Keeping the gourami safe inside the aquarium is a must thing to do. This is for your ultimate satisfaction, ensuring a fun observation time. You can be spending hours watching the behavior of the fish.
At a certain period, you would be asking why is my gourami losing color.
The main reason is a dense environment where the impact of overheating cannot be avoided. There can be chemical imbalance issues also with poor water quality. All of these can lead to poor health for the gourami by contracting many diseases. There are some simple solutions to follow.
It is important that you take an advanced step toward reaching the solutions. You can do that by understanding the problems thoroughly. Keep reading this article to gain more insights.
Reasons Behind Gouramis Loss Of Color
The loss of color can come about due to several reasons. You have to figure out when the discoloration started. At a certain time, you could be asking why is my gourami pale.
What is the age of the fish when the loss of color is happening? Maybe it is happening at an early stage. This means a few factors need to be noticed.
This is when you should be observing the inside of the fish tank. When the loss of color happens, it is time to inspect the tank closely.
Reason 1: Dense Environment
A dense environment indicates there are too many fish inside the tank. Some fish are probably in their predatory instincts. This means they are fighting for territorial dominance.
Such an issue causes stress in the fish. This is because they are trying hard to find space to express and breathe.
When this territorial control issue appears, large fish can outway the little ones. While inspecting, you could be seeing the gourami hiding in plants. This means they are stressed and afraid to express themselves.
As the breathing space is low, the loss of color becomes evident.
The simple solution is to buy another fish tank and separate the fish. This is to make sure that all the fish have plenty of free space.
It is good to put plenty of plants, caves, or clay pots inside the tank. This is to make the gourami feel sheltered.
Reason 2: Too Much Heat
In another scenario, you have to consider the room temperature and tank temperature. It is possible that the tank temperature is higher than usual. This can come about due to external climate issues.
In an apparent fact, you are asking why is my gourami losing color. This is because the room is too humid. Humidity is making the tank acquire moisture.
In another case, you are perhaps keeping the tank lights on for too long. This is affecting the growth of the fish as temperatures fluctuate. This means we can figure out why would temperature changes affect the gourami.
After a whole day of lighting, you are turning the light off at night. When the light heat is gone, the temperature cools down. This means there are frequent changes in temperatures. The internal parts of the fish are reacting to sudden heat and the lack of it.
Combining the moisture issues with the abrupt heating during the day, discolouration is imminent. Gourami dark discoloration effects are common when exposed to too much heat.
The simple solution is to install air conditioning in the room. Or perhaps a table fan can do it to even out the temperature.
Reason 3: Chemical Imbalance Inside The Tank
This very reason is a byproduct of the reason described above. This means too many temperature changes and the absorption of moisture is an ill effect. While inspecting you can see that there are algae growing everywhere.
This algae growth can make the plants decay fast. This means oxygen levels in the water are getting disrupted. In a worst-case scenario, bacterial growth can make the fish experience health issues.
Consider the effect of water changes by adding fish inside the tank. It is not recommended due to the reasons explained before.
You may be prompted to change the water more often than usual. However, this will not solve the issue.
The solution is to bring all the fish out and keep it in a separate tank or box. It is good to totally clean the tank and re-install all the plants and pots.
Reason 4: Poor Water Quality
Water quality can go bad inside that tank faster than you think. Consider how much you are feeding the fish. If the amount is more, there can be leftovers all around.
This means the leftover foods are decomposing to create toxic substances. In addition, there can be excess waste lying all around the tank. This causes the formation of ammonia and nitrites further polluting the water.
This is the main reason behind honey gourami losing color. Polluting water intoxicants can weigh heavy on the fish.
The solution is similar to what is indicated before. You have to totally clean the fish tank. Also, you have to make sure you are not overfeeding the fish.
Reason 5: Diseases
After reasoning the details in the above segments, the disease scenario comes to mind. For example, due to poor water quality, certain bacterial infections can affect the fish.
The dwarf gourami disease can come about when infected by parasites. Parasitical infestations are more common among gouramis. This is when the inside of the tank is not representing a healthy environment.
You would discover that the gouramis are exposing some symptoms of poor health. You can see that they are sitting at the bottom or floating too often. Most commonly they are losing color.
The solution is to take the gouramis to the vet. There the right treatment would be applied in terms of medication. We cannot stress enough the idea of securing a new safe environment.
How To Prevent Discoloration
In order to prevent discoloration, certain tips should not be avoided.
Here are some ideas:
- Manage the temperature in an even manner
- Do not overpopulate the fish tank
- Feed with healthy food 2 to 3 times a day
- Do not put too much light on the top of the tank
- Install enough plants, caves, and pots
- Clean the tank more often
All these ideas would prevent the fish from catching poor health. Here are some good-quality aquarium fish tanks for gourami fishes.
| Product | Feature |
| GloFish Aquarium | Good LED lighting and filtration system |
| Fluval SPEC Freshwater Aquarium Kit | 2.6 Gallon 3-Stage Filtration |
| Tetra Crescent Aquarium Kit | Curved shape LED tank |
| Tetra Aquatic Turtle Delux Kit | Ideal for safe and even lighting |
You can check these tanks as they have good filtration and lighting system.
FAQs
What happens when there are different kinds of fish in the tank?
Different types of fish may not be the right mates for the gouramis. Some fish may have more power and dominance due to their size. It is good to put the same kind of fish inside the tank.
How long should I keep the lights on inside the tank?
Do not put the lights on for more than 6 to 8 hours. This will keep the inside of the tank from heating too much. This will make life easier for the gouramis.
What is the right amount of fish to keep in an aquarium?
A rule of thumb is that you keep one or two gallons of water. This is per one inch of fish in order to find enough space to breathe freely.
Endnote
We hope this article has answered why is my gourami losing color. With the right knowledge and indication, you can apply a safe environment. We hope the gouramis float securely.
Wishing you all the best, we are signing off.
Adios!
