Fishy Questions...?

Question

Hi! I just recently bought a few new fish for my tank and I want to know a couple of things:

1) I have 2 Kissing Gourami's named Romeo & Juliet, 2 Calico Fantails named Blossom and Ying, a Chinese Algea eater named Bruce and two Black Moors..one named yang and the other is nameless. My first question is..Do fish play? I see my Gourami's chasing each other around the tank one minute, and then floatin around together the next..is it some form of tag? the other fish do it too..

2) My second question is about my nameless Black Moor. He is a beautiful gold color, but with a black strip that goes from the tip of his lip..all the way down his back and out through his entire tail. It looks like he swam under the tip of a black paintbrush and got the rest on his tail..Lol..The tips of his fins are black as well..the rest a bright gold. I have NO Idea what to name him! Any Suggestions?

Answer 1

First- It is BAD to mix warmwater tropicals with coldwater fish such as goldfish. Goldfish have different dietary preferences, different temp requirement, and get a whole lot bigger.
Baby-juvenile fancy goldfish (fantails, black moors) NEED atleast 10 gallons PER fish. Adults need atleast 50 gallons PER fish. Ive seen 14 inch black moors and there is this 15 inch oranda named Bruce. Goldfish also excrete alot of ammonia that tropical fish cannot handle.

Second- Chinese algae eaters are notorious for turning nasty and eating fish. Their diet changes from algae to fish when they hit a certain age. They love the slime coat on goldfish as do plecos.

Third- Kissing gouramis do not kiss out of affection, they do it out of aggression as is the chasing. So to answer your question, fish do not play.

As for your second question, if your black moor isnt totally all black and doesnt stay all black, then it is not a true black moor, it is just a demekin.

Answer 2

You realize kissing gouramis are classified as semi-aggressive fish, right? And that they will get quite large (8-12 inches), and will probably start to attack your other fish, right? And that they belong in nothing less than a 55-gallon tank? Oh, and that your moors are coldwater fish - and the rest of your guys are tropical fish?

Yes, fish "play" - the chasing is normal. However, if you notice any damage being done to the fish being chased, this is a problem, and the fish will need to be separated.

Answer 3

Your Gouramis are being aggressive with each other. The 'kiss' isn't an affectionnate gesture, it's a dominant one, and they both want to be dominant. That can result in injury or death, if they don't have enough room.

I'm curious as to how big your tank is? You 4 goldfish need 20 gallons each, totalling 80 gallons. Your gouramis should have at LEAST 40 gallons (20 gallons each) - 55 gallons is recommended. Plus another 10 for the CAE... Unless your tank is 130+ gallons, you're overstocked, so please consider your stocking levels. If your tank is bigger than 130 gallons, considering adding some plants, gouramis LOVE plants and need them to establish territories and to 'hide' in if they are feeling aggressed.

Also... gouramis/CAEs and goldfish have completely different water requirements... Goldfish are cold water fish, and they should have a water temp of 68-72F. Gouramis and CAEs are tropical fish, and should have a water temp of 78-80F. I don't know what you're water temps are, but either your Goldies or your Gouramis aren't very happy - or no one is. Please consider choosing between goldies and tropicals, and properly stocking your tank.

GO to http://www.fishforums.com if you need more info. Unlike a petstore, who is just there to sell fish and who give terrible advice, the people on FF are knowledgeable and willing to help.

Good luck!
As for #2... how about PaintBack? Can you tell I suck at naming? ... lol

Answer 4

In my experience goramis are very playful but sedate fish. they are bubble nest makers and given enough material will build a nest. weed is usually what is used but they will use almost anything that floats. their courtship is a very beautiful aquatic dance. but other fish in the tank will eat any eggs not trapped in the bubbles. if there are two males in the tank or two females then one may actually change sex. yes i said change sex. fish often do that in order for the species to survive.The two long feelers that come from the sides of the goramis mouths are usually the first to get damaged but will grow back. the so called kissing is thought to be a show or display of strength.so a female "may kiss" several males before choosing a mate. once paired they often stay together. as for a name for your other moor how about pieces as he/she displays the characteristic colourings of two fish, a black moor and a gold fish. this may surprise you but small bala (silver sharks) make great tank mates. they are peaceful, graceful, beautiful and easy to care for. lots of people assume that because they are sharks they are dangerous to other fish. The bala or (silver shark) is primarily a vegatarian and only have tiny mouths so even some of the smallest fish are safe with them. Often they produce a flash of silver and black so quickly it often attracts even the most uninterested eye. good luck

Answer 5

Fish seem to play in different ways, fish such as your Pink Kissing Gouramis are said to "play" when they do their little kissing thing. But this has been adequately proven as being agression instead of playful meandering.

It is an excellent question that I cant find myself capable of giving an educated answer to. I would readily assume that fish play in a matter of speaking. I can identify specific behavior traits of every single fish I own... and I can tell these differences between 2 fish of the same species.

An example of this can be my Yellow Labidochromis. I have 2 of these in a 30 gallon tank. One fish guards its territory with zeal! However will on occasion play a little chase with the other, who seems to prefer swimming behind the heater and glass repeatedly.

One of my Jack Dempseys does summersaults in the airstream while its companion appears to prefer digging and buring stones. I have a game I play with her.. 1 piece of jade in the tank, usually it will only take her 2 days to cover it, but sometimes it will take a week. When its covered, I will move it to a new location in the tank and watch her bury it again over the span of a couple of days.

My 4 weather loaches will swirl around each other as if they were trying to build a knot. The only female seems to enjoy sitting ontop of the airstone and leans onto a flower pot I have in there providing some shade.

I find my Bichir laying atop several pieces of Water Wisteria every morning when I turn on the lights at the surface of the water.

Some of this might be pointed out to be the fish simply defending its territory, or buring a stone it just doesnt like.. But I'd definately call it playing.

As for naming the fish, I tend to name mine after dieties from mythology. 2 Dempseys Zeus and Hera 2 Yellows Thor and Freyja, a Senegal Bichir named Hades etc...

Since he sounds so unique in colour, he deserves a nice unique name I'd say :) How about Cronus?

Cronus was the ruling Titan who came to power by castrating his Father Uranus. His wife was Rhea. There offspring were the first of the Olympians. To insure his safety Cronus ate each of the children as they were born. This worked until Rhea, unhappy at the loss of her children, tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock, instead of Zeus. When he grew up Zeus would revolt against Cronus and the other Titans, defeat them, and banish them to Tartarus in the underworld. Cronus managed to escape to Italy, where he ruled as Saturn. The period of his rule was said to be a golden age on earth, honored by the Saturnalia feast.

Answer 6

name for your fish.....Basquiat.
still working on the first part
fish do not play
Although it looks like they are kissing. It is actually a agressive act. They are trying to be dominant for specific territory in the aquarium. Depending on the tank there may be enough room for them to work out territories but in other cases there may not be enough space and one may eventually be killed by the other.