Another addition to my tank...

[ioNightShade]

I just bought two blue gouramis. They're beautiful (to me).

However, it's been about 18 hours since I've bought them and each one occupies one corner of the tank. They stay at the top and do not move. If I so much as try to look at them, they "race" to the other side and hit themselves on the glass.

Should I be worried? Or are they just still scared? Give 'em more time?

Water parameters are all fine. The most abnormal reading is nitrates @ 30...I did a 5 gallon water change yesterday for that reason.

They did not feed a few hours ago. When I even tried to give them food directly, they just, once again, raced to the other side and slammed themselves on the glass.

None of the other 9 fish have ever done anything like this.

Slightly worried,

JT

 

[ioNightShade]

Um, I'm definitely not the most computer literate person around.

How do I make the picture smaller so it isn't so freakin' huge next time? Looks normal on my screen.

Sorry about that.



JT

EDIT: Nevermind. I figured it out. GO ME!

JT

 

[trout_pout]

Exactly the same problem when i used to have mine, the blue gourami's i can't quite tell which ones they are, look like either moonlight or lace seemed to hang around in the top corner of the tank, i had th same problem with my nen dwarf blue gourami's.
What i have learned;
Never buy an even number of Gourami's - due to fighting and chasing to mate
Just get another, that usually works. Plus when there are 3, they feel less threatened by the other fish.
Hope this helped!

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Also, they have a hard time adjusting to changes. I moved my female dwarf a few feet to another tank and she was terrified of me for a week.

 

[Snowie]

What does the tank look like? Do you have a background? Lots of plants?

I've never kept these gourami but my experience with other kinds of gourami is that they are very shy at first. If they still do it after 1 or 2 weeks you can start to get worried...

 

[sylvia]

You may want to post in the gourami forum

What size tank? You may have already mentioned this so sorry if you did.

You say there are another 9 inhabitants? What are they?

Is the tank quite well planted? Or at least are there plenty of hiding places?

This initial shyness is normal and nothing to worry about. HOWEVER it should subside within a week or so if your tank is not over-stocked and they are kept with suitable tank-mates.

Do you know the sex of your 2 fish? Males are especialy territorial. Blue/three-spot gouramies are known to be quite aggressive towards other gouramies and in a small tank males will often fight to the death. A male with a female can also result in the females death due to constant bullying. Adding another fish with this particular species wouldn't be a good idea unless what you have is a large tank and a male and female pair. Then adding another female would even out and divide aggression. Otherwise, stick to what you have. You may find you need to remove one.

trout_pout... I'm not sure what you were saying about the blue/lace/moonlight gourami thing -
But the fish in the picture are trichogaster trichopterus (three-spot gourami). They are often called 'blue' gouramies and there are several variants such as the opaline and gold gouramies. These are all the same species.
'Lace' gouramies are 'pearl' or 'leeri' gouramies (trichogaster leeri) are a completely different species. They are much more peaceful than t. trichopterus IME. I also think them much more suitable for 'typical' community tanks and they are my absolute favourite fish being both stunningly beautiful and also so full of character.
'Moonlight' gouramies are also a seperate species (trichogaster microlepis) and, though larger, are also more peaceful IMO than t. trichopterus.
Dwarf gouramies are completely different and are a colisa species (colisa lalia) and much less aggressive and territorial towards other gouramies though the males will chase females and each other.

 

[ioNightShade]

I just think it's an initial shyness. Both of them are slowly starting to come out.

However, I'll still answer the aforementioned questions:

46 gallon tank.

tiger barbs, tinfoil barbs, paradise gouramis.

Yes, 10 plants plus a ship (resin decoration) with lots of hiding places.

Both of them are males (the LFS did not have any females), well, then again...they could be mistaken and both of them are females and they did not have any males. I am aware they are territorial, and took this into consideration when I bought them. There are plenty of hiding places out there. However, when I try to look at one of them, s/he races to the other end and both males sit there calmly. I am, actually, starting to find them together quite often. Maybe it is "strength in numbers," and will subside in the future. Or, maybe they're not males.

Can you tell by the pic? The dorsal fin would be more erect, but the tip of it is just as pictured.

As for the other gouramis (2 paradise gouramis), they visit (their corner) the 3-spots quite often and nothing happens. They just stare at each other for about 3 minutes and the paradise's leave. I've noticed them doing this from time to time.

 

[ioNightShade]

As for the other gouramis (2 paradise gouramis), they visit (their corner) the 3-spots quite often and nothing happens. They just stare at each other for about 3 minutes and the paradise's leave. I've noticed them doing this from time to time.

Well this "relationship" has progressed even more. Help me out if you can.

Thanks,

JT

 

[sylvia]

I would think the lfs wouldn't know the difference between a male and female of this species. They may be under the impression that they only have males because they likely only stock male DWARF gouramies but I don't see why they wouldn't stock female three-spots. I actualy think your fish (in the picture) is female but I couldn't be 100% certain. The rounded dorsal is one reason but it also looks rather deep-bodied for a male. If it is still young, however, you'll only be able to tell for certain when it's older and any aggression/territoriality only develops completely as they mature.

 

[Sasha]

Your gourami is gorgeous! Very colorful!

 

[ioNightShade]

Thank you both for your replies. I think Sasha loves everything.

Anyways, the more I think about it and the more I watch my fish, the more I'm starting to believe that they are all females instead of males.

Sylvia, you do have a point about the rounded dorsal fin. However, if the "fin shape" holds true, then the tank was a "single-sex" tank. I looked at each fish to compare dorsal fins (to see what a pointed vs rounded one would look like). Every fish had the same dorsal fin shape. So, they are all "pointed" or all "rounded."

So, two females would make sense.

On the other hand, both of my Paradise Gouramis have very pointed dorsal fins--indicating the male sex--and they both hang out together from time to time, without any problems.

So??

All male? All male paradise and female 3-spots? Gay fish? Juvenile behavior that will pass soon?....unleashing "hell" within my tank?

Just curious,

JT

 

[sylvia]

lol I can't say

I think you'll have to wait for the three-spots to mature. Sometimes the males don't develop the finnage until later on. The body shape difference should be obvious as they get older though.

What species are your paradise gouramies? Several go by that name.

It looks like macropodus opercularis to me though. Well I'm certain actualy I actualy think you have a female - not a male. Unless that's a juvenile picture. If you do a quick google search you'll find males have much longer (not realy more pointed) finnage and much brighter colors than the fish in your picture. The males are known to be aggressive so I'd be surprised if they do turn out to be males... Have you ever seen them fight? Lock jaws? Chase each other?