[ChemGuyEthan]

Hi everyone,

I tried perusing the forums for suggestions about this, but didn't find any so I'm starting this thread.

I've had a female opaline gourami for about a 8 months now. Probably 3.5 inches long and just over half an inch wide. She used to live in a 20 gallon I kept for a while but have upgraded to a 40 gallon corner tank. The tank is medium planted, with a large open space at the front. The tank has been set up for about 6 weeks now.

In the 20 gallon, she would swim all over and would even wait at the top in the mornings around feeding time for the food to drop in. Now in the 40 she is sooooo shy! If I'm anywhere near the tank she rushes to the back corner and hides behind some wisteria and ludwigia. It's gotten to the point where she freaks out and splashes around when the lights turn on (automatic timers) and even tonight I heard her splash when the lights clicked off!

Anyone know how to remedy this situation? She is eating and seems healthy (I can observe from a distance where she'll venture out and swim about the tank). She doesn't look bloated. It seems like her coloring is not as bright and contrasted as it used to be. I just can't really figure out why she's so stressed out unless she's still getting used to the new tank?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I don't have a good picture of her at the moment, maybe I'll get one in the morning when the lights are back on.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

-Ethan

 

[adive]

Just give her more time - as in 3-4 weeks maybe. If she's already been there that much or more... are there other new tankmates that harass her? try giving her her fav food. i've seen that calms down fish too, especially across tank moves.

 

[Grah the great]

Often fish are less shy if they are given more cover, so that's worth a shot.

 

[ChemGuyEthan]

Thanks for the replies!

I don't believe any of the new tank mates would be harassing her. She shares the tank with a dozen rummynose and cardinal tetra, 5 cories, and a handful of otos. No one stands out to me as a likely aggressor.

I had a bunch of wisteria in there that had taken over the back of the tank and she still freaked out. I do have some floating water lettuce that I might build a little corral for so that it will sit back where she likes to hang out. Maybe that will help? I don't really want it floating all over the tank like it does now, stuff multiplies like crazy...

Maybe the gourami is just much more aware of the world outside the tank than other inhabitants, the tetras and cories don't seem to care when I walk by... I can only imagine that for a fish looking out from inside a tank the view is pretty strange. I would probably run too if I saw my giant mug magnified and distorted moving towards me, haha.