My Gourami fish
Hi the other day I purchased two flame Gouramis from my local pet store. Can you please answer the following questions for me?  How can I tell which one is a male or female?
<Males are a bit larger, much more colorful, with unpaired fins that will be a bit longer, more pointed... they act a bit more aggressively than females... have the folks at the store where you shop show you these differences. Very often folks just get/have males with no females...>
How can I get them two [sic] breed?
<A bit involved, and best searched on the Net... under the terms "Gourami breeding"... elevated temperature, a covered system (to prevent drafts... damage to young labyrinth organs, conditioning of adult breeders, their separation, joining... preparation of foods for the fry...>
What other Gouramis go good with them?
<Other small Colisa, Trichogaster species>
Which is the easiest Gourami to bred?
<Mmm, likely Macropodus species, Paradisefishes.  Bob Fenner>
 

Sick Gouramis... Pleco comp.  – 03/07/08 Hello, all. I've read a great portion of your website, mainly the Q&A section. I have searched in great lengths for problems similar to mine, but to no avail. However, I have gathered a great deal of knowledge about the hobby in general. <Very good; but please don't think that replaces buying a book! Before you buy a fish, buy a book -- there is so much to learn!> Apologies in advance, this will most likely be fairly long. Also, I am at great risk of sounding like some kind of *emo freak* as I never imagined I would actually get so attached to fish. <I have no idea what an "emo freak" is. Must be some sort of American thing.> Here goes: My hobby started with a Christmas gift. A 5 gal tank with built-in filter & light, hex shaped. <5-gallon tanks are known in the trade as "buckets". They're of no good for keeping fish, and certainly not by beginners.> Being ambitious and completely ignorant, I filled the tank and promptly added WAY too many fish. 2 Dwarf Gouramis, which died within days of what I have read to be Dwarf Gourami disease (brought on by ammonia poisoning, no doubt) and 5 (yes, ridiculously, 5) Paradise Fish - Blue variety. <Oops.> I did a very limited amount of research and learned that for the fish I currently had still living, I needed at least 20gal. <Not a chance. Paradisefish are mutually aggressive, and males are very much "one to a tank". They will also fight with other similar looking fish, including, I dare say, Gouramis. Paradisefish are not community fish and are never, ever recommended for beginners by sensible aquarists.> After several fights with the hubby, he finally bought me a 29gal. I filled it, moved the fish in, and started reading about the cycling process. This is when I started to feel like a serial killer. I read that Paradise fish are actually very forgiving in regards to water quality, and if you are going to be cruel enough to cycle with fish, they are ones to use. <Up to a point this is true, but even hardy fish can be killed by high levels of ammonia and nitrite. That's why you need to have your nitrite and ammonia test kits, and as soon as you detect more than 0.5 mg/l of either, you do a BIG (i.e., 50%) water change. This may well be as often as once a day for the first couple of weeks!> So, I did frequent small water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrites down, and eventually, the tank cycled. It has been steadily 0 ammonia & nitrites, and low nitrates (10 or less) for at least a month now. All my fish actually did great. I got a black Sailfin Pleco for the algae problem. I read up on them, and saw that they will "suck" on sick or slow fish, but mine seem to be active and very quick. <The Sailfin Plec is likely Pterygoplichthys pardalis or similar. These are HUGE fish and require tanks 55 gallons upwards. Completely unsuitable for this system. In any case, they have no positive impact on algae. Think about it for just one second: algae grows when the water has fertiliser added, i.e., nitrogenous wastes from the fish. Add more fish, the water is more fertile, and the algae grows faster. Add a huge catfish, and even though it's eating algae, it is also eating catfish pellets and vegetables, so will be making the water much more fertile. It's a case of one step forwards and seventeen steps backwards. There are only TWO ways to control algae: use lots of fast-growing plants, or use elbow grease and a scraper. There is nothing else. Nada. Nix. Nyet. Non. Nein.> Then... got up one morning, and one of my females looked like she was missing scales. She was still acting normally, so I added some Melafix, as it supposed to help with missing scales and Finrot. <I'm not impressed with Melafix. Because it's cheap and "New Age" people buy into it, but it isn't any more effective than any other cheap, New Age medication.> It only got worse from there. When I got home that evening, it was an open (almost looked to bleeding) wound. I searched the internet, and closest thing I could find was AEROMONAS (hole in the side disease). <Hole-in-the-Head is not caused by Aeromonas bacteria. These are different syndromes. Almost certainly you're dealing with a plain vanilla Aeromonas infection, what on a human would be considered sepsis. The skin is damaged, and otherwise harmless Aeromonas bacteria get into the wound and cause serious problems. Long term: death through blood poisoning. Use something like Maracyn or eSHa 2000 to treat.> It seems, though, that this is more commonly associated with wild or farm fish. <No, the problem here is more than likely physical injury and/or poor water quality. I hear what you say about the good water quality stats, but the overwhelming experience of most newbie aquarists is variable to poor water quality, e.g., by overfeeding, under-filtering, or overstocking. So take a conservative approach, and assume the worst case scenario.> I moved her to the 5gal (now hospital tank, also cycled) and tried feeding her anti-bacterial food (soaked and broken up first). She wouldn't touch it, and developed dropsy that night. She was dead the next morning. <I bet.> Next was one of the males. I tried parasite treatment on him. Dropsy, and died within a day. <When masses of fish die for seemingly random reasons, the problem is 99.99999% likely water quality, water chemistry, or poisons. So: check water quality, and do a 50% water change daily until thing settle down. As for water chemistry, check the pH isn't fluctuating wildly. Fish are somewhat tolerant of the "wrong" pH and hardness relative to what they prefer, but what they can't abide is changing water chemistry. Finally, consider poisons. Things like paint fumes can quickly kill fish. Small children are apt to dump things in fish tanks, so it's important to make sure that doesn't happen.> Now my second female has a hole on either side of her body, well behind her gills, mid-body. Also - a large hole, as if something is eating away at her, on her anal fin. it is near her tail. She is now in the hospital tank, and I ordered Maracyn Two, which is on the third day of treatment, and no change, only getting worse. <Stop moving the fish to the 5 gallon tank. Pointless. Such a tank is a death trap itself. Treat the whole tank with Maracyn. Be aggressive with water changes (big, often). Study water chemistry and quality closely. Above all: DO NOT FEED the fish.> One of the males left in the main tank now has a hole in his side, and the other has a hole in his anal fin, in the same exact location as the female. I have tried to take photos, and they just WILL NOT hold still long enough. If they won't eat the anti-bacterial food, and the Maracyn doesn't help, then I am at a loss. The girl in the hospital tank is developing fungus, and I don't want to treat for the fungus while still using the Maracyn, in case there would be a reaction. I am afraid that they are developing secondary problems due to all the HORRIBLE water conditions I subjected them to. If this is the case, do they stand a chance at all? <If you do precisely what I say, yes, some should recover, assuming any Finrot (for that's the issue) is limited to superficial tissues. But if the body cavity is infected, then realistically, no, the fish aren't likely to survive.> Just a mention - the sick female (now in hospital tank) was being harassed by the Pleco. He would attach to her, and she would shake him off, but he probably did the most harm while I was sleeping and could not monitor. Is it possible this is what is happening to the other? I can't imagine the Pleco would decide to attach to the anal fin, though?? <Obviously this Plec needs to go back to the pet store. This is non-negotiable. How, why it is sucking onto the fish is largely academic (though I imagine it is hungry because you are not providing the foods it needs).> OK, I drew a rough image with Paint, which looks like a child created (hence the file name "kindergarten fish") showing the same location all fish are developing the hole in their sides and fins. <Yikes!> I never dreamed I would feel so bad over fish, but they are part of family now, and I really don't want to lose them. What can I possibly do?? <Read, learn, understand.> Thank you much, Jiffy <Cheers, Neale.> Re: Gourami/Paradisefish problems  – 03/07/08 Thank you, Neale, for your speedy response. <You're welcome.> It seems my worst fears are realized and I have done unrepairable damage to most of my fishy friends. :( <Quite possibly.> Emo = emotional basket case, which is what my hubby and most my friends think of me when I go on and on about saving my fish. <I see.> As of tonight, the 5-day Maracyn treatment will be completed in the 5 gal, and the girl is not doing any better. The reason I have been moving them is because the other fish seem to realize who is weak and pick on them. <Oh dear.> Since the treatment did not work on her, I will treat the remaining 2 (sadly, both males - maybe I need a tank separator) in the large tank. <Does sound a short term solution, at least.> The Pleco was purchased with the understanding that it would eventually be returned, upon aggression or growing to large for the tank, so he can easily be returned to the pet store. Once he cleaned the tank, I started feeding the sinking algae disks when I turned off the lights, and witnessed him eating voraciously. I have read that they attack sickly fish, and suspect this is the case here. <Loricariid catfish are classic opportunists (like humans) and they will have a go at whatever seems edible. That's their ecological niche. While they rarely, if ever, cause problems in tanks with healthy fish... in tanks where fish are dropping like flies, I dare say even the best behaved Plec isn't above taking advantage of the situation.> How long should I not feed? A couple days? the duration of the Maracyn treatment? <The latter at minimum. Fish can last a week without food, and after that week, feed small amounts once per day. No more.> Finally, what book(s) would you suggest? I will gladly purchase and read anything that will help me to better care for my fish. <Many, many choices. Go visit your local bookstore, and have a browse. Look for something published reasonably recently so that it is up to date in of filters, medications, etc. Don't be dazzled with pretty pictures -- some aquarium books that are "coffee table" type books look lovely to look at, but thin on information. Pick something that clearly explains about filters, water chemistry, disease and so on. If it has a section on community fish, listing their water chemistry needs, preferred temperature, social behaviour and diet then so much the better. You can use that to decide what fish you want to get next. But right now your need isn't for a book containing hundreds of fish or advanced topics like plants or cichlids; you want something focusing on the foundations of the hobby. Master them, and the rest of the hobby is pretty straightforward.> Thank you so much for your expertise, Jiffy <Cheers, Neale.>

Paradise fish tankmates   3/19/07
Hello crew,
<<Greetings, Adam. Tom here.>>
I have two 8 gallon, unheated tanks each containing a male paradise fish, java moss and java fern. I bought what I thought was a female in hopes of spawning them and placed it in with my wild coloured male. The male was not too impressed with his new tankmate so I transferred it to the other tank where it then began to attack my blue male. The "female" has a much stockier body, shorter fins and is usually a pale brown colour but when it sees a male its colours darken and it develops iridescent blue edges on the fins and it flares its fins and projects its gill covers. How can I be sure that this is in fact a female? Are there any definite characteristics I can look for?
<<First, Adam, don’t let the behavior of the “female” lead you to think you may have gotten another male. If it’s contained to “flaring” at one another along with changes in “her” coloration, this can be/is part of the “mating ritual”. It may look like they’re squaring off for a “set-to” but that isn’t necessarily the case. From the way you’ve described your third Paradise fish, it sounds to me like you’ve got a female. The tail split is far less pronounced on the females as well as the tail tips being far more rounded. There’s also a spotted pattern to the coloring of the male’s tail fin while the females all have fairly uniform coloring to theirs. The dorsal and anal fins are also shorter and rounded at the tips as compared to the male. My male displays vertical bars that are quite distinct as opposed to the females which have them but are much less apparent. (My male’s eyes also look like he’s ready to kick the snot of out something/anything all the time. Almost scary looking, really.)>>
I know females are not supposed to be imported into Australia but this one looked really female in the store and the guy said they do come in from time to time by accident.
<<Hmmm… They’re not supposed to be imported, he’s not supposed to have them and, if he gets any, he shouldn’t be selling them to his customers. He’d do very well in the States! :) >>
Also, are rosy barbs and leopard danios appropriate tank mates for these fish?
<<Within the context of what you’re asking, Adam, I would say that the Barbs would be fine but the Danios might be questionable. In my 50-gallon tank I’ve got Black Skirt Tetras and Serpae Tetras with mine, none of which will put up with any of the Paradises’ “garbage”. My “squadron” of Corys wouldn’t care if I put a Great White in the tank with them. I’ve a lone Angelfish that the Paradise fish take steps to avoid and my Boesemanni Rainbows seem to get along fine with them though, admittedly, they’re nearly twice the size of the Paradise fish. Finally, my Sailfin Pleco doesn’t much care about anything other than his “personal” piece of driftwood and eating. (Gorgeous animal but doesn’t say much.)>>
I got some cheap feeder ones to see it they can cohabitate. Can you suggest any better tankmates? What about white cloud minnows or zebra danios?
<<The issue here, Adam, is finding fish that will work in eight-gallon tanks. Just between us guys, I’d rather see you upgrade to larger tanks or leave well-enough alone. Your Gouramis will lose a lot of “attitude” if housed in bigger environments but you’ve got a couple of “species” set-ups right now. A couple of minimal ones, to be honest. Like Bettas that Paradise fish are so often compared to, you really want to recognize the limitations of small aquariums and accept them for the good of your pets. Easier said than done, isn’t it?>>
Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Adam
<<Stick with what you’ve got for now, Adam. When you’re in a position to get larger quarters for your fish your options will improve dramatically. I hope things work out for your new “couple”, by the way. Cheers. Tom>>

Re: paradise fish tankmates (Follow-up)   3/21/07
Thanks Tom,
<<Hello, Adam, and you’re welcome.>>
Unfortunately for one of the feeder barbs the male paradise lived up to his rep as a cold blooded killer. It calmly swam up to it and promptly proceeded to remove its face, not a pretty sight.
<<Ye gads! That’s a bit “over the top” even for a Paradise fish! I suspected the cramped quarters would lead to squabbling but not downright mayhem. I’m sorry about that to say the least, Adam.>>
I rescued the remaining barb and put it in the pond with my other barbs and  Buenos Aires tetras. So far the danios have escaped injury from the other male (in the other tank). I placed the original male in a clear floating tank and returned the female. Will
this help get him used to the idea of having a wife?  
<<Right now, Adam, I don’t know how far I would trust this particular fish even with a female of the same species. It would probably be prudent to consider the possibility that this fellow is a “rogue” or, very close to being one. Given the almost non-existent supply of females that you have available “Down Under”, I’d be very leery of potentially jeopardizing her with a known killer. Observe them for a bit before chancing a “close encounter” and then watch both of them like a hawk!>>  
I don't think I'll add any more tankmates unless I do upgrade to bigger setups.
<<I think this best as well, Adam.>>
Also, what is the minimum temperature leopard danios can tolerate?
<<About 50 degrees (F.). I wouldn’t push this for a long period, however. (Where I’m at, 50 degrees doesn’t sound all that bad, though. :) )>>
I "rescued" them from the feederfish tank at my LFS and if I have to remove them I'd like to add them to the pond but I don't know if they can handle the lower winter temperatures like the barbs and tetras.
<<Actually, they’ve got quite a large range of “tolerance”, Adam. I wouldn’t be too concerned as long as they can be kept above 50 for most of the time.>>
Adam
<<Good luck and keep an eye on “Jack the Ripper”! Tom>>

Paradise Gourami
I have a male and female paradise Gourami, I believe they have mated he has made a bubble nest and they have did the mating thing, I have seen what seems to be eggs come from the female after a very interesting mating courtship the male wraps himself around the female and flips her upside down then after a few seconds she floats away and he is curled up like a leaf at the top of the tank, after those kinds of interactions is when I have notice the small white eggs floating in the water. The male scoops them up and spits them into the bubble nest area. 
<Yes... good description.>
My question is how long before I should see babies. 
<About four days near 80 F. To wiggling stage... need to cover the tank to avoid cold air drafts...>
And is something wrong with my tank. I am afraid I have a fungus now growing in that tank brown clumps of some sort are starting to accumulate in the bottom and float to the top. I have read that it is hard to get the young to mature because of disease , is this a fungus or algae. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
<Maybe an algae of some sort, perhaps an algae and other life forms... maybe just detritus... I would place a sponge type filter, or an open-top (leave the lid off) air-driven corner filter... to prevent the babies from being sucked in... And start studying... books, the Net re raising Gourami fry... have you looked into growing their food? I would... and start now... infusoria... Bob Fenner>
Marty

Bettas and Paradisefish - 02/18/2004
I have a question.
<Okay>
Tell me please can I put in my 20 l aquarium 1 Betta (male) and one Macropodus (male)???
<This may be do-able, depending upon the temperaments of both fish.  If both are relatively laid-back, it should work out fine.  I have seen particularly aggressive Paradisefish (Macropodus sp.) terrorize fish more than three times their size, but I've also seen a few that are quite tolerant of most any tankmates.  Same with bettas, some are very peaceful, some are terrors.  I would say try it, and be prepared to remove one of the fish if you see any serious aggression.>
Thanks!
<You bet!  Wishing you and your Anabantoids well,  -Sabrina>

Paradise fish, beh., comp.   2/28/07
Hello Crew,
<Jessica>
I have a 30gal freshwater tank that's been empty save for a pair of bristle nose Plecos for about two months. Firstly, to insure it was well cycled (I made that mistake with my previous 10gal and it was rather horrible), and also just because I haven't been having much luck getting any other fish.
Anyway, I recently (about a week ago) got a Paradise fish who after quarantining is now with the Plecos (introduced two days ago). My first question is that he's kind of... Hyper, I suppose. All he seems to do is pace back and forth along the glass really quickly. I'm not sure that he's eating either, because he's too busy flying around to pay attention when I put food in. I've seen him eating some of the Plecos algae wafer, but that's about it. Is this normal behavior for a Paradise fish? Or is something wrong with him/the tank?
<Is likely normal... this fish is probably seeing its reflection... reacting to such... will greatly calm down with the addition of tankmates...>
All water levels (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, etc.) are as they should be.
Also, I have a Opaline Gourami and a school of Harlequin Rasboras in quarantine right now, and I've been reading some worrisome stories about Paradise fish consuming smaller fish.
<These will all be fine together>
The Opaline doesn't bother the rasboras at all in the QT tank, so I'm not too worried about him being aggressive (until he get's larger anyway) towards the smaller fish, and I feel like he's big enough and 3in right now) to defend himself from the Paradise. Do you think my Rasboras will be ok with the Paradise?
<Yes>
They're a little on the small side right now as well, I'd say they're about an inch or slightly larger not yet two inches, but it's hard to tell since they're fast and hard to get a good look at. The tank is well planted with plenty of hiding spots, but I'd rather know now before I put them in and find out.
Thanks for you help,
Jess
<I think you will have a very nice display here. Bob Fenner>