Helen Price

Hello. Boy I don't know what to do. I feel like my tank is going to pot. Its only 2 months old. Water: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, ph 6.5, kh 6, temp 24, 110L planted. Fish: smudge spot corys, honey gourami, black neon, glolight tetra and yellow phantom tetra. Within days after my last fish introduction of glolight and phantoms, I now have what I think are many illnesses. First signs from glos and phantoms was flashing off plants. A few white spots started to appear on black neons but none on other fish. Two phantoms started to get cloudy eyes, one of which gor a white spot on the end of its face. ESHA exit and esha 2000 in the 4th day treating. White spots gone but fish still flashing. One of the glos is clearly agitated. Now another phantom has white on the end of its face. It is along the bottom lip on both fish. So very hard to take photos. Whatever it is, it stands out from their face but doesn't look like it's alive. All fish are active and eating. I don't actually know what quick breathing looks like in fish but I can confirm none are at the surface gasping. Do I have flukes due to the cloudy eyes and flashing? Do I have cotton mouth due to the white along the lips? I am treating for white spot which seems to be working. Should I do a big water change? Maybe smaller ones each day? I am starting to feel like I am turning my tank into a medicine soup but not knowing what to try. This is my 1st fish tank. It was perfect before the last fish introduction. Please help.

That's a great sensible approach. I shall observe and not try to fix what is not broken.

If it is a male female pair, should I get another female? I do not want to go down the route of separating or breeding. I do not have another tank to deal with this. I also do not want a male harassing a single female. Can anyone confirm if there is a breeding window whereby the male is interested in breeding or is it pretty much an ongoing thing?

Brilliant. Thank you for reply. I did initially think they were both males but now think the same as you that one is female.

Hello all, This is my first time fish owning. I have read lots about the subject and how the gender of Honey Gourami is established but some info can be conflicting. I have a pair. I believe the one with darker red is male. The lighter colour doesn't have the obvious 'extra' triangle shape behind the stomach to identify ovaries. Maybe they are not totally obvious in all females? I have had them a month now. All quiet and calm up until the last few days. The drker red one seems to pay more attention to the lighter one and uses the feelers more. Nothing violent or too much. I have noticed a black line appearing the whole length along the body on the lighter yellow one. Back to what I have read.... do you think I have a female that is developing a maturity black line (unless they should be born with it??) or a male that has developed the line due to stress or being subdominant? Thanks for your time. Helen