Dannie boy

I have just purshad some dwarf gouramis and they are just sitting on the bottom of my tank and look like they wont make it, i have spent a lot of money on fish in the past and nothing i do seems to make any difference, please help as i am very frustrated and almost ready to just chuck it all in. thanks

0morrokh

How long has the tank been set up?
How big is it?
Are there any other fish in there besides the Gouramis?
What are the test readings (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH)?

sorry for all the questions.

Isabella

Dannie, if you can, answer Omorrokh's questions and maybe we'll be able to help you. Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH - all are important factors in fish-keeping. With new fish, so are appropriate acclimatizing steps (which if you ignore, the fish may go into pH or temperature shock and get sick or even die as a result).

Dannie boy

Mt tank is 190 litres, i have three angel fish and four gouramis.
I bought a PH test kit, and had a really high reading of like 7 so have been doing daily partial water changes and slowley lowering ph. they seem happier but ive allways had dramas with fish, but am learning more through the likes of these web sites, i find that the people in pet stores have so given me the wrong information, so i think i wii just get advice from here.

Isabella

A pH of 7.0 (neutral) is perfect for your fish. You shouldn't be trying to lower it. But a lot of water changes are good nevertheless. Just don't ever add any commercial pH modifiers to your water. Your pH is just fine. In fact many people would like to have the pH that you have.

0morrokh

Yeah, a lot of people have tap water with a pH off the charts (including myself)...but nevertheless I can keep just about any fish just fine. The chemicals in pH adjusters and the fact that the pH is changing so rapidly compared to what it does in the wild are stressful to fish. A pH of 7 isn't high anyway.
What is 190 liters in US gal?

chickadee

Should be a little over 50 gallons if I am figuring right.

Rose