why wont she eeeeeaaaaat!!!??? Help

[Akari_32]

i have a blue gourami that wont eat AT ALL. i've had her 3 weeks, and she's eaten like.... three times. maybe 4. i've tried Blood Worms, Brine Shrimp, Veggies, Betta Pellets and Flakes (pond, betta and tropical). the only thing i've ever seen her eat was pond flakes and tropical flakes. she showed interst in the Betta Pellets and Frozen Veggies, but spit them out and refused to eat them. she did eat a few Brine Shrimp, but not enough. like 3 or four i think. her colors are getting pathetic and dull and the scales on her tummy are turning.... shinny? i dunno how to describe it, really. they are turning a yellowy shinny, instead of their normal whiteish color. she and her buddies were put into a fully cycled tank (tho before u ask, i dunno what the peramiters are, and i have no way check. but the tank has been up for 5 1/2 months and has had regual weekly 30% water changes and monthly filter maintence). all the other fish in the tank are fine and eating, but not the gourami. its sorta making me mad ^_^'> any ideas on what it could be??

 

[pinksprklmonkey]

Do you have any water test kit? Can you test the water? It might be a water problem.

 

[Akari_32]

Do you have any water test kit? Can you test the water? It might be a water problem.

i dont have one because they're too expensive... i looked at one but the cheapest was $20 and i was already buying $15 medications for fungus treatment (thats been done for about a week) and the other fish are fine, and they like the same water she does, as far as i can tell (tho im still not sure what all the water stuff means). i plan on getting peat to put in the filter, so the water gets how she likes it (some one explained this to me). she's still active, and swimming around and she's not scratching on anything, or randomly spazing, and she swims normally, but she wont eat and her stomach scales are getting wierd.

the Rainbow shark is a jerk to her tho, and bites her when she gets too close to his log, and he split one of her feelers in 1/2 almost all the way to her body, but it doesnt seem to bother her, like it does when one of my guppies gets a split tail. he also took off a few scales on her side.

i'm doing a water change friday.

 

[jetajockey]

I strongly suggest against using any PH modifiers like peat if you don't have the means to monitor the water parameters.

It sounds like the issue was stress induced based on the last line you wrote, best of luck!

 

[Jaysee]

I agree - i wouldnt alter the water parameters any.

Humans are the only animals that eat when they are stressed. If shes not eating, shes stressed. she may be sick, but sickness comes from being stressed.

Sounds like the shark is the problem. youve already said the shark attacks the gourami......it doesnt get much more straight forward than that.

 

[jerilovesfrogs]

+1 on that bad shark biting the poor gourami. maybe you can ditch the shark and get something more friendly?

 

[Shawnie]

in a 20g tank, even the long ones, a shark will terrorize everything...I agree shes totally stressed and that could be the same for all the fish...they may not have fungus at all and the shark could be the culprit....but without the tank parimters, to know exactly whats going on , is something you maybe can save up for? test kits and fish are a must ...good luck!

 

[Akari_32]

i plan on getting peat, if i can find any (havent been to the store in a while), and i plan on saving up for a test kit (im getting a job soon, so i'll be alowd to spend my money on what ever i need).

im not alowd to get rid of any of the fish because they techniacally arent mine, they're my uncles (and he's in jail. this is why we dont drink and drive and then drive after they take our licences ^_^). they have been together all their lives. i think its just a new place to set up new territories, altho, the shark did sometimes chase her at their old home....

she did eat today and last night tho! i gave them all brine shrimp last night and she chowed down on them. so i gave her more of them this morning, but she didnt eat as many (as far as i could tell). this afternoon i gave them a little bit BettaMin flakes and she got all curious and tried a bite, and decided they were good and ate most of them before the Ditch Fish could get them. then i put in some TetraFin goldfish flakes and she really liked those too. so she had a good meal today, and is swimming around looking for more.

im gunna try to get more plants in there, because i kno they isnt enough in there, but there are all 2 hiding places. the catfish and and shark share a log and the gourami uses a rock cave, tho she will try to sneak in the log every now and then, tho the shark will chace her out when he notices her.

heres a pic of the tank...

 

[Shawnie]

if you dont know the readings for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates, I wouldnt bother with the peat...you could just be having a mini cycle which makes the ph jump all over the place...being allowed to not return or rehome a fish that could kill everything in the tank, wont make a difference to him? maybe if you explain what WILL eventually happen, he might understand better?

 

[jetajockey]

I might have missed it but what is your current PH level? I strongly suggest against using PH modifiers in this case for a couple reasons. First, you don't have a method to test the PH regularly, so you will have no idea what's going on in the tank, and second, if the tank is set up for a community then it's best to just leave well enough alone (unless the PH is at an extreme). Messing around with the PH at this point will likely do much more harm than good.

And I like your setup, it has a very clean look to it. Take care!

 

[Akari_32]

thanks jeta!

i dunno what the pH is, because i cant get a test kit.

to Shawnie, i dont have any way to talk to him untill he gets out. and i've already been told by my mom that i cant rehome any of them (its bad enough i "killed" the rasbora, to her!), and im pretty sure she wont go back on that. i told her that she wasnt eating and she didnt say anything other than "i dunno." just to put it simply, im the only one that cares about anything furry or scaley in this house. i've been told that my pets are "running my live" and **** like that, so... yeah...

 

[Shawnie]

thats very sad akari....and not fair to you or your pets I feel very bad for you all because this is disaster waiting to happen!

 

[Akari_32]

thats very sad akari....and not fair to you or your pets I feel very bad for you all because this is disaster waiting to happen!

tell me about it... -_- its calming down tho. the shark and catfish come out a night and the gourami hangs out durring the day, so they usually dont have any contact, unless the shark decides to come out durring the day. but he only bugs her when she gets too close. they're learning, or at least, the gouramis learning. at least she's eating now, and that was my goal. i think they'll all be ok after a few weeks when the settle in more.

 

[NMfishman]

I really like your tank, I have the same cave in my 55gal that you have (the one on the right of the pic) ;D
If your Mom would allow it you might consider putting the gourami in that new tank you are setting up. I know you said you don't want to do that, but if the aggression keeps up it might be best.

 

[pinksprklmonkey]

I really like your tank, I have the same cave in my 55gal that you have (the one on the right of the pic) ;D
If your Mom would allow it you might consider putting the gourami in that new tank you are setting up. I know you said you don't want to do that, but if the aggression keeps up it might be best.

That sounds like a good idea. And it would go along with your wanting a gourami tank.

 

[Aquarist]

Good morning,

Sorry to hear about all of the issues you are having.

As for a test kit, each test can be purchased individually and may be easier on your budget. If this is an option then I would recommend that you purchase the Ammonia test first. The link below is to the API Ammonia Test:


Best wishes!
Ken

 

[jetajockey]

just to give another option also, possibly consider going through walmart for this- its only a few more dollars after shipping costs of ordering in a single test.


goodluck!

 

[Akari_32]

That sounds like a good idea. And it would go along with your wanting a gourami tank.

unfortunatly, i think some one wants the tank, so i think we're gunna give it to him... would that brat of a rainbow shark be ok with guppies? i might send him off with the 30 gallon if mom will let me (so that im not technically getting rid of him XD)

 

[mosaicguppy]

Please don't throw the shark in with the guppies! Guppies are cute, beautiful and elegant! and when it comes to guppies I get sensitive!
the shark will probably eat the guppies! Yikes!