Darkening flame dwarf gourami

[Dizzywags]

Hi guys,
We got a pair of flame dwarf Gouramis one week ago. One was lighter orange than the other. The lighter one has since (3 days ago) started darkening quickly. It’s lethargic, still eats but is doesn’t move much anymore. The other flame and all other fish are thriving and going fine. Any ideas? I feel so bad for it.

 

[Essjay]

Do you mean a pair as in a male and female, or 2 males? These are territorial aggressive fish and unless the tank is huge, only male should be kept.
If you have 2 males, one could be picking on the other.

The second photo shows a male of the natural coloured variety of dwarf gourami; it's hard to tell with the first photo as there is light behind the fish (Flame dwarf gouramis are usually orange red with a tuquoise blue dorsal fin)

 

[Dizzywags]

I’m not sure if I have two males or not. The first picture is the darkened one (that used to be the lighter colored of the two) and the second Is the healthy one. Everything I’ve read, including the fish store I got them from says they are very docile fish. Regardless, neither have been bullied or have been attacked since they’ve been introduced. Below is another picture of the darkened gourami.

 

[Dizzywags]

When we first got it it was very pale in color, almost pearlescent with the lighter orange stripes. Now it has become dark and very lethargic.

 

[Essjay]

You have 2 males. Dwarf gouramis are at the more aggressive end of the gourami behaviour spectrum - for example males have been known to kill females if he wants to breed and she doesn't. it doesn't have to be physical aggression - fish communicate by chemical signals and if the one gourami is sending out "this is my tank, get out" signals the other will be stressed as he can't leave.

I would take the dark one back to the shop. And don't believe anything a shop says, so many of them haven't a clue.

 

[Dizzywags]

So you don’t think he’s sick? Just stressed? I can definitely take him back. Just didn’t want him to die
Edit: I don’t think he’s going to make it back to the pet store tomorrow. He looks Like he can barely swim now.

 

[Essjay]

Does the darkened fish show any other symptoms beside the discolouration? There is always the possibility of dwarf gourami disease, which affects many dwarf gouramis bred in the far east and is incurable, unfortunately.

Keep an eye on him and if he does die, keep a close eye on the other gourami. This disease is infectious and can pass to other gouramis kept in the same tank now and in the future.

I'm sorry I can't be more helpful.

 

[Dizzywags]

Só my gourami died. He was barely moving when I went to sleep. Now I have a small angelfish starting to act the same way. Everyone else is still fine. Now what?

 

[Treestone]

It definitely sounded like Irodivirus, angelfish can also be affected by it. I would isolate the possibly infected asap.

 

[Dizzywags]

Thank you. I did and he died within that day . Anything I need to do to mitigate any more deaths? Everyone seems to be acting ok right now.

 

[Colin_T]

The dwarf gouramis are both males and the weaker one is being picked on and needs to be moved into a different tank.