My female gold gourami is HUGE. I don't know what's wrong with her! She's swimming around just fine and eating as well, her scales aren't sticking out to indicate dropsy...
any help would be much appreciated!
could she have bred with my opaline? I always had thought my opaline was a female as well...
What's wrong?! Help please!
11 posts • Page 1 of 2
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natalie265 - Site Admin
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- Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm
It might be dropsy. Although dropsy usually causes the scales to protrude, i don't think it always does. The other guarami in the last photo looks like she's getting a bit rotund as well. As far as a possible pregnancy, i'm not so sure about that. From the photos you have posted i would guess not, but it is hard to tell.
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Okiimiru - Posts: 275
- Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:19 pm
Gouramis are egg layers, not live bearers. They do not carry young inside them. Instead they build a bubble nest, and the male fertilizes the eggs outside of the female's body. This is not pregnancy; it is bloat.
Livebearing fish include:
Guppies, mollies, swordtails, platies, limias, halfbeaks, four eyed fish, one sided livebearers, and I guess depending on how you define livebearers, seahorses and some pipefish.
If your fish is not in that list, then do not assume it is pregnant. Assume it is bloated.
Livebearing fish include:
Guppies, mollies, swordtails, platies, limias, halfbeaks, four eyed fish, one sided livebearers, and I guess depending on how you define livebearers, seahorses and some pipefish.
If your fish is not in that list, then do not assume it is pregnant. Assume it is bloated.
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Okiimiru - Posts: 275
- Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:19 pm
Also, feed her a pea. I know it's stupid but it works. They get constipated and sometimes a pea is just what they needed to dislodge stuff and get it all moving again.
And vary their food more in the future. Instead of freeze dried food all the time, mix in some flakes and some frozen bloodworms or live grindal worms. Grindal worms are easy to culture in a tupperware container in the stand under the tank, and the starter culture can be bought for like $15 on aquabid.com. Anyway, variety is one way to decrease the risk of bloat. Feeding just freeze dried or flake food all the time increases the risk.
And vary their food more in the future. Instead of freeze dried food all the time, mix in some flakes and some frozen bloodworms or live grindal worms. Grindal worms are easy to culture in a tupperware container in the stand under the tank, and the starter culture can be bought for like $15 on aquabid.com. Anyway, variety is one way to decrease the risk of bloat. Feeding just freeze dried or flake food all the time increases the risk.
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Candanceee - Posts: 5
- Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:48 am
Unfortunately the yellow gourami passed away the night I posted that question :(
I have another problem now however...
With my OTHER gourami (the opaline, the only gourami in the tank now) She isn't bloated at all, she doesn't look any different to me than any other day, but she has adopted a large behavior as of yesterday.
She's in the right hand front corner of the tank swimming up and down, constantly. She's creating a large hole in the sand. She'll go up and down the side about 20-25 times, and then go mosey around the tank, then go right back to going up and down. I don't understand what she's after, she's never done this before. And she's eating just fine!
She seems really upset that her friend just died...is that possible? Is it because they'e supposed to be kept in pairs/groups? I will definitely be getting another gourami very very soon.
Nothing has changed in my tank besides the gold gourami passing away..
My fish are spoiled, they're diet varies from frozen bloodworms, to flake, and shrimp pellets. I've never heard of grindal worms before, thank you for the tip,.. and if bloat happens in the future I will definitely use the pea tip.
thank you so much for everyone's help! it means a lot to me
I have another problem now however...
With my OTHER gourami (the opaline, the only gourami in the tank now) She isn't bloated at all, she doesn't look any different to me than any other day, but she has adopted a large behavior as of yesterday.
She's in the right hand front corner of the tank swimming up and down, constantly. She's creating a large hole in the sand. She'll go up and down the side about 20-25 times, and then go mosey around the tank, then go right back to going up and down. I don't understand what she's after, she's never done this before. And she's eating just fine!
She seems really upset that her friend just died...is that possible? Is it because they'e supposed to be kept in pairs/groups? I will definitely be getting another gourami very very soon.
Nothing has changed in my tank besides the gold gourami passing away..
My fish are spoiled, they're diet varies from frozen bloodworms, to flake, and shrimp pellets. I've never heard of grindal worms before, thank you for the tip,.. and if bloat happens in the future I will definitely use the pea tip.
thank you so much for everyone's help! it means a lot to me
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natalie265 - Site Admin
- Posts: 746
- Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm
How is your other guarami doing? I don't know what to make of the behavior, but i doubt it is because she is mourning the loss of the other guarami. They seem to do fine by themselves.
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Candanceee - Posts: 5
- Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:48 am
my other gourami died a couple nights after i posted this thread :( ... its unfortunate, but now i know what to look for/ do should this happen again..
I just bought 2 new (very small) gourami, one opaline and one gold, and the second they got into the tank, the behavior in my large opaline stopped. she hasn't been doing it since, just following the others around the tank. I think she feels more than we think she does lol
I just bought 2 new (very small) gourami, one opaline and one gold, and the second they got into the tank, the behavior in my large opaline stopped. she hasn't been doing it since, just following the others around the tank. I think she feels more than we think she does lol
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natalie265 - Site Admin
- Posts: 746
- Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm
Well, i didn't think guaramis were really schooling fish, but whatever works. Good luck with your new fish!
