Do gouramis naturally eat/groom plants

[Sky042]

My 2 gouramis spend their entire day picking at my plants. almost like their grooming the plants or taking very small bites its hard to tell since they're little gouramis.

Any idea?

Heres one of them caught in the act. Sorry for the picture they're still kinda camera shy. But this is a clip motion shot of him nipping at the plant.

 

[Alia]

Totally normal. all my dwarfs have done this. they cleaned a ton of algae off my plants in a matter of days (two of them). Never seem to do the plants any harm.

By the way, those look like one of the red color morphs of a dwarf. Sunset, cinnamon, there are a variety of different names. Mine are almost like a red honey gourami, and well they might be.

Have fun with them. I just love gourami. Such personality.

 

[Sky042]

Totally normal. all my dwarfs have done this. they cleaned a ton of algae off my plants in a matter of days (two of them). Never seem to do the plants any harm.

By the way, those look like one of the red color morphs of a dwarf. Sunset, cinnamon, there are a variety of different names. Mine are almost like a red honey gourami, and well they might be.

Have fun with them. I just love gourami. Such personality.

Thanks for the info.
You can see some better pictures of them here
http/fish.orbust.net/forums/index.php?sh...showtopic=32648

 

[my_fallen_angel]

mine do that all the time.
The pull bits off the plants and make bubble nest with them
they make auch a mess, but know they're happy

 

[dannykerbles]

Mine are like a hungry vegan at a salad bar.....

 

[annieka]

If you want them to stay of your plants give them a piece of lettuce or spinach that has been boiled a litte while. You can also buy plants that are harder, like a anubias species or microsorium pteropus.

 

[Sky042]

If you want them to stay of your plants give them a piece of lettuce or spinach that has been boiled a litte while. You can also buy plants that are harder, like a anubias species or microsorium pteropus.

I'll let em chomp for now. Theres enough plant in there they can't possibly eat it all. and they're just little guys anyway.

 

[Alia]

My Fish

There are some pics of my gouramis in this old thread. They look a lot like yours, but no blue back. Maybe they really are dwarfs and not honeys because dwarfs are red and blue? Mine were labeled as dwarfs, but never have had any blue in them. They are also smaller than the dwarfs I see, so I lean toward calling them honeys.

Those are excellent pics you took. Mine are not even close to as good. You can see such detail in yours. Thanks for sharing them.

Say, couldn't your Oscar go in the bowfront? Don't they eventually need like a 100 gallon tank? My uncle had one in a tank at least three times the size of mine.

As for the plants, it never seems like mine do any harm, just like they are keeping them clean. Wish tey could come out and do the rest of the house.

 

[Sky042]

My Fish

There are some pics of my gouramis in this old thread. They look a lot like yours, but no blue back. Maybe they really are dwarfs and not honeys because dwarfs are red and blue? Mine were labeled as dwarfs, but never have had any blue in them. They are also smaller than the dwarfs I see, so I lean toward calling them honeys.

Those are excellent pics you took. Mine are not even close to as good. You can see such detail in yours. Thanks for sharing them.

Say, couldn't your Oscar go in the bowfront? Don't they eventually need like a 100 gallon tank? My uncle had one in a tank at least three times the size of mine.

As for the plants, it never seems like mine do any harm, just like they are keeping them clean. Wish tey could come out and do the rest of the house.

Yes the oscar could go in the bow but the bow is gonna be a tropical community. when the oscar gets a little bit bigger (probably in about 3 months) he's going to get a new home with about 2 other oscars.

 

[tmlhaus]

I have all fake plants and mine are always trying to nip at those. I mean every day, the same plants. You would think they would figure out after the first or second try that they are not food!

 

[Alia]

I mean every day, the same plants. You would think they would figure out after the first or second try that they are not food!

I don't think they are as foolish as they look -- I believe they are eating really small stuff that builds up on everything. If they weren't cleaning it off all the time, you would eventually be able to see it. Ever seen a really dirty aquarium?