Aggressive Pearl Gourmai?

[KrystaK]

Hey there.
 
I have a 30 gallon planted tank. My stock is as follows:
1 Female Pearl Gourami ( About 2-3 inches long)
3 Platys
7 Neon tetras
1 BNP
 
The tank is about 4 months old. I've had my gourami, 3 platys and BNP for about 3 months now. I got the Gourami and Platys from the store at the same time. At the time my Gourami was about an inch long (I find it rewarding to raise fish from juvi's, plus their cheaper that way ) 
So she's had 2-3 months with her platy trio, I went away for a week and gave my mum instructions to feed them minimally. When I got back she was a little bit more nippy than I recalled her being.I went back to feeding them as I normally do, and over the last two weeks she seems to have gotten even more territorial. She doesn't really like the platys to be anywhere in her sight. 
I introduced my 7 neon tetras from my 20 gal and she seems fine with them. But she still seems unreasonably territorial with my three platys. 
 
I know Gourami can be aggressive, but I thought Pearls were less aggressive than other Gourami. Does anyone have any advice? The pet store said that I should get a male gourami to keep her company, but with a 30 gal tank I don;t think I have room for a second gourami...

 

[DreamertK]

She could just have that personality in her. My opaline gourami, who can be one of the most territorial gourami, is at least a year old in the same size tank and is currently staring at me at the front of the tank. He'll literally sit there and let a shrimp touch him on the nose without flinching. It's pretty amazing. Though with his size the other fish are a bit intimidated by him.
 
Are the platy's particularly colorful? Sometimes that will stimulate aggression in gouramis. It might just be best to put the platy's in the 20g.

 

[FishMonkey]

I have 2 Red Dwarf Gourami and they are quite playful with each other (1 male and 1 female), i'd say that my Molly is more excited by them than they are of any of my other fish, the Molly tries to hang around with the 'crowd' and the Gourami's don't mind, but when the Gourami's start at each other it's a real 'flirting' battle!
 
I made sure to get a larger female Gourami than my male to stop the male from harassing her, it definitely worked, i'd suggest a smaller male if you do get another one, they are great to watch when they flirt.

 

[KrystaK]

I added my tetras at the same time that i was posting about my gourami being aggressive. She seems to be unsure of who to chase, a platy or a tetra, so at least with that many other fish in the tank no one gets too stressed out because there are just so many for her to chase
 
Two of my platys are peppermint platys, so pretty bright orange and white, and the other is a metallic sunset platy (I say metallic because his scales change color in the light) 

 

[DreamertK]

Thats generally why we recommend shoals of at least 6.
 
If you see any nipping or torn fins, I would move the platy's. Some gourami do get more aggressive as they age, and especially as they grow bigger and their tank stays the same size.

 

[l_l_l]

My pearl Gourami is also a bit on the aggressive size.. But generaly only shows this when I'm done feeding.
He'll chase the fishes away for a few minutes, then he's back to chilling.

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

Probably just being territorial.

 

[Ruskull]

Pearl Gouramis are one of the most docile of the Gourami species.  That being said, a single, smaller male may actually help the situation.  In fact that's what I have with an Opaline Three Spot Gourami, Glass Cats and Cherry Barbs.  There's some slight chasing every now and then but nobody gets hurt.  IMO that's natural and not a problem.