Dwarf Gourami at top of tank almost permanently

Hi guys

I have an issue with my male dwarf gourami. He is spending nearly the whole time at the top of he tank. Usually just sitting arched up towards the surface taking occasional gulps of air.

I'm aware of the all the usual causes of this but i dont think it is any of then. Plenty of surface agitation and an air stone. Ammonia and nitrite both 0. Nitrates are not high, around 20ppm atm and due a water change Saturday.

Occasionally other fish join in him up there but its generally just him. He does swim down sometimes and appears to have full contol of his body. Its also always the same corner he lurks in tucked right behind the outlet of the filter.

Any ideas guys?

Many thanks in advance

v11nce said:

Hi guys

I have an issue with my male dwarf gourami. He is spending nearly the whole time at the top of he tank. Usually just sitting arched up towards the surface taking occasional gulps of air.

I'm aware of the all the usual causes of this but i dont think it is any of then. Plenty of surface agitation and an air stone. Ammonia and nitrite both 0. Nitrates are not high, around 20ppm atm and due a water change Saturday.

Occasionally other fish join in him up there but its generally just him. He does swim down sometimes and appears to have full contol of his body. Its also always the same corner he lurks in tucked right behind the outlet of the filter.

Any ideas guys?

Many thanks in advance

Click to expand...

What temperature is your tank running at?

Can you show a picture of the whole aquarium and the fish?
What is the temperature of the aquarium?

Temperature is 24°c. Other fish are platys, corys, long fin tetra, 1 molly, 1 female dwarf gourami, 1 swordtail, 1 bristlenose catfish, And 2 snails.

Edit: and a female betta

Isnt being bullied and has never been aggressive to any other fish

Do you see any signs that he is trying to make a bubble nest? Usually some floating plants would be helpful for this. A next needs to be anchored to something and also not in flow. Without any cover on the surface the only place that might work would be behind the filter output where it is relatively calm.

I could be complete;y off base here. But you could cut a few of your stem plants in half and let the cut pieces float. If there is a calm place on the surface they should end up in it. If they do and the male move to below them.You may have your answer.

It has been over 20 years since I had a pair of dwarf gourami (Trichogaster lalius).
https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/trichogaster-lalius/

I didnt even consider that. Its very plausible yeah. Right now there is another fish in that spot and he is pacing around the tank around mid level and keeps coming back to his corner. Ill give that a try thanks and see what he does

He isn't being aggressive but he does seem to be trying to move fish away from that area just by swimming near them.

That's the natural spot for any Gourami.

He's a surface dweller, and for him to be elsewhere in the tank would be strange. He's an air breather too. He won't like your surface agitation, and will hold his station somewhere he can relax and think he's waiting to ambush insects landing on the surface. He's probably using the filter outlet as he'd use a floating branch in nature.

Ok thanks for the replies.

The reason it had me worried is just thats not his usual behaviour. He does appear relaxed certainly.

@TwoTankAmin he pretty much instantly started building a bubble nest when i did that. So whether thats what he wanted or he just did it because he now has the option who knows.

The molly in there seems to be undoing his hard work though poor guy

Here is what I have learned re spawning. Nature works out a way for every species to be able to survive over time by having a spawning method which insures this. Nature does this such that it suits conditions in the wild where the species lives. But in tanks this is not the case, Space is limited and the environment rarely matches that for which they have evolved to line in successfully.

A community set-up is rarely ideal for insuring the survival of offspring and is usually even worse for eggs. However, fish naturally want to spawn in most cases and will try doing so no matter how low the odds of success are in a tank.

If you want yo get fry from your gourami, it will not happen in your current tank. Most fish see eggs and fry as being on the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Many even eat their own young. On the other hand some parents are very protective and will even care for their young for some time after they go free swimming.

You now have the choice of wanting to try and work with your gouramis or not. In either case you might want to read up on breeding behavior for the species. When fish are in spawning mode it often changes their behavior. Mild mannered fish may suddenly become belligerent and may even kill tank-mates. Other fish may disappear and deal with spawning and young in hiding. When in a community tank how fish in spawning mode behave can change dramatically. How they interact with the other inhabitants can be an issue.

I had a pair of these fish in my first tank when I knew very little about the hobby and fish. The end result was both she and he died in the tank. He chased her away from the nest or even near it. One day she bolted away so fast that she hit the side glass and I heard the impact from across the room. She was dead within the hour.

As I began adding other fish over time, the male dwarf who insisted on being the top dog in the tank was challenged by the new fish which were bigger. In the end his attitude got him killed by one of the bigger fish. The fault was mine for creating a situation that fostered that result.

If you have not read the info at the link I posted, do so all the way to the bottom. The info on tankmates and spawning will help you understand what is going on in your tank. Keeping fish is a continuous learning process.

Nice one cheers. I do have a separate tank earmarked for cory eggs I could put them both in there to spawn. I havent seen any aggression from him yet, he has always been the submissive type. Was being bullied by a swordtail that i had to get rid of eventually.

His nest is attracting all sorts of inquisitive fish and he hasnt reacted yet to any of them. He even tolerates the female betta hanging out under his nest. But ill keep a close eye on him for sure.

Appreciate the advice.