I recently obtained several tanks and accessories...a 5 gallon, a 10 gallon, and a pump that I could use on a 20 gallon tank.

I set the 10 gallon up, and it currently houses two Royal Blue Gourami's...they've been in there a week today, and seem to be doing well. The tank wasn't established, so it looks like they're surviving the cycle. We did have a dwarf african frog in there, but he decided to jump ship...literaly. I'm not looking forward to moving day...yuck.

The 5 gallon tank was pink, so my daughter claimed it right away. We bought her two podwer blue Gourami's. And maybe that is where my problem lies. Yesterday, we noticed one of the fish was vertical, and floating strangly. We right away removed it from the tank, and put it into another tank, just in case. It went on like this for 24 hours, we in the end decided to euthanize the poor soul. The remaining fish seemed fine until a few hours ago. It started doing the same thing. He's currently sitting in a bowl, and we've done a partial water change to the tank.

From what I've read, the 5 gallon tank wasn't suitable for one, let along two Gourami's...would this have killed them?

I know they are tempremental, would placing the remaining fish into the newly established 20 gallon tank possibly save it?

Has anyone had this happen before? Do you know what it is?

I had better luck with my guppies, and like them better...think I'll just get her a couple of those if this fish doesn't make it.

Thanks for any help you can give me

Could be ammonia poisioning. With a 5 gallon cycling and parameters can go south real quick opposed to larger tanks. It sounds like because the tank is not yet established (or cycled) you are having ammonia spikes and this is likely what has happened to the fish (ammonia poisioning). I donth think I would do a fish in cycle in anything less than 10g but I guess it could be done very carefully.

What MC said, hands down. I recently tried one of those products that adds a full compliment of bacteria to the tank, Nutrafin Cycle. Here's a link:

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3975+3983&pcatid=3983

It works well. I usually prefer to cycle tanks the "proper", old-fashioned, time consuming way, but I needed a tank cycled quick for some new acquisitions. (I used to have some other professional stuff we used at the wastewater treatment plant, but it's gone, so I tried this.) Anyways, in this case I would suggest investing in something like this to jump-start your nitrifying cycle and reduce stress on your fish.

Ammonia poisoning is a real threat in any of the three tanks you just set-up. Your best bet is the 20 gallon for saving any of your fish. The larger volume of water per fish spreads any ammonia out and reduces the concentration, though not to healthy levels. If you choose not to get a bacteria supplement like above, then I would suggest 50% water changes daily until the tank is cycled.

The 5 gallon is too small for a pair of gouramis. It would be alright for a single one of any of the small species, though some gourami enthusiasts would probably curse me for saying that. There just isn't enough space in a tank that size. And the guppiees will be just as harmed by an uncycled tank as the gourami.

Good luck. Hope this helped.

WYite

Thanks everyone, even thought I didn't respond right away. We lost both Gouramis, and probably due to the cycling. I ended up putting some small guppies in there shortly after, and now have 6 and they are a happy little school of fish. We just added them two fish at a time, and have done partial water changes each week.

Good, sounds like you are on the right track now!