Evil Gourami Bully-advice Needed!

[slocke]

Hello everyone! I'm new to this site but had tropical fish since I was little. We started a new tank a couple of months back and everyone gets on great (clown loach is my favourite, but musn't tell the others!).

Only problem is I have two gourami's, a blue one and a golden one. The Blue one has turned into a brute and is slowly shredding the golden's fins, plus giving her sore patches just in front of gills, and behind eyes where he keeps nipping her. Does anyone know what may calm the blue down, or even distract him? Another Blue?, more Yellows so they could gang up on him? He doesn't do it to any of the other fish (I personally think he wants her but she won't have it so he's turned nasty...). She looked really healthy until recently and he's bullying got to her, she hides in a rock until she sees me and then comes to the glass to say hi. She's looking a bit peaky now, colour isn't as strong and she's thin... Any advice gratefully received : )

 

[Cheese Specialist]

to the forums.

How big is your tank? Gouramis can often be a bit aggressive, I find and have read. Maybe rearranging your tank would be a good idea with plenty of hiding places so they are not eyeballing each other all the time. Do you have plants at all?

 

[bogwood]

I had a 'bully' male dwarf gourami... had to get rid... replaced him with another female... now all is mellow...

 

[bleechme]

I'd move that male out?

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

If you have one male and one female he is simply harrassing her! You need to either add two more females (So long as they're also three spot variety it doesn't matter which) to take the heat off her. If you can't do this move him out until you can or until you can give him a new home. He will continue to harass her day and night until she dies of stress. With a couple more girls he'll have others to investigate and she'll have friends.
Hugs,
P.

 

[slocke]

Hello everyone- thanks for the responses, most helpful! Yes, we have big stones and plants which the lovely golden gourami does hide in, but obviously not well enough... Excuse my lack of knowledge but is there anyway you can tell a male from a female gourami? (in my head, all blue's are boys and yellows are girls - yes, I am that simple!) I know you can tell a platy's sex from the bottom fin, but is there a similar trick for gourami's? Any help gratefully received!

 

[karlp]

If you have two males, then just adding females wont sort the problem, you'll probably have to remove one of the males.

With the larger Gouramis the Dorsal fins are different between male and female. A more rounded Dorsal fin indicates a female and a more pointed dorsal fin indicates a male. it's not always particularly easy to tell. Can you post up some pics ?

 

[PlecMama]

With a couple more girls he'll have others to investigate and she'll have friends.

Yeah, so he can go around thinking he's a sex god and she can go and ***** to her friends about what a loser he is.

Fish politics are not that different to our own.


Good luck with them