editkid Posted September 28, 2007 Report Share Posted September 28, 2007 Not sure if this is a reason for concern, or just one unlucky little fish, but the male of my two Opaline Gourami has trouble keeping his food in. It was funny the first few times, but now it's just excruciating to watch. Any food he tries to eat he spits out, grabs again, spits out, grabs again, spits out, gets stolen by a smaller fish, repeat. He looks healthy though, just a bit more skinny than his female counterpart. Sometimes, he'll try and eat food and will spit out the food he had eaten before, especially when I serve them pellets. If that Gourami could talk, it would be one blasphemin' little fish, I tell ya. So, should I just let him be? Serve smaller food? Quarantine him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael.qian Posted September 29, 2007 Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 is it a type of new food? if so he might have some trouble accepting it at first. I've seen my fish do that before, it could be a sign of something wrong though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editkid Posted September 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 Oh yeah, my tank is only a week old, so I guess it's new food. Thanks Michael, I'll keep an eye on him and hopefully it'll get better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael.qian Posted September 29, 2007 Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 you cycled the tank right? checked your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels? just making sure you did cycle it first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editkid Posted September 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 Yes, well, for two days I conditioned the tank with Nutrafin Cycle before I introduced fish. I also keep it handy in case ammonium, nitrite or nitrate levels spike. I'm doing daily water tests and did a 25% water change today. Also there's a good selection of plants in the tank to keep oxygen levels up. The tank isn't cycled yet, as such, so I guess I'm cycling with fish. It's a 100 liter tank with 2 Opaline Gourami and 6 Head Tail Light Tetra. They all seem happy and are eating well, apart from the aforementioned issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaNs Posted September 29, 2007 Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 Yes, well, for two days I conditioned the tank with Nutrafin Cycle before I introduced fish. I also keep it handy in case ammonium, nitrite or nitrate levels spike. I'm doing daily water tests and did a 25% water change today. Also there's a good selection of plants in the tank to keep oxygen levels up. The tank isn't cycled yet, as such, so I guess I'm cycling with fish. It's a 100 liter tank with 2 Opaline Gourami and 6 Head Tail Light Tetra. They all seem happy and are eating well, apart from the aforementioned issue. IMO that stocking is way to quick Cycling is not just chucking some chems in the tank and hoping it all goes well. Same situation if it spikes You need to give your tank time for the good bacteria to build up My 2cents What filter you running? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editkid Posted September 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 I agree with the cycling being too quick. When I bought the tank I didn't even know there was such a thing as cycling... I'm running an Aqua Clear 50 Power Filter with Activated Carbon and Bio Max inserts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted September 29, 2007 Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 Keep testing the water every day and if the levels start to rise, do a water change immediately. There is not point adding chemicals that say they cycle a tank to your tank. they are an utter waste of money. If the gourami is hungry, it will eat. If however it has something wrong with it and it cant eat, then you need to do something about it. What that something is.... i don't know, and it will be hard to know whether its just being silly (alot of my fish spit food out all the time) or whether it indeed has problems. it it hard to diagnose if that is the only symptom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editkid Posted September 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 True, thanks guys. I'll keep an eye open for any additional symptoms. Right now the fish looks absolutely healthy. It's constantly scavenging for food though, but then again, so is the other well-fed Gourami. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editkid Posted October 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 Update: he seems to be getting better at eating... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted October 11, 2007 Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 Sounds like he's just 'chewing' to me? I have various species of fish (kribensis through to clown knife) that do this, each time it gets sucked up a small bit falls off which they eat, then they repeat the process. Kind of like how us humans eat a drumstick for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editkid Posted October 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 Good point, that. Although I don't eat drumsticks quite like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted October 11, 2007 Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 Although I don't eat drumsticks quite like that :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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