Brenton Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 Hi, I have 4 dwarf gouramis in a 2 week old 120 litre (3 foot) tank. I also have 10 small neon tetras in there. In the last week I have noticed the gouramis going up to plants and rubbing against them while swimming away very quickly, like they are trying to get something off their side. Readings: Ammonia: 0 ppm Nitrite: 1.5 ppm pH: 7.1 What could this be?? Brenton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearlyred Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 Hmm, this is usually a sign of Ich, but after a week I think there'd be visible signs of it (little white spots, are there any?), so not sure. Two week old tank huh? So this hasnt been cycled before adding the fish? Did you use filter/water from another tank at least? The Nitrites in the tank mean there's some cycling going on, but you need to keep an eye on these levels. Anything over 0 for ammonia and nitrites isnt good. Search the forums for 'cycling a tank' if you dont know much about it, theres heaps of information on here for it. There's probably other stuff too, but its late and im knackered. Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenton Posted September 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 No white spots so far. The tank was running for 2 weeks before adding fish but it was a new tank with a new filter. The ammonia levels have stayed at 0 the whole time but the nitrates have been rising to wher they are now. Brenton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pearlyred Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 No white specks on them ok. Gourami's are fussy when it comes to the water they live in, it has to be nice and clean and settled. They are also prone to a number of diseases because of this. If they're glancing, I'd say they're stressed (which can cause Ich and other problems). The fact that your tank hasnt cycled is probably the cause. A tank sitting there empty for two weeks with clean filter and water wont do a whole lot really. You definately need to read up on 'cycling'. I'd do a water change right away, say about 20%?, add some 'cycle' or aqua plus or something if you have some, and put a drop of stress-coat in there too. You need to keep an eye on those ammonia/nitrite levels until the tank settles, and you'll probably need to do several water changes until it does. What temperature is the tank running at? You could try increasing the temperature a couple of degrees to around 27-28 if below that already for a couple of days, but make sure either your filter oulet or air pump is breaking the surface of the water to help oxygenate it (warmer water holds less oxygen). Im sure others will have some thoughts to add too.. Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenton Posted September 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 I put in water conditioner and a ph stabilizer before I added any fish as the tank was having trouble keeping the pH constant. I did a 20% water change on Sunday and will do another one tomorrow night. The tank is at 25 degrees. There is plenty of aeration as the spray bar is just above the water line and there are plenty of air bubbles throughout the tank. Brenton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserole Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 Hi Brenton, Pearlyred is right your tank is still cycling thats why your nitrite level is not 0. keep doing water changes 2 or 3 times a week and keep an eye on those nitrites, you will notice that as your nitrite levels drop your nitrate level will increase - this is normal and when your tank is cycled all readings should be 0 good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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