Added gouramies, 2

[tameem]

I added two gouramies to my 55 gallon tank. One is a Gold and the other is a very peaceful pearl gourami. Both right now are staying near the corner behind the filter, and both seem very skittish and are not swimming around.

Anything I need to know or will these two be okay, based on what i have read?
I have 9 zebra danios, too.

One of them, the gold is definitely a male one. I turned on the light and they were very skittish! especially the gold, and they are hiding together in the corner.
anything I need to worry about???

 

[tameem]

so its been a few hours since I got them and bothy of them have stayed virtually in the same place, in the corner of the tank behind the filter. They dont look to be distressed, but they haven't moved around much at all!
They are pretty close together and I havent seen any type of agression between the two and they dont seem to mind the zebra danios swimming about.

 

[tameem]

okay, so my pearl gourami is still basically in the exact same spot, right below the filter in the corner. the gold is right beside him, a little more movement from him but not much.
any ideas?

 

[tameem]

Okay, I think i need to return these fish! I have never seen fish that is so inactive to stay in the exact same place for so long. I can't believe it. I understand if they are in a new tank and it takes time, but they literally have been in the same spot all day and night!

 

[emmanuelchavez]

1) No offense, but...

It's definately your patience level which is causing you so many problems. I have never heard of someone having so many problems with a tank which has not even had fish in it yet.

2) Gouramis are VERY skiddish. My famale dwarf gourami just started swimming out in the open more, but that's because I put my female betta in with her. She tends to hide behind all the plants most of the time. When I had my male dwarf gourami, he was more skiddish than she was. I couldn't sit, or lie down on my bed, without them rushing back behind the plants. From all the research I did before I even got my gouramis, I remember reading that they're extra sensitive to water parameters.... so if you're still cycling, that could probably still be causing their behaviour.

Read more about them here: http://www.myfishtank.net/reviews/showcat.php/cat/7

3) It takes more than just a few hours for fish to become acquainted with their new home... I've had some fish that almost immediately loved their new homes, while it took others several days, even weeks, to be more active.



I really would think twice before getting anymore new fish until your tank is completely cycled.
Make sure you get some more cycled media if you already haven't, it'll help speed up your cycle. And remember to do frequent water changes, it'll have to be almost daily if you want your current fish to have a chance at surviving. good luck...

 

[roark fishies]

How long has your tank been set up? If it's not fully cycled that could be stressing them. Do you know what your Ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are?

And like emmanuelchavez said, it takes awhile for a fish to adjust even if your tank is fully cycled. I think your choice of fish is fine. I've never had pearl or honey gouramis so someone may want to add if those 2 are compatible or not. As long as there is no aggression they should be fine. Really, give it more time. I know how easy it is to do but Quit Stressing!

 

[roark fishies]

Oh and leave off the lights. That will help will their stress level.

 

[tameem]

Okay, well here is the update. We took back both of the gouramies. They were extremely shy, literally in one place the entire time, and this morning each were hiding in the fake driftwood caves, I had a hard time trying to find the pearl one.

Instead, we got 8 tiger barbs. These fish we really enjoy, much more then zebra danios (9), which are not really schooling at all and just dart around the tank.The plan is to remove the danios and add 4 more tiger barbs.

I also added three melanistius cories.
I noticed that the cories like to stay in the cave most of the time, occasionally they do come out. When they do come out, the tiger barbs sometimes tend to nip at them, and Im not sure if they are causing the cories distress or not. Or maybe im overly concerned, but I dont want them to feel uncomfortable and not want to come out. Any concerns??

I btought algae disk wafers for them, but noticed the other fish quickly getting to them before the cories, which didnt seem to make even an attempt. i even dropped a couple with the lights turned off and it dropped right in front of them and they didnt even notice!

The plan is to turn the lights off tonight and feed them shortly after i extinguish the lights to give them a fair chance.

Is this setup OK? I definitely dont plan to add anymore once I make the changes mentioned above for awhile

 

[tameem]

oh! and dont live with any family if you have an aquarium! each one will have their own likes and dislikes, and no one is every happy with the decor, the aquascaping, the kind of fish, etc. and its all arguments and what is supposed to be a fun, stress-free hobby becomes a headache!

 

[roark fishies]

Whoa. That's all I can really say.....

 

[tom91970]

We took back both of the gouramies.

Wise choice. From my experience the more aggressive gold will harass the pearl to the point of death.

 

[roark fishies]

I was wondering about mixing the 2 gouramis. I've never had either of those.

 

[robdollaz]

I have one gold gourami and he leaves my other gourami's alone.

 

[Deftec]

Wow man, patience is a virtue. One day later you return them. I suppose that's good though, doesn't sound like you'd even take the time to check the water, read, or anything beneficial to the fish.

 

[tameem]

actually, I probably over do it with the checking the water. I do water tests daily for ammonia and nitrites.

I do a lot of reading, I bought three books on freshwater aquariums, and today I came home with two books I checked out from the library.

Its just the practical first hand experience that I am lacking.

 

[robdollaz]

you should have kept that well behaved golden gourami.

Reading will teach you, but the experience itself is what makes the whole thing worth it.

 

[roark fishies]

You're not overdoing by testing daily. I did that while my tank was cycling.

Good job on the research and reading! One thing to keep in mind is that really dated books and info tend to not touch on cycling a whole lot. Safe cycling has come a long way. Go for the newer stuff.