Have you ever come home to find your Gourami laying on the bottom of the tank? If so, you’re not alone. This is a common behavior for Gouramis and there are a few things you can do to help keep them healthy and swimming! Read on for more information.
Why Gourami Laying on the Bottom?
Usually, Gouramis will lay on the bottom of the tank for one of two reasons: they are either sick or bored.
Sick Gourami
Sometimes a Gourami is sick and laying on the bottom because it doesn’t feel well. Usually, there is some sort of disease present at this time that has caused them to seek a lower location. However, just because your fish is laying on the bottom of the tank doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s sick. It could be stressful or boring as well.
Bored Gourami
If you have observed your fish swimming around and enjoying themselves for an extended period of time without any signs of stress or disease, then it is more than likely bored. Gouramis are intelligent fish and they enjoy being able to explore their environment, so you must give them plenty of things to explore!
What Should I Do?
If your Gourami appears healthy but is still laying on the bottom of the tank, then there are a few things you should do to keep them happy and healthy.
Increase the Number of Gouramis
The best thing you can do to entertain a Gourami is to add more fish!
Gouramis are very social and they enjoy their friends, so adding another one or two will give your fish something new and interesting to explore. This also helps to keep them from being bored and laying on the bottom.
Increase the Number of Plants
Gouramis love plants!
They love to investigate all the nooks and crannies that plants provide for them, so add a few more to your tank if you can. You could also try adding floating plants, especially floaters like Indian Fern, which are great for Gouramis.
Increase the Number of Hiding Places
Gouramis also love to hide in caves and crevices, so be sure that you have plenty available to your fish. If your tank only has a few hiding places then they may not feel comfortable swimming around with their friends because they don’t feel safe enough.
Choose the Right Substrate
You want to make sure that you use a substrate (gravel, sand, etc.) which will not make your Gourami sick or uncomfortable. It is also important that it doesn’t create too much of a current as this could cause the fish to lose their footing.
You should do your research on the substrate that you are using to make sure that it is both healthy and comfortable for your fish before adding it to your tank.
Driftwood is a Great Addition
Adding driftwood to your tank can be great for Gouramis because it provides hiding spots, hard surfaces for them to rest on, and it helps to raise the pH of your water. Driftwood is a natural source of tannins, which help to clear up the water and lower the pH of your tank.
If you have driftwood in your tank then be sure that you leave some of the bark intact so that your Gourami will feel more comfortable nesting in it.
What About a Laying Gourami?
This one is easy!
If you have a female Gourami that is laying on the bottom of your tank, then she’s probably getting ready to lay some eggs.
Most species of Gourami will do this from time to time, but female Bettas are often known to lay eggs on the tank floor more often than others.
The fish will usually lay their eggs and then leave them to do their thing, so you might not even know that they laid some until a few days later when you see some tiny Gouramis swimming around.
If your fish laid their eggs on the bottom of the tank, then you could move them and put them in a separate tank or just leave them where they are.
It’s also important that you do not try to remove the eggs!
Gouramis will pick up their eggs with their mouths if they can’t find a safe place to put them, so leaving the eggs on the bottom might actually be helpful.
If you’re not sure if your fish is pregnant then it might be a good idea to do some research before adding more Gouramis or plants.
Keeping Gouramis Happy
As long as you make sure to follow these few guidelines, then your Gourami should be happy and healthy.
Gouramis are the perfect fish for the beginning aquarium enthusiast because they are very hardy and easy to take care of, but you still need to keep them supplied with everything that they need to live a long and healthy life.
