DG Not Actively Swimming

[sinatra]

Three days ago, I went to pick up three mollies and a dwarf gourami to house in my 25 gallon tank after cycling it for two weeks also adding bioballs and live plants to jumpstart the process.

I went to Petco and chose one of the last of their Dwarf Gouramis, a female flame gourami. After getting home, I acclimated both the dwarf gourami and three mollies [gold panda] and then released them into the tank. Keep in mind, before even checking out the fish my local Petco had to offer that day, I had my free water test done there and my pH, Nitrite, Nitrate, Carbonate & General Hardness and Ammonia all came out in the safe zone. After releasing the DG and mollies, the DG seemed happy in its new home and I went to bed seeing no signs of stress or aggression from the mollies. The next morning, I woke up with my DG hiding in the corner behind one of my live plants, yet my three mollies were actively swimming around and interacting with each other. Came noon, the DG were still hiding in the corner but came up to eat during feeding time. The fins on the DG were and still aren’t clamped, one of the main signs of stress in fish. I am asking for suggestions. Wait it out, the DG is just shy for now? It’s the fish’s personality? She’s stressed? Ammonia spike? Bullied? I am asking for any helpful suggestions or suggestions for further actions. I would be greatful for anything you can provide! I just do not want to wake up one day with a dead fish.

 

[Rocky998]

Three days ago, I went to pick up three mollies and a dwarf gourami to house in my 25 gallon tank after cycling it for two weeks also adding bioballs and live plants to jumpstart the process.

I went to Petco and chose one of the last of their Dwarf Gouramis, a female flame gourami. After getting home, I acclimated both the dwarf gourami and three mollies [gold panda] and then released them into the tank. Keep in mind, before even checking out the fish my local Petco had to offer that day, I had my free water test done there and my pH, Nitrite, Nitrate, Carbonate & General Hardness and Ammonia all came out in the safe zone. After releasing the DG and mollies, the DG seemed happy in its new home and I went to bed seeing no signs of stress or aggression from the mollies. The next morning, I woke up with my DG hiding in the corner behind one of my live plants, yet my three mollies were actively swimming around and interacting with each other. Came noon, the DG were still hiding in the corner but came up to eat during feeding time. The fins on the DG were and still aren’t clamped, one of the main signs of stress in fish. I am asking for suggestions. Wait it out, the DG is just shy for now? It’s the fish’s personality? She’s stressed? Ammonia spike? Bullied? I am asking for any helpful suggestions or suggestions for further actions. I would be greatful for anything you can provide! I just do not want to wake up one day with a dead fish.

Could you give numbers here to the tests instead of "safe" please. I would also like to see a picture of the tank if possible. Lots of fish, when added into an aquarium, it is good to not feed and keep the lights off for the first 24-48hrs because they will be stressed by moving. Lots of new fish also will try to hide during their first week. You may also just have little hiding for him so that is why he is hiding because he has no where to go. I read in an article once and it stuck with me that "The more hiding spots your fish have, the more you'll see them, but the less you have,the less you'll see them." Also DGs have a bad reputation for all having a disease when imported instead of locally bred, just thought I'd let you know.

As for water hardness. Mollies and DGs cannot be kept together. Its not compatibility, its water parameters. Mollies are hard water fish and DGs are soft water. I would test that to see what you have because fish will die when kept in the wrong hardness. It leads to kidney failure if left in the water for too long.

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

If you can post pictures of the tank and the fish, it might offer more information.

The gouramis might be stressed if there is too much light or not enough cover. If they are hiding in a corner then they are stressed by something in the tank, or a lack of stuff in the tank. They do best with floating plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta).

 

[sinatra]

Could you give numbers here to the tests instead of "safe" please. I would also like to see a picture of the tank if possible. Lots of fish, when added into an aquarium, it is good to not feed and keep the lights off for the first 24-48hrs because they will be stressed by moving. Lots of new fish also will try to hide during their first week. You may also just have little hiding for him so that is why he is hiding because he has no where to go. I read in an article once and it stuck with me that "The more hiding s pots your fish have, the more you'll see them, but the less you have,the less you'll see them." Also DGs have a bad reputation for all having a disease when imported instead of locally bred, just thought I'd let you know.

As for water hardness. Mollies and DGs cannot be kept together. Its not compatibility, its water parameters. Mollies are hard water fish and DGs are soft water. I would test that to see what you have because fish will die when kept in the wrong hardness. It leads to kidney failure if left in the water for too long.

Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
pH - 7.0
Carbonate Hardness - 60
General Hardness - 120

I ran out of Ammonia test strips, I will get some more tomorrow and update you on the reading.

I will provide pictures in the next quote.

 

[Rocky998]

Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
pH - 7.0
Carbonate Hardness - 60
General Hardness - 120

I ran out of Ammonia test strips, I will get some more tomorrow and update you on the reading.

I will provide pictures in the next quote.

I would get the API liquid test kit. The liquid kits are a lot more accurate and reliable than the strip test kits. Amazon and Chewy sells them for cheap and petsmart will price match to Chewy...

I would try to return or rehome the mollies if possible. The water is too soft for them. Like I said with the strips, they are not AS accurate but they do give a range of what it could be in.

 

[sinatra]

I appreciate your help and guidance, because I feel like Petco was just trying to sell me fish instead of focusing on what was best for them.

My Gourami passed away after bringing pictures and expressing concern to the worker about the possibility of her being ill. She gave me a remark, it looks like a normal fish in a tank.

I will purchase the API Liquid Test Kit hoping it would provide me a more accurate reading.

I will return the mollies seeking more appropriate tank mates for a Dwarf Gourami [what I want my centerpiece fish to be].

Now, are there any live plants on the hardier side [besides anubias] that you would recommend to me? Since DGs appreciate opportunities to hide.

Also, are there any tank mates that you would recommend that would be more appropriate for a DG?

 

[Colin_T]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

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AQUARIUM PLANTS 1.01

LIGHTING TIMES
Most aquarium plants like a bit of light and if you only have the light on for a couple of hours a day, they struggle. If the light doesn't have a high enough wattage they also struggle. Try having the tank lights on for 10-12 hours a day.

If you get lots of green algae then reduce the light by an hour a day and monitor the algae over the next 2 weeks.

If you don't get any green algae on the glass then increase the lighting period by an hour and monitor it.

If you get a small amount of algae then the lighting time is about right.

Some plants will close their leaves up when they have had sufficient light. Ambulia, Hygrophilas and a few others close their top set of leaves first, then the next set and so on down the stem. When you see this happening, wait an hour after the leaves have closed up against the stem and then turn lights off.


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TURNING LIGHTS ON AND OFF
Stress from tank lights coming on when the room is dark can be an issue. Fish don't have eyelids and don't tolerate going from complete dark to bright light (or vice versa) instantly.

In the morning open the curtains or turn the room light on at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the tank light on. This will reduce the stress on the fish and they won't go from a dark tank to a bright tank instantly.

At night turn the room light on and then turn the tank light off. Wait at least 30 minutes (or more) before turning the room light out. This allows the fish to settle down for the night instead of going from a brightly lit tank to complete darkness instantly.

Try to have the lights on at the same time each day. Use a timer if possible.


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LIST OF PLANTS TO TRY
Some good plants to try include Ambulia, Hygrophila polysperma, H. ruba/ rubra, Elodia (during summer, but don't buy it in winter because it falls apart), Hydrilla, common Amazon sword plant, narrow or twisted/ spiral Vallis, Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta).

The Water Sprite normally floats on the surface but can also be planted in the substrate. The other plants should be planted in the gravel.

Ambulia, H. polysperma, Elodia/ Hydrilla and Vallis are tall plants that do well along the back. Rotala macranda is a medium/ tallish red plant that usually does well.

H. ruba/ rubra is a medium height plant that looks good on the sides of the tank.

Cryptocorynes are small/ medium plants that are taller than pygmy chain swords but shorter than H. rubra. They also come in a range of colours, mostly different shades of green, brown or purplish red. Crypts are not the easiest plant to grow but can do well if they are healthy to begin with and are not disturbed after planting in the tank.

Most Amazon sword plants can get pretty big and are usually kept in the middle of the tank as a show piece. There is an Ozelot sword plant that has brown spots on green leaves, and a red ruffle sword plant (name may vary depending on where you live) with deep red leaves.

There is a pygmy chain sword plant that is small and does well in the front of the tank.


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TRUE AQUATIC VS MARSH/ TERRESTRIAL PLANTS
Lots of plants are sold as aquarium plants and most are marsh plants that do really well when their roots are in water and the rest of the plant is above water. Some marsh plants will do well underwater too.

Hair grass is not a true aquatic plant, neither is Anubias.

Some common marsh plants include Amazon sword plants, Cryptocorynes, Hygrophila sp, Rotala sp, Ludwigia sp, Bacopa sp. These plant do reasonably well underwater.

True aquatic plants include Ambulia, Cabomba, Hornwort, Elodia, Hydrilla and Vallis.

The main difference between marsh plants and true aquatic plants is the stem. True aquatics have a soft flexible stem with air bubbles in it. These bubbles help the plant float and remain buoyant in the water column.

Marsh plants have a rigid stem and these plants can remain standing upright when removed from water. Whereas true aquatic plants will fall over/ collapse when removed from water.


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IRON BASED PLANT FERTILISER
If you add an iron based aquarium plant fertiliser, it will help most aquarium plants do well. The liquid iron based aquarium plant fertilisers tend to be better than the tablet forms, although you can push the tablets under the roots of plants and that works well.

You use an iron (Fe) test kit to monitor iron levels and keep them at 1mg/l (1ppm).

I used Sera Florena liquid plant fertiliser but there are other brands too.


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CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)
There is no point adding carbon dioxide (CO2) until you have the lights and nutrients worked out. Even then you don't need CO2 unless the tank is full of plants and only has a few small fish in.

There is plenty of CO2 in the average aquarium and it is produced by the fish and filter bacteria all day, every day. The plants also release CO2 at night when it is dark. And more CO2 gets into the tank from the atmosphere.

Don't use liquid CO2 supplements because they are made from toxic substances that harm fish, shrimp and snails.

 

[Rocky998]

Java ferns are very hardy and look nice to!