Gourami's Going Vertical and Being picked on!

[jamieson]

Can anyone offer me some info/advise on why my golden gourami's would start to have trouble swimming and maintaining a horizontal orientation. 2 of my 3 are having trouble swimming and are being picked on by the small platys. It looks like they are trying to pick scales of the side of the gourami.

The tank is just about cycled and the fish are young. They have been in for about 2 weeks.

3 golden gourami
3 black skirt tetras
6 sunrise platys
Plastic and silk plants
mopani wood

Please help, I think I am probably going to lose them but haven't given up yet.

Thanks,
Jim

[herefishy]

Sounds like the gouramis have a stress induced swim bladder siorder. The platys are picking on a weakened fish. They will most probably harrass the gouramis to death. You may try to isolate the gouramis in a quarantine tank, but I think the damage has been done.