# sick gouramis but what he has??



## serbanmm (Jul 22, 2009)

Hi all! I have a problem with my sunset gourami. I bought him1 month – 1.5 months ago and then he has not shown any sign of illness. After three or four days it appear on his skin and fins brownish-blackish patches. Since then (with 1 month ago) he doesn’t shown any changes even he’s slightly worse. However, he’s eating and swimming normally but he is a little more agitated than the other fish. I attached a picture with my fish and I hope someone to know what he has! Sorry for my English but as you noticed I’m not a native English speaker! Thanks!

PS: My aquarium: -60 litters
-heater, white light bulb, water filter
-fishes: 1 pearl gourami, 2 sunset gourami and a betta male
-5 plants
-water temperature around 82 Fahrenheit(28 Celsius)
-water parameters: 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates, PH:7.8


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Hi and welcome to the forum!

This is the normal colour for a Trichogaster labiosus (Thick-lipped gourami) - dark brown.

When you bought him, was he a lighter colour? Chances are once he settled into your tank, his colours also darkened. With gouramis that are closer to their natural colours (ie not the metallic blue, metallic gold, etc), they can change their colours a great deal, and when they are comfortable in their tanks, in my experience, they darken quite a bit.

Basically, you're doing a good job with him 

here's photo of a T. labiosus:


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## serbanmm (Jul 22, 2009)

That fish looks very well...my fish have big brown to black patches to the skin and now( in the last 24 hours) and "muddy" fins..like he roll over to dust! But i'm sure that it's not fin rot..and any other aggressive disease because it appeared with a month ago!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Maybe you could post a clearer photo of him? From the one you posted he looks fine.

It has brown and black patches? Keep in mind these fish can get very dark - how about this one:


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

ameekplec. said:


> Maybe you could post a clearer photo of him? From the one you posted he looks fine.
> 
> It has brown and black patches? Keep in mind these fish can get very dark - how about this one:


Pic does not show.

Maybe it's tank mates are picking on him? It looks like the it is missing some scales near the top of it's tail in that pic. The fins could be that colour because they have been nipped at and are now scarred.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

I can see the pic 

Also, look in the original pic very carefully - you can see that both the anal and dorsal fins are fully intact, just missing pigmentation near the margin.


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## serbanmm (Jul 22, 2009)

I will try to make a better picture tommorrow! And no...tank mates are not picking on him..he have no signs of aggression on his body or fins;i watched the aquarium hours to see if he's attacked by other fishes and he's not....I have also another sunset gouramis(smaller than him) and it's very fine...yellow and happy!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

There's a good chance the lighter one is stressed and shows lightened pigmentation - my gouramis do that when they are stressed or unhealthy.


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

ameekplec. said:


> I can see the pic
> 
> Also, look in the original pic very carefully - you can see that both the anal and dorsal fins are fully intact, just missing pigmentation near the margin.


I guess there is no problem then LOL In the original pic the top of the body near the tail looks like it is missing scales but then I looked at other pic's of the same type of fish and most looked like that. Others also had the same colour on their fins.

Who knows maybe the fins are scarred?


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

haha, now I can't see the pic.

I think it my just be a weak pigmentation issue - seems like a lot of the pictures for this species displays the same lack of colour in the tips of the fins and caudal peduncle.


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## serbanmm (Jul 22, 2009)

I have more pictures...i hope that are more accurate!The fish looks brighter because of the flash-light!!!


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## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

serbanmm said:


> I have more pictures...i hope that are more accurate!The fish looks brighter because of the flash-light!!!


Your fish looks to be very healthy. Just google them and take a look at other peoples fish.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Yep, healthy - nice iridescence on the tail too


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## serbanmm (Jul 22, 2009)

My sunset gourami it's darken than ever...so, now he have the caudal fin almost black...and his other fins are also black....and of course that on the skin the patches are darker...so...someone have an ideea what it is??? In the same time he's eating and swimming like a shark...soooo...i'm so confused!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Still healthy.

Is it a male? IME they tend to get darker colours


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## serbanmm (Jul 22, 2009)

Here are some new pictures( are not so great but you can see where is the problem)!


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## ksimdjembe (Nov 11, 2006)

h e a l t h y

perhaps you thought you were getting a different species, and this does not look exactly the way you had expected?


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