My New Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami Is Acting Strange..

[Jerrek]

Did another ammonia test this morning and it tested just barely over 0ppm, not close to .25 yet, but I went ahead and did a 1 gallon change anyways.

I'm surprised that the ammonia levels have slowed down so much, could that be from cutting back on the feeding so dramatically? Of course I'm not complaining about doing less water changes (both quantity and frequency) I just hope it's a good sign that something may start happening soon. It is a fresh tank though, I guess I just have to be patient.

I'm just happy the fish are doing well.

One thing was curious though, one of the Sunburst wag platy females has taken to sitting at the bottom of the tank for extended periods of time during the evening or early morning, and it looks like her top fin is tucked down. This morning I couldn't find her until I looked under the rock structure I have, and she was tucked way in the back hiding.

I'm not 100% sure it's the same fish who is doing this, because unless I am looking at both of them at the same time it is virtually impossible to tell the two apart. If I tap on the glass some or she sees me she seems to start swimming again just as normal.

She doesn't look pregnant, and the only other thing I could think of was that maybe she is trying to hide from the male? Any other ideas?

 

[Jerrek]

Quick update, been busy. Yesterday morning I tested the ammonia, it was still way below .25, possibly above 0ppm, but I did a one gallon change. That was a really long long day, the girlfriend tested the water around 7:30 PM, I got back around 9 and saw it was a little above .25, so I did all of the tests, Nitrate and Nitrite were both 0, PH 8 still, and immediately did a two gallon change. After the water change I then fed the fish. The platy were really voracious, and I may have over fed them a bit trying to make sure Samson (the dwarf gourami) got his fair share.

I noticed they were making waste almost immediately after eating, so I figured another big water change was in order that night. Around 10:30 or eleven I tested the water again and the ammonia was close to .25 again so I did a two and a half gallon change. I tested the ammonia once again at 1AM and it was 0ppm.

This morning before classes again I tested the ammonia, it was still way below .25ppm, but I did a one gallon change just to be safe!

After class and work today I made a stop by the LFS I recently found earlier in the week, and asked about using some of their filter media (he told me to come back this weekend.) He provided me with five bio balls (they look identical to these: http/www.wonbrothers.com/images/bio%20ball.gif ) and asked if it was possible that they would fit in my filter. I have an Aqua Tech Power Filter (5-15) and it doesn't have much room in it to add anything to it, with just enough room for a blue replaceable cartridge (I believe it is a carbon cartridge) and a BIO-fiber. I told him there was no room in the filter for them, and he said they would be okay to just float around in the tank.

So off I went home, and open returning I did another battery of tests, ammonia testing possibly above 0ppm, not close to .25, Nitrite and Nitrate both 0, and PH of 8. I have to leave the house for the night and should hopefully be home tomorrow evening, so I went ahead and did a two and a half gallon water change hoping that I shouldn't have to worry about the fish to much until I can get home and take care of them. I also went ahead and added all five bio balls to the tank. They seem to float around the filter, getting dunked down under the flow and floating back up to return again. I figure this is good, having them around the filter might encourage the bacteria to move on in!

A few questions:
1) Will it be okay to let them float around in the tank, and how long should I let them float? I believe he said a few weeks, but I forgot exactly what he said. Either way I did promise to return the balls!
2) Do you think this should help encourage the bacteria to start up in the tank? Could it harm anything? The fish don't really seem to be paying any attention to them as of yet.
3) When looking at the documentation to find out what kind of filter I had I read that it recommends I replace the blue filter (carbon?) every two to four weeks, is this true? It does say to never wash the bio fiber, which I know is the smart thing to do.
4) Is it safe at this point to leave them over night? I will be back as soon as I can, but I have no choice and must leave for the night. I just really don't want to come back and have anything be dead..

I'll make sure to keep an eye on this thread! Oh and for a platy update, the female has been acting normally (and ate quite well when I fed them!) since the last post, I guess she was just tired.

- Jerrek