A Few Questions...

[Andeekaii]

I must say the quality of advice on this forum is second to none!
Really welcoming to newcomers, but to the point:

I have 3 honey Gourami's
I think 1 male and 2 females

The 'male' has developed a dark patch under the eyes and a dark line on the belly, so im presuming its the male?
I researched gourami breeding; my gouramis have been doing the 'wrapping around' thing, but the male didn't build a nest.

This was a about a week ago, he lost his dark spots after that but they are back today.
Ive turned the pump right down and i have some PLASTIC floating plants. Are these suitable, at least until i can get some live plants?
And will gouramis breed in community tanks (4 plattys and 2 other fish (don't remember the name but theyre not much bigger than the gouramis)

Thanks, Andy

 

[gourami_fan]

To tell the difference between gender, the easiest way for dwarf/honey gouramis are their colour. Males will have very vibrant colouration, while females will be more pale and dull in colour.

Heres an example:

They won't breed unless the female is ready. You can tell by the size of the stomach. Also, the male will only wrap around the female when they are about to lay eggs under the nest.

Heres a short video clip of a dwarf gourami pair breeding. The male is the very bright red one wrapping around the female.
[URL="http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-5KXz1hFOU"]http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-5KXz1hFOU[/URL]

 

[Andeekaii]

To gourami_fan, you said they only wrap around when they are about to lay eggs? Well my 2 gouramis were definetely doing it, i watched the video and it was pretty simillar. However there has been no egg nest, no eggs, nothing.
I might even find out that all 3 of my fish are the same sex; which would be funny, gay fish!

I think mine are all the same sex then because they're all pretty bright yellow (the reason i bought them), although the one with the dark patches is brighter and more organgey

Here's some pictures i took this morning; If anyone could sex them for me it would be helpful

(What i thought is the male in the background)

(Female?)

(Male?)

 

[Essjay]

It's harder to tell with the colour morphs, but the one you've labelled as the male looks like my male. He has the same black markings. Females tend to have shorter, rounder fins than the males, but even then it's not always easy to tell. Both my yellow females have a hint of a darker line down each side of the body from head to tail, though stressed males can show this too.
One gourami I had a few years ago never built a bubble nest, he used to hide the eggs on the surface behind the heater cable.
If you have other fish in the tank, then they'll eat the eggs before the male gourami can catch them all.

 

[gourami_fan]

I would say the second picture could be a female since the belly is more deeper and round, but its really just a guess. When they mature more you'll be able to tell them apart more easily once the females start developing eggs.