Do i buy another dwarf gourami?

[Stacey1990]

So I bought a pair of female dwarf gourami around 5 month ago. They've got on ok for the most part, a little bit of chasing but nothing major.
I noticed yesterday that one of them was quite bloated and just didn't seem herself. Got up today and shes died.
Question is, do I get another 1 for the the 1 I still have or will she be fine on her own? I dont want her to get lonely but also dont want to add another 1 into the mix if it may cause territorial problems.
Thanks

 

[aqua.land]

Hi.
Dwarf Gouramis aren't extremely social fish, males have the tendency to be territorial but females can be kept in groups or pairs.
I think your gourami might be fine, but she could also be lonely because she is a female.
If I were you I would wait and see is she looks happy, but if she looks a bit lonely then I would consider getting another dwarf gourami - I doubt they would fight, she might be happy with a new friend.
Here is a similar thread to yours, it might help: Does my dwarf gourami need a friend?
Hope this helps

 

[Stacey1990]

Thank you. Can anyone also confirm she is definitely a female. They were sold as female but then I read that females are a lot harder to come by so just wanted to double check.

 

[aqua.land]

Hi.
I'm pretty sure thats a female.
Females have a rounded dorsal fin and also a rounded belly. Males have a longer, pointed dorsal fin and a slimmer and smaller body shape.
Here are some links that may help.
Pet Helpful - Gender of dwarf Gourami
However female gouramis are not that common in pet stores; normally males are sold in stores.

 

[CassCats]

Dwarf gouramis are usually sexually dimorphic, with females normally being plain silver. Powder blue mutation is an exception where the female is blue as well.

These can be trickier to sex, but this one is a female. Lacks red border on anal fin, broader body shape, and rounded fins.


However, because of DGD, its likely why your other one passed. Your current one would also be exposed and will either be affected or a carrier. So i would not choose to expose another one to the disease. Theres no cure for it.

 

[Stacey1990]

That was the other thing I was worried about. I've only just realised that they are prone to disease, just didn't want her to be lonely. Such a hard choice.
Does anyone know how long it would take for my current gourami to show signs of having the disease?

 

[CassCats]

Could be up to 6 months