10 Gallon Tank Hiding dwarf gourami for 2 weeks

Hi all! i’m new to this community so i’m not even sure i’m making this post correctly, but i’m in need of help. about 6 weeks ago i got a new fish tank. it’s an 8 gallon tank. it has 3 moderately sized plants a rock with some holes in it and a floating plant. i let it cycle and about 3 weeks ago i started adding in fish. i added 1 blue dwarf gourami, 3 platys, 1 silvertip tetra, 1 guppy and i have 2 oto catfish (the catfish get no larger than 1 inch) for the first couple days i noticed that my blue dwarf gourami was glass surfing but after a week (4 weeks of having the tank) i did a15 percent water change, he stopped. I BARELY SEE HIM NOW. 20 percent of the time he hangs out in the front of the tank under the floating plant, but the other 80 percent of the time all he does is hide. almost always in the back of the tank behind plants. he comes out to eat and he doesn’t look sick or anything. fast forward 2 weeks and i did another 10 percent water change about 4 days ago and tested the water. my ammonia and nitrite levels were a little high, but i’ve fixed that problem. why is he hiding? is it something i’m doing wrong or is he just a shy gourami?

 

Hi all! i’m new to this community so i’m not even sure i’m making this post correctly, but i’m in need of help. about 6 weeks ago i got a new fish tank. it’s an 8 gallon tank. it has 3 moderately sized plants a rock with some holes in it and a floating plant. i let it cycle and about 3 weeks ago i started adding in fish. i added 1 blue dwarf gourami, 3 platys, 1 silvertip tetra, 1 guppy and i have 2 oto catfish (the catfish get no larger than 1 inch) for the first couple days i noticed that my blue dwarf gourami was glass surfing but after a week (4 weeks of having the tank) i did a15 percent water change, he stopped. I BARELY SEE HIM NOW. 20 percent of the time he hangs out in the front of the tank under the floating plant, but the other 80 percent of the time all he does is hide. almost always in the back of the tank behind plants. he comes out to eat and he doesn’t look sick or anything. fast forward 2 weeks and i did another 10 percent water change about 4 days ago and tested the water. my ammonia and nitrite levels were a little high, but i’ve fixed that problem. why is he hiding? is it something i’m doing wrong or is he just a shy gourami?

Welcome to Fishlore.

Unfortunately, I think an 8 gallon tank is too small for your stock, including the Dwarf Gourami.

When you say you fixed the ammonia and nitrite problem, what exactly did you do? What were the ammonia and nitrite levels, and what are they now?

How exactly did you cycle the tank?

 

I'm sorry to say you have too many fish for 8 gallons and most of the fish you have need to be kept in small groups of at least 6 to be healthy. I'd rehome them all and do some research before you get any animals.

 

Welcome to fishlore. So as had been pointed out, that tank doesn't offer the swimming distance most of those fish require. It is possible to biofilter water with over stocking but it won't help the fish act naturally unless they have enough distance, depth and cover.

I would personally recommend you simply start another tank. Most fish at fish stores are adolescent or juvenile and as such are likely growing in your tank right now. I would recommend a basic 20 long or 29 (they both have the same footprint) if you are budget oriented(I am). If not, a 30 gallon long or a "lowboy" is the pretty but more expensive tank option. Then move your fish over to the new tank a few at a time over a couple weeks and once empty use your original tank as your incoming fish quarantine, or as a fry grow out tank if you would like to breed any of those fish.

MTS-multiple tank syndrome. Used in a sentence: "hi, I'm John I have MTS" all reply "Hi John!". We have meetings, hosted in each other's fish rooms.

 

Welcome to Fishlore.

Unfortunately, I think an 8 gallon tank is too small for your stock, including the Dwarf Gourami.

When you say you fixed the ammonia and nitrite problem, what exactly did you do? What were the ammonia and nitrite levels, and what are they now?

How exactly did you cycle the tank?

i’ve realized i should have done more research before i dove into this, but i’m actively doing everything i can to save these fish and the tank. i went to my local fish store that is locally owned and also operated only by the two owners who have had fish tanks and have taken classes and who have been doing this for years and years. they sold me the gourami and my 8 gallon tank and i’ve also told them my stock and they said after removing these two fish that i’m at an okay number but shouldn’t add any more fish (they took back my silvertip tetra and a platy). so now i just have the dwarf gourami, 2 platys, a guppy, and the 2 otocats. i found out the water testing strips i’ve been using to test my water are . so i spent the 40 dollars and bought the api testing kit. my ph is good at 7.6 my nitrate is at 0 BUT my ammonia and nitrite are both at a 2. the fish store told me to do 10 percent water changes everyday until my ammonia and nitrite go down. so i went home and changed 10 percent of the water and made sure to add dechlorinator and Fritz Aquatics FritzZyme 7 for Nitrifying Bacteria & Ammonia and Nitrite remover before adding the new water to the tank…. i also added another plant for more coverage for the gourami. he seems to like it a lot being that he’s hiding under it and swimming around in it. and he is being more active since the water change and i removed the 2 fish. but my ammonia and nitrite levels are still at like a 1.5 atleast. all the other fish seem to be fine and are all swimming around normally. i’ve watched videos and everything of all of these fish now. i do realize the platys and guppy are more like schooling fish and i should have multiple of them but they have seemed to have made there own little group of 3 and all swim around together. sometimes the one platy goes on it’s own and hides. i believe she is a female. her stomach is huge and pregnant looking and when i bought her she was in a tank with other males and females. (i didn’t buy her from my local fish store.) so if she is pregnant that would explain why she’s trying to hide and feel safe. thank you for the advice and i hope to get more replies with the additional information i have provided!

 

i’ve realized i should have done more research before i dove into this, but i’m actively doing everything i can to save these fish and the tank. i went to my local fish store that is locally owned and also operated only by the two owners who have had fish tanks and have taken classes and who have been doing this for years and years. they sold me the gourami and my 8 gallon tank and i’ve also told them my stock and they said after removing these two fish that i’m at an okay number but shouldn’t add any more fish (they took back my silvertip tetra and a platy). so now i just have the dwarf gourami, 2 platys, a guppy, and the 2 otocats. i found out the water testing strips i’ve been using to test my water are . so i spent the 40 dollars and bought the api testing kit. my ph is good at 7.6 my nitrate is at 0 BUT my ammonia and nitrite are both at a 2. the fish store told me to do 10 percent water changes everyday until my ammonia and nitrite go down. so i went home and changed 10 percent of the water and made sure to add dechlorinator and Fritz Aquatics FritzZyme 7 for Nitrifying Bacteria & Ammonia and Nitrite remover before adding the new water to the tank…. i also added another plant for more coverage for the gourami. he seems to like it a lot being that he’s hiding under it and swimming around in it. and he is being more active since the water change and i removed the 2 fish. but my ammonia and nitrite levels are still at like a 1.5 atleast. all the other fish seem to be fine and are all swimming around normally. i’ve watched videos and everything of all of these fish now. i do realize the platys and guppy are more like schooling fish and i should have multiple of them but they have seemed to have made there own little group of 3 and all swim around together. sometimes the one platy goes on it’s own and hides. i believe she is a female. her stomach is huge and pregnant looking and when i bought her she was in a tank with other males and females. (i didn’t buy her from my local fish store.) so if she is pregnant that would explain why she’s trying to hide and feel safe. thank you for the advice and i hope to get more replies with the additional information i have provided!

We all started this hobby by making mistakes. . . In my case, I’m still making them.

This might be unfair because I obviously don’t know them, but between the stocking and water change advice you’ve gotten from the LFS, I wouldn’t be impressed with them. Unfortunately, getting bad advice from fish stores isn’t uncommon.

The API Master Test kit is a great start. I’d suggest testing daily and changing enough water to keep the combined level of ammonia and nitrites at or below 0.50 ppm.

If you’re not already using it, I’d also suggest Seachem Prime as your water conditioner.

 

We all started this hobby by making mistakes. . . In my case, I’m still making them.

This might be unfair because I obviously don’t know them, but between the stocking and water change advice you’ve gotten from the LFS, I wouldn’t be impressed with them. Unfortunately, getting bad advice from fish stores isn’t uncommon.

The API Master Test kit is a great start. I’d suggest testing daily and changing enough water to keep the combined level of ammonia and nitrites at or below 0.50 ppm.

If you’re not already using it, I’d also suggest Seachem Prime as your water conditioner.

i use a dechlorinator and the other stuff i said…is water conditioner something different completely? what does it do?
also do you think i should remove more fish? i would love to keep the dwarf gourami if possible he’s my favorite.

 

i use a dechlorinator and the other stuff i said…is water conditioner something different completely? what does it do?
also do you think i should remove more fish? i would love to keep the dwarf gourami if possible he’s my favorite.

Sorry, I wasn’t clear. . . Seachem Prime is a dechlorinator, but it also detoxifies small amounts of ammonia and nitrites. Using Prime and doing the water changes I mentioned above will help protect your fish until your tank fully cycles.

Personally, I wouldn’t keep a Dwarf Gourami in anything less than a 20 gallon.

It’s really not my intent to be a downer, and I hope this doesn’t come across that way. . . I’m just trying to help you better understand what you’ve got. Dwarf Gourami aren’t generally healthy fish nowadays.

I’ve kept them myself, but they are susceptible to a fair amount of disease, including Dwarf Gourami iridovirus. I don’t believe iridovirus is contagious, but the fish often don’t survive beyond 4 - 6 months.

 

Sorry, I wasn’t clear. . . Seachem Prime is a dechlorinator, but it also detoxifies small amounts of ammonia and nitrites. Using Prime and doing the water changes I mentioned above will help protect your fish until your tank fully cycles.

Personally, I wouldn’t keep a Dwarf Gourami in anything less than a 20 gallon.

It’s really not my intent to be a downer, and I hope this doesn’t come across that way. . . I’m just trying to help you better understand what you’ve got. Dwarf Gourami aren’t generally healthy fish nowadays.

I’ve kept them myself, but they are susceptible to a fair amount of disease, including Dwarf Gourami iridovirus. I don’t believe iridovirus is contagious, but the fish often don’t survive beyond 4 - 6 months.

yes i have that and have been using it along with the other stuff i mentioned

 

yes i have that and have been using it along with the other stuff i mentioned

Ok, good.

Be sure to dose Prime according to the instructions and based on the entire water volume of your tank. Prime is effective for up to 48 hours after dosing but should be re-dosed at each water change.

As I suggested in the post above, test the ammonia and nitrite levels daily and change enough water to keep the combined level of ammonia and nitrites at or below 0.50 ppm.

Are you comfortable doing water changes (make sure you match the temperature of the water you’re adding to the tank water temperature) and are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle?

 

Ok, good.

Be sure to dose Prime according to the instructions and based on the entire water volume of your tank. Prime is effective for up to 48 hours after dosing but should be re-dosed at each water change.

As I suggested in the post above, test the ammonia and nitrite levels daily and change enough water to keep the combined level of ammonia and nitrites at or below 0.50 ppm.

Are you comfortable doing water changes (make sure you match the temperature of the water you’re adding to the tank water temperature) and are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle?

if the ammonia and nitrite levels are still high after i change the water should i change it again? and no i’m not familiar with the nitrogen cycle ‍♀️ how long will it tank for my tank to get to normal levels?! is there anything else i could do besides changing the water to help this?!
i mean if i change the water and the levels are bad should i change it again the same day*

 

Because your tank isn’t cycled, you’re doing a fish-in (vs. a fishless) cycle. I’d suggest you read this. . .
Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

If the combined level of ammonia and nitrites is above 0.50 ppm after your first water change, I’d wait a couple hours and do another one. Daily testing, water changes based on the test results and continuing to use Prime are the only way to keep your fish safe while your tank cycles.

Given your tank size and stock (even after removing a few fish), I’d suggest you post your daily test results (before doing a water change) here so we can track what’s happening with the tank.

Before I answer your “how long” question, have you tested for nitrates yet? If so, what is the level? Sorry if I missed that in one of your earlier posts. If you haven’t tested nitrates yet, be sure to follow the API instructions carefully and post the result here.

Also, what type of filter and filter media are you using on this tank?

 

okay i will test my water before and after water changes tomorrow and post them to this thread. yes i tested for nitrates and it looked like they were 0 from the color i compared to the chart. this is the tank i have, the filter is built in and the media i have was included with the tank which i have in the filter in the back with my rocks that are supposed to stabilize the ph…i think they called it carbon? or something like that i could be completely wrong it’s like this white rock/ gravel stuff the at i put in like a bio filter bag in the bag of the tank.
how many fish do you suggest having in this size tank. and should i remove anymore fish? if so what fish and/or how many?

 

I'll add, I've had a lot of success with sachem Stability as well with new set ups, or when adding fish. I've been doing this aquarium stuff for a while now, and though I also use old filter media from a different existing source to get my new set ups to instantly cycle, the stability keeps things balanced in conjunction with prime as you wait for everything to balance out.

 

With a smaller tank and filtration capacity and higher bioload (waste created by the fish in the tank, excess food, etc.), it can be very challenging to control ammonia, nitrite and eventually nitrate levels. If I’m being honest, I have concerns about all of those things with your tank.

But. . . Let’s see what your test results are tomorrow before and after a water change. I assume you were able to get the ammonia and nitrite levels down since your earlier posts? If so, to what levels?

 

ugh you have me worried! i didn’t realize it would be okay to change my water twice in one day until i read your comment last night and by that time i was in bed. i’m going to do everything right away this morning though. just turned my blue fish lights on and i’m going to give them about 30 min- 1 hour before i turn the white lights on and do the water change! unless you think it’s okay to do everything right away….i just don’t want to shock the fish out of there sleep.

ugh you have me worried! i didn’t realize it would be okay to change my water twice in one day until i read your comment last night and by that time i was in bed. i’m going to do everything right away this morning though. just turned my blue fish lights on and i’m going to give them about 30 min- 1 hour before i turn the white lights on and do the water change! unless you think it’s okay to do everything right away….i just don’t want to shock

also how many fish do you think i should keep in my 8 gallon tank? out of the dwarf gourami, the 2 platys, the guppy, and the two otocats who should i remove?
okay so the results are in! ph is at a 7.4, ammonia is 2.0, nitrite looks like it could be at 2.0 or over and nitrates are at 0.

ugh you have me worried! i didn’t realize it would be okay to change my water twice in one day until i read your comment last night and by that time i was in bed. i’m going to do everything right away this morning though. just turned my blue fish lights on and i’m going to give them about 30 min- 1 hour before i turn the white lights on and do the water change! unless you think it’s okay to do everything right away….i just don’t want to shock the fish out of there sleep.

also how many fish do you think i should keep in my 8 gallon tank? out of the dwarf gourami, the 2 platys, the guppy, and the two otocats who should i remove?
okay so the results are in! ph is at a 7.4, ammonia is 2.0, nitrite looks like it could be at 2.0 or over and nitrates are at 0.

okay after the water change the ph is still 7.2-7.4, ammonia looks like it’s between a 1-1.5, nitrite also looks at 1-1.5 and nitrate is 0. should i change the water again in a couple hours?!

 

Given your tank size and filtration, the fish you have and the test results, I’d suggest you either rehome the fish you have left or upgrade to a larger tank (see John58ford post above).

I’m sorry I don’t have a better suggestion for you, but even IF you were able to get through the cycling process successfully, your tank is still too small for your stock with the exception of the single guppy.

Given the holiday, your options to do anything today are probably limited. I almost never recommend this, but. . .

IF you can’t get the combined level of ammonia and nitrites below at least 1.0 ppm (0.50 ppm preferred) with water changes, I’d suggest you double dose Prime using the table linked below.

https://seachem.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000125454-Info-Seachem-Prime-dosing-instructions

Other than the Gourami’s behavior, how are the other fish behaving and eating?

 

Given your tank size and filtration, the fish you have and the test results, I’d suggest you either rehome the fish you have left or upgrade to a larger tank (see John58ford post above).

I’m sorry I don’t have a better suggestion for you, but even IF you were able to get through the cycling process, your tank is still too small for your stock with the exception of the single guppy.

Given the holiday, your options to do anything today are probably limited.

I almost never recommend this, but. . . IF you can’t get the combined level of ammonia and nitrites below at least 1.0 ppm (0.50 ppm preferred) with water changes, I’d suggest you double dose Prime using the table linked below.

https://seachem.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000125454-Info-Seachem-Prime-dosing-instructions

Other than the Gourami’s behavior, how are the other fish behaving and eating?

so i did a 2nd water change this morning and i got my ammonia and nitrites both down to .25-.50!! the gourami is swimming around a little more but he’s still hiding and all the other fish are acting normal and swimming around except for one platy. yesterday she was swimming around in one spot and hiding but now after the first and second water change today she’s swimming normally all over the tank and she’s not hiding at all! again though, her belly’s pretty big and kind of dark looking so i think she’s pregnant! but like i said other than that al fish are swimming around and acting normally! as far as eating they all seem interested but i’m not going to feed them today because i did yesterday…unless you think i should.

so i did a 2nd water change this morning and i got my ammonia and nitrites both down to .25-.50!! the gourami is swimming around a little more but he’s still hiding and all the other fish are acting normal and swimming around except for one platy. yesterday she was swimming around in one spot and hiding but now after the first and second water change today she’s swimming normally all over the tank and she’s not hiding at all! again though, her belly’s pretty big and kind of dark looking so i think she’s pregnant! but like i said other than that al fish are swimming around and acting normally! as far as eating they all seem interested but i’m not going to feed them today because i did yesterday…unless you think i should.

now that i’m done with both water changes and the ammonia and nitrite are down to .25-.50 it’s been about an hour and all fish except the gourami are swimming normally around the tank…the gourami is still hiding

 

so i did a 2nd water change this morning and i got my ammonia and nitrites both down to .25-.50!! the gourami is swimming around a little more but he’s still hiding and all the other fish are acting normal and swimming around except for one platy. yesterday she was swimming around in one spot and hiding but now after the first and second water change today she’s swimming normally all over the tank and she’s not hiding at all! again though, her belly’s pretty big and kind of dark looking so i think she’s pregnant! but like i said other than that al fish are swimming around and acting normally! as far as eating they all seem interested but i’m not going to feed them today because i did yesterday…unless you think i should.

The less you can feed the fish the better at this point.

 

do you think i might have a chance now that my ammonia and nitrites are down? should i do another water change tomorrow?

 

do you think i might have a chance now that my ammonia and nitrites are down? should i do another water change tomorrow?

I wish I could be more optimistic, but your options are very limited given your tank size and filtration. I think the cycling process is going to be challenging at best.

As I’ve said previously, you should do a water change when the combined level of ammonia and nitrites exceeds 0.50 ppm. That could be tomorrow, or it could be later today? The only way to know for sure is to test.

 

I wish I could be more optimistic, but your options are very limited given your tank size and filtration. I think the cycling process is going to be challenging at best.

As I’ve said previously, you should do a water change when the combined level of ammonia and nitrites exceeds 0.50 ppm. That could be tomorrow, or it could be later today? The only way to know for sure is to test.

is there a better filter i can get/add to my tank to make it better?! is there anything else you suggest i buy tomorrow? and well i have to get ready to go to my family’s and then i have work but i will check the levels later tonight and i’ll let you know!! thank you so so so much for all your help and guidance! i hope to continue to speak to you about my tank i feel like you’ve helped me so much!

 

is there a better filter i can get/add to my tank to make it better?! is there anything else you suggest i buy tomorrow? and well i have to get ready to go to my family’s and then i have work but i will check the levels later tonight and i’ll let you know!! thank you so so so much for all your help and guidance! i hope to continue to speak to you about my tank i feel like you’ve helped me so much!

You’re welcome.

Even with a larger filter, you’d still be left with a tank that’s too small for your stock. So IMO, buying a better filter would be a waste of money that could be used on a larger tank.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

 

You’re welcome.

Even with a larger filter, you’d still be left with a tank that’s too small for your stock. So IMO, buying a better filter would be a waste of money that could be used on a larger tank.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

i will! one more question….if i got a 13 gallon tank and my fish make it until that one actually fully cycles and i wait to put the fish in until the water is good, (i know you said a minimum of a 20 gallon tank for a gourami BUT) will it be a little more suitable for the 6 fish i have?

 

i will! one more question….if i got a 13 gallon tank and my fish make it until that one actually fully cycles and i wait to put the fish in until the water is good, (i know you said a minimum of a 20 gallon tank for a gourami BUT) will it be a little more suitable for the 6 fish i have?

Sorry, but I’m gonna stick with my 20 gallon minimum recommendation.

 

Sorry, but I’m gonna stick with my 20 gallon minimum recommendation.

what 20 gallon tank do you recommend? are there any that come with a light and a filter?!
what about this tank? it comes with filter light and water heater

 

what 20 gallon tank do you recommend? are there any that come with a light and a filter?!
what about this tank? it comes with filter light and water heater

Petco and PetSmart have deals on tanks that come with the starter kit includes lights, filters etc and they are usually on sale here and there. Just checked petsmart site and they have a 20g for 75 bucks and includes lights, heater filter etc might be something you can look into.