Honey Gouramis Are they Just Weird?

[biondoa]

Last Thursday I bought two Honey Gouramis and they are now in the QT. They seem to be terrified of me. They stay in the back of the tank and do nothing but swim frantically up and down from the bottom to the surface, then switch and go side to side. Whenever I approach the tank they hide, so I have never seen them eat. I have stood far enough away from the tank and watched them, so that they don't seem bothered by me, and even then I never see them poking around looking for food. Just swimming up and down, and back and forth looking like they are searching for the way out. I've never had this type of fish before. Do they usually behave this way? Will they settle down once they have some tankmates?
I have tested the water and all is well in that department.
Is this normal behavior?

 

[Rbishop]

yep.

 

[biondoa]

LOL. That makes me feel a lot better!

 

[SnakeIce]

Yeah, some fish are inherently more wild than others. It may be due to slower learning capacity or due to genetic or epigenetic expression of genes that means they are not as domesticated as other more friendly fish. Time spent sitting calmly in view of the fish goes a ways towards letting them get used to you either way though.

I have fish that have both spastic run hide wild and learned tame behaviors. If I do anything over the surface of the water it is wildly scary, but if I first let them see my face for a bit beside the tank not over it, assuming they haven't just run and hidden, then they beg and are ok with me putting food in. They still don't completely like seeing my hand over the tank but the learned tameness somewhat overcomes the genetic wild behavior

 

[tanker]

You would be scared too if your was taken from your familiar placed and put into a new strage place with a big creature staring at you.

 

[biondoa]

Thank you SnakeIce. I will try your suggestion. Appreciate the help.

Tanker, yes that is true, but other fish that I have taken from the lfs and put into the QT have not behaved in the same way.

 

[Slappy*McFish]

Not sure what you may be using in your QT for giving them hiding places, but some floating plastic plants would go a long way towards making them feel more secure.

 

[biondoa]

I have some plants in there and a large rock that they seem to like to get behind. I tried sitting quietly near the tank a couple of times today and it did seem to help. Also gave them a little portion of bloodworms which they seemed to enjoy. I think it is the first time they have eaten anything since I got them. After that their behavior was much more like normal aquarium fish checking around the tank for food. I stayed near the tank while they were eating in the hope that they will begin to associate me with food. Anyway, it was definitely an improvement. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[Windy]

For fish like that, I'm surprised there isn't any fish Prozac or Valium in flake form to clam them down. Who knows, maybe someday there will be.

 

[Slappy*McFish]

I'v seen most species of gourami behave this way before. It will stop you in your tracks the first time it happens. Crazy stuff...darting around frantically smashing into the glass. Maybe a water quality or temperature related issue triggers it.