question about gourami

[gaya]

I have two gourami's that seem to be healthy. they eat good and are active. It's just that their skin? scales? always look a bit rough. I see pics of gourami's that look so vibrant with a smooth appearance. It's not dropsy or anything like that, just not as colorful. Is there some kind of food that can improve their appearance?
how do yours look?
thanks

 

[Inchworm]

Hi gaya1111

This is an unusual question. I don't think there is any easy answer, but since this is not the way they should be, perhaps if we rule out some things we will be able to figure it out.

It looks like your gouramis are in different tanks. What kind of food are you giving them? How are the water parameters? The temperature?

How long have you had them and did you get them at the same time and from the same store? What kind of gouramis are they and are they males or females?

 

[gaya]

sorry...i should have put that info in my post. I'm still having my first cup of coffee today

they are two male blue dwarf gouramies. i bought them from the same place about two months ago (can't remember if it was a petco, or petsmart). they were quarantined together for a week in a 10g and immediately started building bubble nests (which they have not since). but they started to fight. so i thought i should move them asap to a 29g. put them in and they still fought for like a month and started to look beat up. so when i saw one of them hiding all the time i move him to a different 29g.

both 29g tanks:
planted
ph 7
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 10ppm
i've tried but i don't know how to read my gh and kh tests
temp about 86F on both (cuz i moved some quarantined fish to the tanks-precaution).
i feed all my tanks different kinds of flake foods (tetramin and nutrafin). peas once in awhile. frozen shrimp and freeze dried shrimp.
25% water change weekly (sometimes twice a week)

maybe the temp is to high for them?
neither has built any nests since they have been in their new homes. and both have always had what looks like pin holes around their face. I've look into hith but i'm unsure about that.

thanks inchworm!