My blue gourami is 3/4 black

[midmichman80]

I woke up this morning and found that my blue gourmi was black from the tail to its gills, or close to it. You can still see the stripes in his body, but all fins have turned black too. The pattern of the fish is in tact, but where the body should be blue, it is black. It has had some scratches/bites on his side and belly, and that is where the black starts/stops. I did a 33% water change, anything else I can do? What is this color change? Thanks for any/all help.

[midmichman80]

The black is now fading in patches and returning to normal color, perhaps the water change helped, Will keep updated on situation.

[TabMorte]

I don't know about Gouramis but Bettas change color depending on their mood/health.

If he's scratched he's likely been fighting with something in your tank (I know the kissing gourami's can be aggressive) and it's possible he's showing distress because of it.

[anabanman]

Wish i had a camera to show you , but i dont right now . Blue gouramie males turn black when they want to spawn spawn . Do any of your other gouramies have a fat belly ? I just UNSUCCESSFULLY spawned my blues . The fry didnt make it . My male switched colors back and forth easily ten times in an hour and a half while he was enticing the female . Some of it is just mood though my dwarf male has a blue belly most of the time just because he is happy .

[TabMorte]

Yeah the rule with Bettas is typically in my experience - dark color = good.

BUT you said this one's scratched up and stuff. Wounds are not good.

[midmichman80]

The fish is still primarily black, however the scabs have now healed fully. They were a bit red yesterday, and this morning you can hardly tell that the scabs where even there. My kissing gourami shows no sign of being pregnant, but both have been swimming around the tank like nothing has changed. They are both eating normally, and I notice no other changes then the color and healing. It would be cool if he was trying to breed, the only other thing I came up with on my search was a thyroid tumor(but no noticable growth) or melanosarcoma(a malignent growth, again with nothign noticable). Those are the only two coniditions I have found that would change this much of a fish this color. Thanks for the help all.

[midmichman80]

Water parameters - Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0. This tank has been up and running for almost 10 yrs now, moved once in that time, but has been running for over 2 yrs after the move. I pulled the fish out of the tank that was causing the problems(the scabs on my blue gourami). He left the tank almost a week ago, many days before this fish turned color. Almost more of a dark purple than black.

[TabMorte]

Gourami's don't get pregnant they lay eggs. Like bettas the male makes a bubble nest. I suspect you have two males though, females are fairly hard to come by and are fairly dull in color.

[midmichman80]

I think he is making a bubble nest right now. He is getting air fromt he surface and spitting out a thick looking bubble mixture. Too cool!!! I only have the one blue gourami, my other gourami in the tank is the kissing one. Is it possible he is trying to mate her, or is this just instict that comes about when tank conditions are favorable for spawning? I am super glad nothing is wrong with him, when should his original color turn back?