Flame dwarfs that die within 48 hours??

[NyFish]

Hi... I am not having any luck here with the flame dwarfs... I bought 3 fish on Sunday:
2 pink kissers
1 flame dwarf

In a QT tank with all levels in "normal" range (the lfs even tested it...). Wityhin 48 hours the dwarf gourami was laying sideways at the bottom and barely breathing, so i bought him back to Petland discount and they gave me another one... The 2nd one (flame dwarf) was swimming OUT OF CONTROL last night and this morning... tonight when i came home from work... he was lying sideways and barely breathing????? (24 hours in QT tank).

what is wrong?? the pink kissers are FINE... i just did a 50% water change... but, i think this may have put him into shock... b/c now his breathing is fast and labored... and he is lying sideways!!

also, i noticed on BOTH dying fish that the top fins get dark and gray (not like this when i first got them home)... also the top of their heads are grey and sunken...

what does this mean??

I am guessing this flame dwarf will die, but should i even consider getting another one?

This is getting rather stressful (and expensive) having to buy new fish... and/or continually returning dead fish to get new ones...

what can i be doing wrong??

[NyFish]

After looking around the internet, it seems my fishy has ammonia poisoning... His gill are grey on top (ammonia burn) and he is lying on his side and has red streaks... I beleive the first one was the same way...

I did a 50% water change and the ammonia level has been about 0-0.25 (12 hours after the WC)... So, it's not necessarily HIGH, but the symptoms seems to matchup perfectly...

I think i will hold off on getting any more fish for a week or 2... This is a new QT tank and may need to cycle for longer?...

He is still breathing at the bottom of the tank, but i can't imagine him surviving the day... I will do another WC tongiht...

[wesleydnunder]

Yes, QT tanks need to be fully cycled just like your show tank(s).

Mark

[Trixie]

Also, and if I'm wrong, someone please correct me, the Kissing Gourami get a lot bigger and can be a lot more aggressive than the Flames. I think that there are probably better tankmates for your Kissers than the smaller and more docile Flames.

[Emg]

Kissers get HUGE !!

There's one at an lfs around here that they have in a big floor tank in front of the store. It's a pet and it's got to be about 2 ft long. It comes right up to the top of the water and you can pet it on the head....pretty cute, but I wouldn't want one in my house.

About the flames...you might try getting one from another store. Maybe they got a bad batch. Dwarf gouramis aren't known for their hardiness........

[NyFish]

Thanks for all the great advice and comments...

I think i will keep away from dwarf gouramis... they look pretty, but i have been through about 6 since March!! and 4 of those lasted less than a week!

I def. think my QT needs to cycle out... So, i will keep the kissers there for a few weeks before adding to my main tank...

So. now that i learn the kissers will take over my tank in size (lol), what is good to get or them?? they are about 1-1.5 inches now... But, from the readin i did based on the above comments, i foresee a 55 gallon tank in the future (yay!!)...

Pink kissers and ??? (plus, Tino, my sole survivor of the ICH outbreak a few weeks ago... Blue gourami... 3 inches... and growing...)

[rosita]

There's a thread I started in here, and Steve Plegere picked up, about fatal problems with the dwarf gouramis. Mine swelled up like I'd pumped air into him; ended losing all 3 powder blues. Steven decided to conduct a study to figure out the primary disease that was killing them. It's interesting . . .

Dwarf Gourami bloated???? Heeeelp plz

Warning: pictures contain disturbing content (j/k)

Hope you have better luck; full cycle helps.

[Roan]

Ah, a 55g would be too small in depth for a kisser. They're only 13" deep and a kisser gets 12". That doesn't leave much room for him to turn around, especially once you add in filter room, decorations and everything else that takes up space.

Also, a 55g would be fore ONE kissing gourami. You should plan on double that for two of them. Tank should be at least 18" deep.


My 2 cents
Eileen

[Emg]

yeah, kissers get way too big for a 50........maybe something like a 90..and even that I wonder.......

[NyFish]

OK, you guys are really scaring me with the size that these kissers will get!! lol...

I guess I'll cross that bridge when i get there...

Also, thanks for the link on dwarg gourami's, Rosita!!

[Roan]

This is pretty accurate and remember, the 50g quote is for one kisser:

Kissing Gourami info

Also, 50g tanks are typically deeper than a 55g.

Eileen

[joephys]

By deeper you mean wider, not taller, right?

[Trixie]

Well, jeez! I had no idea that Kissing Gourami didn't build bubble nests. Thanks, Roan!

[Tanks Master]

Kissing gourami are dangerous to keep more then one in a tank, They will Fight each other and Disrupt groups in their battles, they get enormus and crap constantly I believe they are in the top 5 species of gourami that get big, the bigeest being the Osp. Gourami AKA Giant gourami... you would do yourself a favor and Trade those kissing ones in for something less troublesome.

[Roan]

Originally Posted by joephys

By deeper you mean wider, not taller, right?

Yesh. An All Glass 50g is 36 x 18 x 18, which is as deep as a 75g, but 2" shorter in height and a foot shorter in length (48 x 18 x 20).

Eileen

[Roan]

Originally Posted by Tanks Master

. . I believe they are in the top 5 species of gourami that get big, the bigeest being the Osp. Gourami AKA Giant gourami... you would do yourself a favor and Trade those kissing ones in for something less troublesome.

The Pres of a local aquarium club here has a Giant temp set up in a 50g. That thing is HUGE -- about 12" shorter than the length of the tank -- and can only turn around if he doubles in two.

He hand fed the fish canned long green beans while we were there. Was pretty cool

Eileen

[Trixie]

I always wonder about fish that big - you must need a bunch of people to help you move it to another tank, even.

[Tanks Master]

Originally Posted by Roan

The Pres of a local aquarium club here has a Giant temp set up in a 50g. That thing is HUGE -- about 12" shorter than the length of the tank -- and can only turn around if he doubles in two.

He hand fed the fish canned long green beans while we were there. Was pretty cool

Eileen

yeah, I think rally has one come to think of it.. his Os. Gourami is huuuge and he calls it a baby still

[Roan]

Next time I go over to his place -- and I have some of his parva I need to return. I also promised to show him how to make mops -- I'll bring my camera and get some pix of this dude. He's SO friendly.

Eileen

[NyFish]

Originally Posted by Tanks Master

Kissing gourami are dangerous to keep more then one in a tank, They will Fight each other and Disrupt groups in their battles, they get enormus and crap constantly I believe they are in the top 5 species of gourami that get big, the bigeest being the Osp. Gourami AKA Giant gourami... you would do yourself a favor and Trade those kissing ones in for something less troublesome.

YES, right before i moved them to the main tank, i came home late and there was all this BLACK stuff at the bottom of the tank... it was almost 1:00 in the a.m. on a work night, yet i did a 50% water change!!!

The next day, similar situation... yet not as much... well, it turns out to be POOP!! but, why is it black?? i really thought my carbon in the filter exploded?!? lol...