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FAQs on the Blue, Three-Spot, Gold/en, Opaline, Even Albino! Gouramis, Yes, The Same Species, Trichogaster trichopterus, Behavior

Gourami dilemma, Trichogaster aggr. 5/1/08
Hi All,
<Kim>
I recently purchased/set up a new 28 gal. freshwater tank. After allowing the tank to cycle for what I thought was long enough (although after reading your numerous posts/articles on water quality, etc. realize it wasn't anywhere close)
<Need to actually test... for ammonia, nitrite...>
I added two blue and two gold Gouramis.
<Ahh, both Trichogaster trichopterus species>
Everybody was pretty mellow at first but soon perked up and started exploring their new surroundings. After about a day I noticed one of the blues spending more time hiding in corners and not being as active as the others and after further observation found the other blue to be chasing and picking on her (I'm pretty sure from your descriptions that I have a male and a female). This behavior continued off and on until this morning my girl was hiding behind the filter intake and wasn't coming up for air as often as it seems she was before. I had set up a QT in anticipation of adding more fish soon so moved her into that to recover. She really seems to be enjoying her solitude and is actively
exploring her new digs.
So here's my problem (sorry for the long intro): Prior to reading about cycling and adding new fish to the new tank slowly I had ordered a few more Gouramis, 2 pearl and 2 flame dwarf, some Cardinal Tetras, Danios and a couple of shrimp to do the cleanup. My plan was to keep the new guys in the QT for a couple of weeks to make sure everybody was ok but now Delilah is recovering in there. I don't want to put her back in the community tank yet because I'm afraid she'll go back to getting picked on (incidentally he leaves the golds alone), but I also don't want to risk her getting sick if the new fish have any problems. Any suggestions?
<Yes, "float" the bully in an all-plastic colander for a week or so... in the same tank, but where he can't get out, to the other fishes. If you want to splurge, you can get a "breeding trap" or net... and use this instead>
I tried to delay shipment of the new fish but they were already on the way by the time I realized I had a problem!
Oh - and for those of you cringing because I didn't let the tank cycle properly... don't worry, I'm checking the water twice a day to make sure I don't poison anybody.
<Ah, goo>
I've done two partial water changes ~25% each time and am being *very* careful about how much I feed them. I did have quite a problem with ammonia levels yesterday but the water changes really helped.
Thanks for all your advice!
Kim
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Trichogaster trichopterus
Hi,
<Hello, Sabrina here>
I was unable to find any good documentation about my Gourami.  I have 2 female three spotted Gourami and they have been living together for about 6 months.
<Trichogaster trichopterus is the Latin name - a Google search will yield great results, and here's the WWM article:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/anabantoids.htm .>
Living with them, I have a small school of tiger barbs.  The other day I bought a pink kissing Gourami.  Now one of my three spotted Gourami has turned very dark and his spots have faded out so that it appears as if it has no spots.  I suspect that it may be stress because the color change occurred within about 3 hours.  A bacteria wouldn't act this fast without harming any of the other fish right?
<It's certainly possible, but you're right on about stress, too.  Now you've just got to determine why the fish is stressed - illness, perhaps; or maybe being bullied by that new kisser.>
Anyway, that fish now hangs out in the plants.  How should I go about diagnosing what is wrong?
<A good starting point:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwfshparasites.htm  Other than that, observe the fish very closely, and separate to a quarantine tank if at all possible, for better observation and to protect the fish, also to prevent any possibility of spreading any illness to other fish.>
Thanks,  Keeter
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Spotted Fish
Hi,
I have a golden Gourami in my tank and I have just noticed her having 2 black spots on her body, one by the tail, another in the middle of her body. Those spots are on both sides and exactly in the same place. I wonder whether they should be there ( I haven't noticed them before) or it is a disease. Other than that she seems fine. I will be waiting for your answer
<Lina, this is normal. The golden Gourami, or Trichogaster trichopterus is almost always seen with black spots at the middle of the side and at the caudal-fin base. It sounds to me that you have a perfectly healthy specimen.>
Thank you, Lina

Cowardly Gourami
I have two questions: 1) Tiny black flying insects have shown up in the house and around the fish tank. How do I eliminate them?
<It’s hard to say without knowing exactly what they are.>
2) A Golden Gourami in a 15 gallon tank with 5 small Corys and 3 Otos has started hiding a lot in the past 2 weeks. He seems easily startled now as well. He comes out to eat. I test for ammonia and nitrite and its at zero ppm. I do weekly to bi-weekly water changes because its a small tank. Our water here is alkaline testing at 7.6 -7.8. I add a small amount of aquarium salt (1tbs per 5 gal). I have coconut shells driftwood and a big fake Bacopa for shelter. what do you think he is scared of?
<Have there been any changes in or around the tank recently? A change in lighting (in or out of the tank), tank position, tank decorations, new fish, etc? Even something as simple as moving where the filtered water flows back into the tank can cause this. I think that if the problem is due to a recent change he should be back to normal once he adjusts a bit. Ronni>

Re: Cowardly Gourami
Hi Ronni!
Of Course I don't know what the insects are. I was hoping you might have experienced this and have some idea.
<Unfortunately, I have never had this problem so don’t know for sure. One thing to check might be your food. The possibility of this being the cause is pretty slim but it is something to consider. If you are feeding a live larval type food there is the possibility of the food actually maturing or just the scent of the food attracting the insects. I remember once when I was a kid I left an apple core in my bedroom. Within a few days I had a huge amount of tiny black insects flying around all over the place.>
About the Gourami: I didn't think to mention that a few weeks back I put a second power filter on the tank because I read that the Penguin bio wheel mini I had on it was a little weak. When I did the last water change I switched the position of the filters around because the tank is slightly tilted. This is exactly when he started hiding! The outlet of the filters reach the top of the water better now but it occurs to me that I possibly now have created too much current for the Gourami. Could this be a problem too?
<It is possible that there’s too much current but more likely is that he just plain doesn’t like it. By adding to and moving the current you disrupted his territory and probably ticked him off. For the fish you have, a total turnover of 2-3 times the tank volume every hour should be sufficient. A little higher is better but probably not more than about 5 times per hour max. Ronni>

Re: Cowardly Gourami
Hi! Thank you for the advice, it seems logical. I took the extra filter off of the tank and added a floating plant. It’s been almost a month and the Gourami is more skittish than ever. In fact, all the fish in the tank have started to go nuts every time I move near or walk by the tank! They are all still eating.
<Hmm… something is definitely bothering them but I’m at a loss as to what it could be.>
I think the Gourami hurt himself; I noticed a white spot on his head that I hope is just a scrape.
<Do keep an eye on that spot and make sure it doesn’t grow or begin to look cottony. It may be a fungus if it does.>
Could it be that the tank is too close to the door? It's funny, I have a larger tank with some of the same fish in the living room were there’s constant traffic and the fish are not scared at all.
<The door shouldn’t be a problem unless it’s causing the tank temperature to fluctuate. Are you absolutely positive that none of the fish in the tank are harassing the others and causing this? Occasionally a fish will all of a sudden start picking on others in the tank. Do you have a Pleco in the tank?>
I read something about using dither fish. A fish that is real friendly like barbs. I don't have room for a school of barbs in a 15 gallon tank.
<Dither fish sometimes work but you definitely don’t have room to add a school of any that would work.>
I am running out of ideas, could you please help?
<Unfortunately, so am I! Keep a close watch on your water quality, make sure that spot isn’t a fungus, and make sure that he’s not getting picked on by anyone else, especially when the lights are off. Ronni>

Re: Cowardly Gourami
Ronni, Thanks. The spot on his head is gone thanks to Melafix. No Pleco just 1 Gourami, 3 Otos and 5 Corys.
<Has he started acting any better since you got the spot cleared up? If not, I'm really at a loss on what could be causing this! Ronni>

Shy Gold Gouramis
Hi there:
I recently purchased 2 Gold Gouramis, both of which I believe are female, to cycle my new 20 gallon hexagonal aquarium. I heard that they were a hardy fish and I enjoy their colors. Before I even bought my tank, I read 3 aquarium books cover to cover to make sure I would have the best chances of success. None of these books, though, contain sufficient information on the "shyness" of certain fish. After combing your site, I was wondering why my Gouramis are hiding from me! It's only been a few days, but I know they are healthy (at least externally) and the water quality is good. Are they just stressed from the big move?
<Likely a factor... as well as their general retiring nature>
Will they come out from behind the plants/rocks when I add more fish in the future?
<Likely much more so>
One seems to be fairly stationary at the bottom and is occasionally followed by the other, who stays near the top. They sometimes come out in the open when they think I'm not looking, but retreat as soon as they see me.
Thanks for your time..... Ben
<Thank you for writing. Bob Fenner>

Why can't we Gouramis be friends?
Hi there,
<Hello Ross>
I have a small freshwater tropical tank with two blue [three spot] Gouramis. I bought the first one a few days ago, and added the second about 24 hours ago, thinking that the first one could be lonely, and no-one likes to be lonely.
<Mmm, not everyone...>
However, the first one [Mr. Fish], now just attacks and torments the new one non-stop! I believe they may be a pair [purely by accident], as Mr. Fish has a noticeably bigger, more pronounced dorsal fin, and his head and back are more angular.
<Good description... likely the first is a male>
When he attacks, he changes from a blue-tinged silver to quite a deep blue marbling. Poor Mrs. Fish spends most of her time trying to seek refuge behind the filter, and I think her tail fin may be getting torn.
Is there anything I can do to stop this quarrelling? Or are they just sorting out who's the dominant one? I'm reluctant to add more fish as the tank is only 30 litres. But at the same time I don't think Mrs. Fish is going to last very long under all this stress...
Thanks for your help,
Ross Dougall.
<I would put Mr. Fish in a floating contraption... a breeding trap or just an all-plastic colander for a week or so and see if this calms him down... do this NOW. Bob Fenner>

Gouramis strange behavior
I have six Opaline Gouramis in a 55 gal. tank with 10 Zebra Danios, 6 Black Skirt Tetras, 2 medium Plecos, 1 Apple Snail and 1 Baby Whale, my water parameters are fine, I check them once a week. My question is the Gourami's are displaying a behavior I have not seen before, they will gather in the middle of the tank at the top and move back and forth, then one or two will turn themselves straight up and down in the middle of the tank and the others will swim over and nip at them. They will then all swim around together for awhile, then they'll do the same thing, I was wondering if this is normal or do I have something to worry about.
<Is normal, but rarely observed... as most folks keep just one, perhaps two specimens>
They get along with everybody in the tank in fact they just ignore everybody else and do their own thing. One thing I just noticed there is one blowing bubbles at the top of the tank, am I looking at the possibility that they trying to breed?
<Yes indeed>
Any help with these questions is greatly appreciated and you guys have a wonderful and helpful site Thanks Jim
<Welcome. Thank you for writing. Bob Fenner>

Opaline Gourami turning black 4/27/07
I've been searching for a week without help. I have had an Opaline Gourami for a year. He is living in a 55 gallon tank with tank mates; 2 angel fish, 8 Cory cats, a black shark, and 6 neon tetras. They all get along and no one is stressed. I use a Fluval bio filter and do a 25% water change weekly. He had a bout with ick a few months ago but it was short lived and one round of treatment did the job. This week I noticed "Bob" my Gourami, had a sore behind his head. I thought it looked like something had worked it's way out through the skin so I kept a watch on it. It never healed. It gets a white spot in the same location that looks like a zit, then disappears and comes back within a few days. Yesterday, he started turning black. Not lightly colored for a few minutes like when he gets angry but half of him is totally black and has been that way all night. I tried moving him to a sick tank where I slowly added salt to help with the sore and kill any parasites, if that's what they are. Up until now he was eating but now his mouth is swollen and full of sores. Do you have any idea why Bob would have changed color this way, and if this is caused by illness, what can I do for him?
Thanks for your help.
<This sort of complete, distal darkening is almost always due to "nervous damage"... could be genetic or from a trauma (jumping let's say)... no "cure" but likely not debilitating, painful... Bob Fenner>

Re: Opaline Gourami turning black 4/30/07
thanks Bob,
I'm pretty sure the damage was caused by some internal problems (perhaps parasites).
<Mmm, possibly, but unlikely>
He doesn't seem to be in distress even though he's not eating much and still half black. I don't dare put him back in his tank in case it keeps spreading so I will keep treating him with MelaFix
<Not worthwhile>
for a while then just a low salt concentrate in the sick tank. Then just wait and see.
Sue
<This appearance, condition is not uncommon in this species of Trichogaster... and as you and I have stated, not apparently deleterious... Bob Fenner>

Blue Gourami turned black 5/30/07
Hi.. we got a large tank, like 64 gallons and a few kinds of fish several weeks ago, one was a fire Gourami and we diagnosed it with dropsy but it died.
<Greetings. Dropsy is a symptom, not a disease. It can be caused by all kinds of stuff. I'd bet all the money in my pockets though that your fish actually died from Dwarf Gourami Disease, which is highly contagious and practically ubiquitous in factory-farmed dwarf Gouramis. Long term, your tank is unsafe for dwarf Gouramis, and any you buy will likely catch the bacteria or virus involved and die.>
We put the proper medicine in but now one of our blue Gouramis turned almost completely black, we are still using the dropsy medicine as directed by the box and we cant figure out why he/she is turning black.
<There's no such thing as Dropsy Medicine. Wish there was. Anything that says it fixes dropsy is being, let us say, a little generous with its marketing. It's about par with things from the drugstore that say they cure colds. They don't. Anyway, as a matter of course you should always finish the medication as directed on the packaging. Once finished, large scale water changes are an extremely good idea. I'd recommend at least a 50% water change this week.>
Does anyone know why? or how to help him/her? or how to protect our other fish from the same thing?
<It's difficult to know why your fish has turned black. Gouramis, like most other fish, can change colour to some degree, and often will when stressed. Now, the question here is whether your blue Gourami is Trichogaster trichopterus, the "true" blue Gourami, also known as the 3-spot Gourami; or merely a the all-blue version of the dwarf Gourami Colisa lalia. Trichogaster trichopterus is (apparently) immune or resistant to Dwarf Gourami Disease and generally a very, very hardy animal. It is a largish, elongate fish, around 10 cm or so, and has two black spots, one on its flank and one by the tail. Colisa lalia is a small (5 cm) fish that tends to skulk about the bottom of the tank. The all-blue variant has a neon or cobalt blue colour. If it is Colisa lalia, then chances are it has Dwarf Gourami Disease and will die shortly. A photograph, and some description of its behaviour and eating habits will help. Also, what's the water quality like?>
kriebse
<Cheers, Neale>

Gouramis weird behavior 8/5/07
My wife came home last week with a surprise birthday present... a 5-gal tank setup, with everything the (supposedly knowledgeable) pet store ppl said she would need, plus 2 Gouramis, which after looking at a lot of online pictures seem like they're blue Gouramis, although they look silver to me. She doesn't know the first thing about fishkeeping, but she knows I am into fish so she spent the 80 bucks on this whole thing, which is an Eclipse hex5 complete aquarium kit, plus gravel, a heater, and a couple of plastic plants. Fine. So I set everything up as carefully as I could, added warm water and conditioner, started the filter going, the temp was in the high 70s, floated the fish in the bag and added them after 45-50 minutes. Temp stays between 77-80 even though heater is only set to 73. Basically, since then they've been exhibiting really weird behavior. First of all, one of them has from the beginning been chasing and nipping at the other one. They alternate between floating at the top, hiding behind the filter intake - or at the bottom behind a plant. When they're not fighting they're usually separate, one in each of the aforementioned locations. They picked-on one looks like its dorsal and tailfins are starting to get ripped. I still have one day left on the return policy. Is the best thing to just let them be; return one (and hope to get some other kind of compatible fish); or return both and start with some other fish? Thanks so much.
-Moshe
<Hello Moshe, Although the fish you have may well be blue Gouramis -- Trichogaster trichopterus -- this name "blue Gourami" is merely applied to one variety within the species. The natural forms are silvery, brownish, or light blue; the artificial varieties come in bright yellow, lavender, and dark blue. The give-away clue for most varieties is that there are three dark spots on each flank: one spot is the eye, the second is halfway along the body, and the third close to the tail. Right, now, having solved the identity of the fish: heating. Ignore the number of the heater-thermostat. These devices are very simple bi-metallic strips used to cut off the power above a certain temperature. I remember learning about how these worked at school in physics class, and I'm sure you do to. All that happens is above a certain temperature one of the metals in the strip expands further than the other, bending it away from the contacts, breaking the circuit. These devices are very inaccurate. So, if your heater is heating the tank too much, trust the thermometer, and set the heater lower. In summer, I turn my heaters to their minimum settings: the day/night cycle between around 25-18C / 77-64F is absolutely fine for most tropical fish and far closer to the "wild" than the constant temperatures we usually aim for. Second, the fighting: what you describe is 100% normal for Trichogaster trichopterus. Males of this species are mutually antagonistic, and males also tend to be bullies towards any other Gouramis or even Gourami-looking fishes such as small cichlids or Bettas. Males can be identified by their orange (rather than white) pelvic fins (the "feelers") and their dorsal fins (which are longer than those on the females). Thirdly, fin damage should be treated *on sight* with anti-Finrot/fungus medication pre-emptively. Failing to do this often leads to Finrot and fungus, and once you start having sick fish, the hobby becomes a lot less fun. Finally, you have a 5 gallon tank. I assume 5 US gallons, but 5 Imperial gallons would make any difference to this comment either: Your tank is FAR TOO SMALL for anything much, let alone a pair of Gouramis. With respect to your wife who doubtless was trying to buy you a nice, fun present -- there's nothing more difficult in this hobby than trying to make a stable aquarium in 5 gallons. It's too small. Conditions easily slip from safe to dangerous, and very, very few fish are inactive and small enough to be content in such tiny living quarters. Thing about it, 5 gallons is the size of a bucket. Can you imagine many fishes living in such a small "pond" in the wild? At best, you could keep a few gobies and shrimps. Gobies are small (most around an inch) and don't stray far from their chosen cave (like a seashell). Bumblebee gobies (Brachygobius spp.) are the most popular gobies in the hobby, though they will not eat flake and so come under the heading of "fish for semi-experienced hobbyists" in all fairness. On the shrimp front, there are these darling little cherry shrimps (Neocaridina denticulata sinensis) that are bright red and very easy to breed, and kept on their own with a few aquarium plants can make enchanting pets. But other small things like guppies or Neons won't be happy in a 5 gallon tank, whatever your pet store tells you. Now, if you ask me why do pet shops sell tanks for $80 that can't be used to keep fish, the answer is simple -- people buy them as impulse presents or without knowing anything else about the hobby. But 99 times out of a 100, these 5 gallon tanks end up sinking into a morass of dead fish and bad water, and the would-be hobbyist gives up. So, anyway, I hope this helps. Cheers, Neale>

Three Spot Gourami Aggression 1/15/08
Hi Bob,
<It's Neale here tonight, actually.>
I have read many of your answers to questions on aggression often encountered with the Three Spot Gourami and found them very informative.
<Yes, male Trichopterus Trichogaster are indeed very aggressive fish. Not recommended for community tanks.>
However, there are some details I would like to be more clear on. First, a bit about my tank. It is a 21 US Gal tank containing 3 Otos, 3 Zebra Danios, 1 Betta fish, 1 Three Spot Gourami and 1 Dwarf Gourami. There is a porous rock, a plastic plant (waiting to introduce real plants) and a ornamental castle as well. The Dwarf Gourami was added 2 months following the Three Spot Gourami. Upon introduction of the Dwarf Gourami the Three Spot was aggressive towards it almost instantaneously.
<No surprises there at all.>
I let them be for about 20 min or so, but the Three Spot was relentless in its pursuit of the Dwarf. Finally, I had to separate the two since the Dwarf was beginning to suffer immensely.
<I bet.>
I read on your site to isolate the more aggressive fish for about a week and then see what happens.
<Hmm...>
I am wondering how effective is this?
<With Trichopterus Trichogaster, not effective at all.>
Even in isolation in a homemade colander, you can see the aggressive behavior of the Three Spot whenever the Dwarf is close by.
<Indeed.>
If this does not work will heavily planting the aquarium be beneficial to curb the Three Spot's aggression?
<Nope.>
Or should I add a couple of Three Spot females or instead add a couple more Dwarf's.
<Nope. These two species are simply not compatible. Certainly not in a 20 gallon tank.>
In regards to the Dwarf, its tail fin is severely damaged (~1/3 of it) as well there is some damage to its ventral and dorsal fin. Will the fins heal and grow back?
<In theory, yes.>
If so, how long on average does one expect the healing process to take?
<Couple months, assuming it doesn't get Fin Rot in the time being.>
I look forward to your responses, you have a great site!
Ryan
<Hope this helps! Neale.>

Re: Three Spot Gourami Aggression 1/15/08
Hi Neale,
<Ryan,>
Thank-you for your quick response. It is too bad that some sites do say that the Dwarf and Three Spot Gouramis are compatible, otherwise I would not have purchased the Dwarf.
<Indeed. Female specimens of Trichopterus Trichogaster get along fine with the Dwarfs; it's the males that are mean!>
A couple more questions.
<OK>
Is the Dwarf compatible with the Pearl Gourami?
<Should be; these are generally very mild animals.>
What other Gouramis would go well with the Three Spot?
<Moonlight Gouramis (T. microlepis) should work well, too. I'd avoid mixing Dwarfs with other Colisa spp though.>
Thanks Again,
Ryan
<Happy to help, Neale.>

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