest do you think?

Thanks so much for the feedback!

Red1313

Sounds like a Bubble nest too me. Congrats
Don't worry you're allowed you're little moments of panic We've all had them.

Amanda

Yeah, it sounds like he's making a bubble nest.
That's a happy DG!

prairielilly