Gourami's stop eating, look perfect but die

[welchrock]

In the last month this has happened to me three times:

Three gourami's, one opaline, two platinum...look perfectly fine but stop eating and slow down their activity level. Their fins are still extended (not clamped) and they have no visible signs of disease or illness. They may seem slightly bloated but it is barely noticable if even truely a symptom

They are not harassed but seem to stay away from others if possible, and react negatively to feedings. Not only do they not eat, but they seem stressed by others eating and show no interest in food.

The first one this happened to was an opaline - it was just that fish and I think may have been a result of it eating a weakened but undiagnosed black neon tetra.

HOWEVER, the last two illnesses and deaths have occurred at the same time, with niether fish giving me any idea of what may have caused their illness.

I don't think they are ill and then starving, but more that their illness is killing them WHILE they're not eating. The entire cycle of the problem, from perfectly healthy to not eating to dead, is about a week or less.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANY AND ALL HELP THAT CAN BE PROVIDED! I hope you all have/are having a great weekend.

Jeff

 

[tom91970]

What size tank are they in? Male or female? These are all Trichogaster trichopterus, so it's a good possibilty that one (or more) is being aggressive and stressing the others.

I've tried to keep two gold gouramis together and that did not work. It's just another color variation of what you have.

If you'd like to keep a group of gouramis you might try a less aggressive species, such as the Pearl gourmi.

 

[welchrock]

thank you for your response!

they are in a 46G Euro (bowfront). I have no idea of their full name, but one of the platinum's is clearly male. the other is likely female but it's dorsal fin is kinda in-between pointed and rounded.

the opaline's (3 of these left) look to be all female.

do you know which are more agressive by nature? the opaline's or the platinums?

would it be less stressful for the fish to keep a group of gourami's that are all different? ie 1 opaline, 1 platinum, 1 pearl, 1 blue?

 

[skratikans]

without pics i cant say for sure but the blue is a Trichogaster trichopterus, the opaline is also a Trichogaster trichopterus, the pearl is a Trichogaster leeri....you generally cant keep same species of gourami together peacefully...at least not in groups, fights and stress will occur esp with males...doesnt matter that they are of diff color...sometimes you can keep different species of gourami together, but this is a hit or miss..

you might be able to do a f and m of the same species...you could do a dwarf and a Trichogaster trichopterus...but introduce them at the same time...sometimes it wont work and the Trichogaster trichopterus will pick at the dwarf...sometimes it will

 

[welchrock]

thanks again for your response. next time i dream of a tank full of only two types of gourami's - ill think twice!

final question i hope you can help me with - am i ok to keep a male-female pair of matching gourami's? otherwise it sounds like what i'm hearing is that i should stock my tank sparingly with gourami's, and do my best to have them be as varied as possible.

 

[skratikans]

thanks again for your response. next time i dream of a tank full of only two types of gourami's - ill think twice!

final question i hope you can help me with - am i ok to keep a male-female pair of matching gourami's? otherwise it sounds like what i'm hearing is that i should stock my tank sparingly with gourami's, and do my best to have them be as varied as possible.

I have a pair myself, I think it can work, introduce the two together...shouldnt be too much of a problem, you could maybe do a Trichogaster trichopterus pair (like the blue kind) or so