My New Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami Is Acting Strange..

[Jerrek]

I just bought Samson, my powder blue dwarf Gourami yesterday, and for the majority of the time he has been in the tank he has been doing this:

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjWQN2w0T5E

It has consisted of him swimming up and down around the back right corner of the aquarium. I can't figure out why he is doing it, or how to make him stop, but it is worrying me just a bit.

He is kind of swimming around the filter, but doesn't seem to be paying any attention to it. I am worried because I haven't seen him eat yet, the one time I did try to feed the fish he got scared and hid underneath a plant when I opened the lid to the tank.

For a few details:

I am completely new to this whole aquarium thing, and jumped in way before I knew anything. I bought the tank (10 US gallons) about two weeks ago and have had it running since. Before I knew I needed to let it establish a cycle without fish I decided to buy a few. The tank started off with an African Dwarf frog that I've had for about two weeks before the purchase of the tank, and then last Wednesday I purchased 2 red wag platties (1 male, 1 female) and two sunburst wag platties (both female).

Everything concerning those fish has been going very well. They are active and voracious eaters, and seem to get along with everything else in the tank.

Yesterday I decided to buy a Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami, and a blue mystery snail. The snail has been pretty mobile, much to my surprise, exploring all around the tank. Samson however has been very shy and timid. He spent the majority of his 'exploring around' time hiding behind the plastic plants in the back, near the bottom of the tank.

The platties have really paid no attention to him, and everyone seems to get along well, but a few hours since his introduction to the tank Samson started doing the up and down movements.

I thought maybe this was just his way of coping with stress, and that he might be done by this morning but he is still going. I thought maybe the tank was having a mirror effect, and he thought he was swimming by another fish of his species, but why just at that spot? And why keep doing it when the room is completely dark?

I don't have a master test kit yet, but I do have the ammonia test, and have been trying to keep the tank at 0ppm, doing regular water changes. I just tested the tank and it is about .25 ppm right now, so I'll probably do another change tonight (and I've been using a dechlorinator in the tap water, and have also started using a bacteria supplement to help start the cycle.)

I know I've probably introduced to many fish at once, but I don't think it is a tank issue.

If you have any insight or suggestions I'd really appreciate them.

So far I am really enjoying this hobby and love my tank, I just want to make sure all of my fish are doing well!

- Jerrek

 

[Jazzzz]

I just bought Samson, my powder blue dwarf Gourami yesterday, and for the majority of the time he has been in the tank he has been doing this:

[URL="http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjWQN2w0T5E"]http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjWQN2w0T5E[/URL]

It has consisted of him swimming up and down around the back right corner of the aquarium. I can't figure out why he is doing it, or how to make him stop, but it is worrying me just a bit.

He is kind of swimming around the filter, but doesn't seem to be paying any attention to it. I am worried because I haven't seen him eat yet, the one time I did try to feed the fish he got scared and hid underneath a plant when I opened the lid to the tank.

For a few details:

I am completely new to this whole aquarium thing, and jumped in way before I knew anything. I bought the tank (10 US gallons) about two weeks ago and have had it running since. Before I knew I needed to let it establish a cycle without fish I decided to buy a few. The tank started off with an African Dwarf frog that I've had for about two weeks before the purchase of the tank, and then last Wednesday I purchased 2 red wag platties (1 male, 1 female) and two sunburst wag platties (both female).

Everything concerning those fish has been going very well. They are active and voracious eaters, and seem to get along with everything else in the tank.

Yesterday I decided to buy a Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami, and a blue mystery snail. The snail has been pretty mobile, much to my surprise, exploring all around the tank. Samson however has been very shy and timid. He spent the majority of his 'exploring around' time hiding behind the plastic plants in the back, near the bottom of the tank.

The platties have really paid no attention to him, and everyone seems to get along well, but a few hours since his introduction to the tank Samson started doing the up and down movements.

I thought maybe this was just his way of coping with stress, and that he might be done by this morning but he is still going. I thought maybe the tank was having a mirror effect, and he thought he was swimming by another fish of his species, but why just at that spot? And why keep doing it when the room is completely dark?

I don't have a master test kit yet, but I do have the ammonia test, and have been trying to keep the tank at 0ppm, doing regular water changes. I just tested the tank and it is about .25 ppm right now, so I'll probably do another change tonight (and I've been using a dechlorinator in the tap water, and have also started using a bacteria supplement to help start the cycle.)

I know I've probably introduced to many fish at once, but I don't think it is a tank issue.

If you have any insight or suggestions I'd really appreciate them.

So far I am really enjoying this hobby and love my tank, I just want to make sure all of my fish are doing well!

- Jerrek

You are cycling with fish so the water is poor the tank is fully if not over stocked by a bit.

So basiclly you have a tank that is not capable of supporting any fish and yet you have filled it past even a mature tanks cappabillities. This is your problem and this is proven by your high ammonia.

IT IS A TANK PROBLEM THE FISH ARE STRESSED

 

[Jazzzz]

by my reckoning thats over stocked by 6" of fish which would causing problems in a mature tank in yours well who knows

 

[Jerrek]

Overstocked? The platties are only an inch, the gourami is not quite yet two inches. The frog is not even an inch and I am not sure what the snail counts as.

I thought the rule was 1 inch per gallon, right now I am at around 8 inches give or take.

 

[Jerrek]

Along with Samson and the snail I bought some cubes of frozen blood worms so I tried one of those out for the fishes dinner tonight.

Needless to say, they were a huge hit in the tank! The platty really gorged themselves on it, and the frog was out looking for them as well. Above all though, Samson noticed them immediately and ate! He didn't eat nearly as much as the platties did, but I am just happy to have watched him eat at all. This broke him from his trance for about 5 minutes, while he swam all along the bottom of the tank, but shortly after he was back to his up and down. He has expanded out some, instead of just being in the corner he cases about to the middle of the back wall now.

I did a 20% water change, and that really hasn't effected his routine at all yet. I did take a video of him eating, and will try and put that up soon.

On a side note, I think one cube was way to much for my tank. The platty ate A LOT but I think they may have been over fed.. The rest of the worms just sat at the bottom of the tank, hopefully just waiting for the frog or possibly one of the fish to come and eat them.

I need to check the ammonia level and see if it has come down some.

 

[Jerrek]

Along with Samson and the snail I bought some cubes of frozen blood worms so I tried one of those out for the fishes dinner tonight.

Needless to say, they were a huge hit in the tank! The platty really gorged themselves on it, and the frog was out looking for them as well. Above all though, Samson noticed them immediately and ate! He didn't eat nearly as much as the platties did, but I am just happy to have watched him eat at all. This broke him from his trance for about 5 minutes, while he swam all along the bottom of the tank, but shortly after he was back to his up and down. He has expanded out some, instead of just being in the corner he cases about to the middle of the back wall now.

I did a 20% water change, and that really hasn't effected his routine at all yet. I did take a video of him eating, and will try and put that up soon.

On a side note, I think one cube was way to much for my tank. The platty ate A LOT but I think they may have been over fed.. The rest of the worms just sat at the bottom of the tank, hopefully just waiting for the frog or possibly one of the fish to come and eat them.

I need to check the ammonia level and see if it has come down some.

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSM7nLnaXh0

There is the video of Sam eating, shortly after I stopped filming he started doing the up and down thing again, and has been doing it since. I checked the water again and there was still traces of ammonia present, so I did another 2.5 gallon change.

I'll check again in an hour or so, and then probably do another small change before I head to class in the morning.

The fish all seem very active, and besides his strange behavior, Samson seems alright.

 

[OldMan47]

A quick side note on stocking levels, a mystery snail usually is counted as filling 2 gallons of water by itself. At least that is how snail breeders figure them.

 

[Jerrek]

A quick side note on stocking levels, a mystery snail usually is counted as filling 2 gallons of water by itself. At least that is how snail breeders figure them.

Ah really??

Stocking has to do with their waste output levels right?

On the plus side after the second water change ammonia levels are back to 0 ppm.

I'll test and change accordingly again in the morning, and purchase the API Freshwater Master Testing Kit tomorrow after class.

I know it's a lot of work, but I am more than willing to do it in order to help my tank thrive.

 

[Jerrek]

Well seems things are going okay today, did a one gallon change this morning, and another 2.5 gallon water change around 5PM, before the change the water only tested slightly above 0ppm, not quite .25. However I did not have a chance to go get the master test kit today, hopefully tomorrow.

The fish all seem happy and are actively swimming around. Sam is still chasing after his reflection in the glass. I'm pretty sure that is what he is doing, as I caught him just chilling at the bottom of the tank last night when the room was completely dark and I just popped in for a drink.

I've decided to cut back the feeding to once every two days after reading extensively that excessive feeding during a fish-in cycle can cause more problems.

I'll keep this updated!

 

[dusky]

If he's come from a small tank he may not be venturing out of his 'safe space' yet. When i transferred my gouramies, angels, sharks into a bigger tank they still swam in the same area they had in old tank for about a week and a half. Was really odd, i kept willing them to use all the extra space. But they seemed to know and didn't venture past the length of original tank.

 

[Jerrek]

Things are steadily improving! I did one 1 gallon change last night before bed, testing the water for ammonia again before the change and it seemed to be at 0ppm. I tested water again this morning at it was slightly above 0ppm but not quite .25, so I did another gallon water change, and will test again when I get back from class for lunch.

Samson is swimming around the front of the tank now! I guess he got bored of his reflection in the back, or there just wasn't enough light in the room to see himself good enough back there (the blinds were drawn.) I also caught him just hanging around the tank last night!

The fish all seem happy, although I think they are starting to get hungry, every time I open the lid everyone comes up to the top waiting for dinner, so I think I will feed them sparingly tonight.

 

[Jerrek]

I did manage to go out and get the API Freshwater Master Test Kit today before lunch, and here are my results as of around 1:30 (eastern):

Nitrate came up at 0ppm.
Nitrite came up at 0ppm.
PH (high) of the tank came up at between 7.8 and 8.0.
PH of straight tap water came up between 7.4 and 7.6.
PH of conditioned tap water came up between 7.4 and 7.6.
Ammonia was between 0 and .25ppm

I know the PH levels are high, but the instructions say that it should be okay for the live bearers (Platty), what about the Dwarf Gourami, African Dwarf frog, and Blue mystery snail?
I read that the PH altering chemicals aren't worth using, is this true? I wont be able to buy anything right now anyways, seeing as how this test kit broke the bank for me.

Clearly it seems that my cycle has yet to start though..

 

[the Guru]

Dont worry about the PH.

You will still have to keep doing water changes. You see a nItrite spike, wich means ammonia is being processed, then u will start to see nitrAte, wich means nitrIte is being processed.

keep doing frequent water changes untill ammonia is 0 and nItrite 0 for several days. You should have some nitrAte, but this is ok up too around 100ppm IIRC.

 

[Jerrek]

Dont worry about the PH.

You will still have to keep doing water changes. You see a nItrite spike, wich means ammonia is being processed, then u will start to see nitrAte, wich means nitrIte is being processed.

keep doing frequent water changes untill ammonia is 0 and nItrite 0 for several days. You should have some nitrAte, but this is ok up too around 100ppm IIRC.

Okay, will do! I did a two gallon change about 8ish eastern, after feeding them and cleaning the gravel a bit. About 10:30 I tested the water for ammonia and it came up 0 ppm.

Everyone in the tank seems to be doing well, and were pretty happy when I was feeding them! Samson is still a little timid around the platties, they are such greedy little fish, but he did eat his fair share. I made sure not to over feed them and nothing seemed to really sink to the bottom (except for the sinking pellets I put in for the frog.)

Samson has been all over the tank now, and I just took a video of him swimming in loops against the glass in the front of the tank. At least here it is easy to see him.

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzH_znah7f8

All four platties kept coming over to watch him, wondering what the heck he was doing!

 

[Jerrek]

This morning I did an ammonia test and it came up reading less than .25ppm, but I did a one gallon water change just to be safe and then left for classes.

I tested everything around 6:30 PM eastern, and these were the results:
PH 8.0
Nitrate 0ppm (I hope I am doing this test correctly, it seems complicated)
Nitrite 0ppm
Ammonia less than .25ppm

I just did another ammonia test around 11:30PM and it was still barely over 0ppm, so I got curious and did Nitrate and Nitrite again. Nitrite was clearly 0ppm, and Nitrate was still yellow, but it looked darker, maybe? It wasn't orangish, so I don't know what is going on.

Regardless I did a one gallon change just to be safe.

It just doesn't seem like much of anything is going on in my tank at the moment, which is a good thing I suppose! At least the fish are healthy.