i have bad luck with gouramis

[svetlana]

2 months ago I've set up 29g tank (count from fully cycled). These fishies are living happily:
5 zebras (1 disappeared I don't know when and how);
6 black neons
1 raibow sharks (I gave away another one 2 weeks ago)
2 ghost shrimp-veterans (they outlived 12 others and even changing their coats for a second time);
4 dwarf puffers (these are good fellows)
2 cories

AND 2 flame gourami (for now)

I have any kind of problems with gouramis:
Initially I had 2 turquoise gouramis and 1 flame (all males).
One turquoise came down with some kind of whirling disease (he was dying slowly and was getting on my nerves for weeks before I decided to euthanize him - thanks for pointing out to the disease to Lotus).
Then another turquoise became lethargic. Flame one ate like a pig and tried to perk him up in vain. The turq. was getting more and more depressed and I decided to euthanized him because he was from same batch as the first whirling one. I already was fed up with euthanizing. It's HARD!!! BTW I am not flusshing in case anybody wondering: cutting spinal cord. Ugh...
I bought another flame one to keep company to the remaining gourami. Newcomer was smaller and was chased by the old one. Not for long: now old one is depressed and new one is chasing him. In 3 days after buying I noticed white "pimple" on the newcomer's fin. I had to treat the tank with Melafix (no one got sick but the pimple is still there, did not grow though). I left it for now as is. And the old flame gourami is getting more and more depressed every day...
I look at my other happy fishies and cannot help thinking "WHY I have these gouramis. I have only dissapointment with them.
Maybe they are especially fragile? I know that dwarf puffers are notorious for health problems and hard upkeep. So far I (keeping my fingers crossed) did not have a single problem with them.
What wrong with gouramis?
I have nice water (amm 0/ nitrite 0/nitrate 10, pH 7.2). Change 25% of water plus vacuuming every week. Feed once a day (bloodworms + some flakes). Bubbling, filtering, nice plants...
What on earth do they need????!!!! Just plain tired.
I appreciate any input.

--si

 

[Lotus]

I think maybe one of your problems is trying to have more than one gourami in your tank. They're not sociable with their own kind, but competitive. Two males in a tank will often struggle for dominance, causing stress to both of them. Depending on the species, some are more tolerant than others, but I think it will generally stress them. Stress, of course, opens the door for disease.

 

[svetlana]

Thank you for your reply. I thought about it. When I was reading about gouramis I've seen that I need 2-3 of them and, of course, trusted. Now, judging by their behavior, I started suspecting this competition thing.
It's why I got rid of one of my sharks: harrassing their own species was more obvious for them. Gouramis are looking more gentle: new one not like always pecking but sometimes "embracing" the other one with his "feelers". Looks more like perverse courting...
Well, I obviously have to sort this out because they stressing me too! I am also prone to disease and stuff!
I decided to wait for 2 more weeks to make sure that the old buddy is just stressed and not sick and maybe then, try to find new home for him.
It will unload my tank a little bit.
Thanks again.

--si

 

[Luvi]

Gourami

Reading your experience, I am hoping a drawf Tourquoise Gourami could get along with my existing black skirt Tetra, I am keeping my finger cross. I have a 5g tank only, new tank for about 1 month. And has 1 Tetra and a Gold Inca snail for now. Will get a Gourami later when I tested the water and everything is ok. You are right - I almost was mislead by some sites that says they need company - what a wrong info they sent out!! Not till I learn from people here in this Forum that says Gouramis actually acts like Beta. I wish you Good luck with your fish.

Now I am thinking twice if I should get a Gourami- they look nice though

 

[twoluvcats]

are you by chance getting your gouramis at walmart? I have yet to get one, or see one there that does NOT have internal parasites.

just wondering...

 

[phOOey]

luvi - if i were you i'd go with the dwarf gourami and also a couple more black skirt tetras, they like to be in schools.

 

[Luvi]

Thanks Barb,

But I have a very small tank though - 5g only, I am thinking having 2 fish and a snail may be the most? My Black Skirt Tetra is already 1.5" in length. I just hope the Tetra and Gourami could get along in such a small tank and won't create stress to each other... I didn't get a drawf Gourami yet, but probably will when I see a nice one later. To begin with, the store sold me this Tetra to "cycle" the tank, and bring it back to exchange for a Gourami - I wouldn't think of getting this dull grey-black color Tetra - but now I love it, it is so cute, when I start feeding it, it knows and swim and dance around like a dog wagging its tail ..

Luvi

 

[phOOey]

you could easily have a dwarf gourami, a snail and 2 black skirt tetras in a 5g. Your black skirt tetra will aprecciate to company of its own kind and will get along fine with the gourami .

 

[svetlana]

are you by chance getting your gouramis at walmart? I have yet to get one, or see one there that does NOT have internal parasites.

just wondering...

I bought 3 first gouramis in PetsMart. 2turq. I euthanized. Last from the PetSmart probably has parasites (stringy white poop and lethargy). I isolated him and am treating with medicated food but I'm afraid that he may have the same thing as the late two turq.-s. Probably he will die also.
I'm afraid for my other fish because of it, especially dwarf puffers which I love most of all.
They are doing fine but who knows.
BTW I also bought them in PetsMart and somewhere I saw that they breed them. So, maybe they are best fish (and cheapest) to buy from PetsMart. In one very respectable LFS I saw puffers twice as expensive and with parasites for sure (sunken bellies). And from what I heard it's hell to cure them from parasites because of their food preferences.
All my other fish except for cories (from PetsMart) from this LFS. They are fine.
For 6 years in USA I've been to WalMart max 3 times and only when in Florida( ). I even did not know they have fish there.

--s

 

[NoDeltaH2O]

male gouramis (they're the more colorful ones) DO NOT like the company of other males. I have several males in my tank, but I raised them from fry and I guess them growing up together makes their peaceful cohabitation the exception and not the rule. My wife bought me a honey gourami and he killed 3 of my dwarf gouramis in one week. Out he came! I believe the rule with multiple gouramis is that if you must have more than one male, make sure that one is not significantly bigger than the other, and give them all plenty of divided space to claim as their own.