Red Robin Gourami dying?

I recently got 2 red robin gourami's and it looked like they were doing fine. Today I saw one of them lying on the sand, kind of on it's side. It's still breathing and if Itouch it with the net it moves a few cm away then lies down again.

I have no experience with weird fish diseases and don't have a water tester. I tested the water a few days ago and the ammonia was 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5, pH 6.4 (then added seachem neutral regulator). The hardness was fine too. I have been dosing Flourish Excel half a cap each day too.

What could it be and what can I do?

 

I really dont know - it could be poisoning from the Excel?

 

How the hell can they sell stuff that poisons your fish? But how could it be only this fish?

Could I be over-dosing the excel?

 

Henk is having a dig at Excel because you are not using the stuff he imports.

How long have you had the fish?
How long did you quarantine them?

 

Any product needs to be dosed in the correct dosage - remember to subtract for the substrate and rocks etc.

 

@Zoom - not at all. Excel is pretty poisonous stuff. Ask Dirk if you dont believe me

 

I think I had it for 3 days. When introducing them to the new tank I put it in a bucket with the LFS water. I then added some of my tank water and threw some of it out again. Added some more of my tank water later and thew it out again. I repeated this about 5 times, total about 45 minutes. When the water was like completely my tank water, I thew the fish into the tank.

But the weird fact is: The other fish looks fine. It's just this one being buggy

 

@Henk Hugo: Is your stuff then better? Which shops sell it?

 

It's very possible your fish were doomed from the start.

But your Quarantying process is also not adequate. Fish need to be kept in quarantine for over 2 weeks (2 weeks healthy and strong) before introduced to a new tank. Check out some articles in the article section regarding this.

 

What do you mean "doomed from the start"? Already sick in the petshop?

I can't keep so many tanks to quarantine the fish I'm not allowed to set up another tank other than the small temporary one for the silver dollars which will be fetched by Gert.

 

Our stuff is 100% natural. Ask Panorama - they should have it. If they are out of stock they can order for you.

 

Yup.

Do some good quality water changes over the next few days. Feed minimal with a good quality food (Tetra or OmegaOne).

 

The fish is just lying on the ground and breathing heavily while the others are fine.

I do about 30% water changes daily. Could it possibly be an ammonia spike after adding the fish?

I must admit - the excel smells like plant gif vir bossies.

 

Geez Louise! I wish I had the time to do 30% daily water changes!!

 

Same active ingredient as anti-freeze

 

Here's my noobie thoughts, had a similar problem with my gouramis, I presume they are both males, one is stronger and has won the battle for terrority by bulling the other one into submission, unfortunatly the weaker one won't survive, as far as I know you need to keep them in groups of six or more to prevent all the fighting, just my thoughts hope yours survives

 

It's only a 100l tank.

I'll have to google anti-freeze. No idea what it is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antifreeze?

Well they weren't fighting though, but makes sense.

 

Inbred? Wow I really didn't know that

This sucks - there isn't really a solution is there?

 

Forget the excel problem. Millions of people around the world a successfully using it. If it is dosed according to dosage instructions, you are fine.

Your ammonia seems fine. Keep up the wc for a week or so. I suspect the fish was ill from the start, and as reedfish has mentioned, this really could be something unavoidable. I dont think there has been anything wrong that you have done. Just do the best with what you can, and let nature take its course.