Gourami colour change

[Hollyhawk]

I understand that it is not great when a gourami starts to darken. We have one of those honey gouramis that fall under fire/sunset etc... He has always been a deeper orange/red with almost electric orange on the edges of his fins. Very pretty.

Over the last week his underbelly truned a darker almost brown colour. In addition a small area on his tail and another one on his back rear fin look blackened.

The two changes are the addition of two electric blue rams, and fert pellets. I put a half a seachem fert pellet around the hydrangia deformis, which is where he hangs out a lot.



So my questions are: is there something I can do to help him, and how far do I let the blackening go before I pull him and put him in a sick tank.

Here are pictures. He is very active so it was hard to get any stills of him.

[CRS Fan]

I'm no gourami expert, BUT it appears as though it could be a dominant male donning his new breeding colouration. Other than that, he appears to be healthy.

Best regards,

Stuart

[Momobobo]

Is he still eating, acting normally, and does not apepar stressed out? Fish colours changes rapidly, my Geos darken and lighten up almost constantly.

[Hollyhawk]

He seems to be acting normal. He is eating regularily.

He just played with the bubbles riding them up and away for the past hour. That is one of his favorite things to do.

The blackish areas on the tail and fin was what worried me the most. I did not get a close up of those at all.

I'll keep an eye on him, and report back any changes over the next week or so.

Thank you for your help.

[katienaha]

my pearl gouramis all used to be pale. then i purchased another that was for sure a male, and within a couple weeks 2 of the previous 3 started to darken up and take on richer colours... essentially showing their "true colours" and proving to me that they were males.. not the females I suspected they were. Now I have 3 Males and 1 female.

[Hollyhawk]

He is the only gourami in the tank. Today h e had a long white string hanging off near his feelers. I was able to remove it. It just sloughed off and disitigrated. !?!? Weird.

[Hollyhawk]

I am going to bump this as he has the stringy thing again.???? Anyone know what it might be?

[CRS Fan]

A better picture (or a picture of the 'stringy thing') would definitely help.

Respectfully,

Stuart

[Hollyhawk]

I only have my phone camera and no matter how many pics i snap it does not show up. I sure hope. I am worried about nothing. All the fins look solid, firm edged and normal. The string is coming off from such an odd place. I wonder if it is plant matter catching on the pelvic fins?

If it happens again im going to net him and try to get it with tweezers. The anubias has sooo many stringy roots getting pulled off. He and the rams are in there lots.

[Momobobo]

Yup..the stringy stuff just sounds like some tank debris stuck to your fish. I would not think it is anyhting serious