Gourami Behavior

[lilhurleybunny]

I got a dwarf gourami a few weeks ago but im starting to wonder what he is doing in my tank . He'll swim back and forth across the front, I'm assuming that its because he sees his reflection. Also, when I'm about to feed him at night he'll spit water out of his mouth at me (like he makes a little fountain coming out of the water) and he'll jump out of the like a dolphin .

Is all of this normal behavior? He's quite entertaining .

Also, what are those little feeler things on gouramis? I think its cute how he will reach out at the glass with them when i come up to the side. Just wondering what they are .

 

[rykitten]

Sounds like you have a character on your hands! I wish mine would spit water at me.

My two Dwarfs chase each other and reach out to touch one another with their feeler thingies. It's very cute.

I call them feelers, don't know the technical term.

My guys swim up and down in front of the glass when they think I'm going to feed them. Sort of like they're trying to get my attention.

I wouldn't stress about it. Sounds normal to me!

 

[juliethegr8t]

Perfectly normal behavior for a healthy gourami. Mine acts exactly the same way - he is just amazing and hilarious to watch. I think gouramis are some of the personable fish out there! Also - the "feelers" are actually modified ventral fins - in the wild they are used in murky water to find food and feel the bottom.

 

[Origami Gourami]

I like the way they slap each other round the face with their feelers, like an old victorian gentleman's fight with gloves! 'You Sir have dishonoured this family. Take that, you brute!'

 

[rykitten]

 

[x-router]

I have 4 dwarfs and they are the funniest. They don't spit but get up to all sorts of antics with each other and their feelers. I started with 2 then got 2 more because they made me laugh so much.

Your 1 might be lonely hence the reflection thing, they are very sociable fish with their own kind may he would like a friend?

Don't however mix dwarf and normal Gourami. I found out quickly that the bigger Gourami will bully the small ones and would probably have killed the dwarfs if I hadn't seperated them.

 

[lilhurleybunny]

Well he is a character! I love watching hm .

When I had 2 they would touch each other with their little feelers and it reminded me of when like ninjas fight they move there hands all around and then ATTACK!

I had to get rid of my other one (I gave him to my school) because Fordo and him would fight and frodo came down with ich so i thought it was from all the stress of being chased u.u. They would really go at it .

Oh well, he seems to be kinda happy so im not sure if I should get another one or not. I dont want him to chase and get chased and then one of them come down with ich..but i would like him to have a little friend . What would you guys do?

 

[faewyn]

Mine spits water at me too! and my blue opaline jumps and causes a big scene at the surface..

She ieven pushes everyone away at feeding time with her ventral fins
I love gouramis so much

 

[Dwarfs]

Mine get in sissy fights and slap each other with their feelers. I get a good laugh out of it

 

[lilhurleybunny]

Hehe, thanks for the posts guys!!

But i have yet another queston . My guy seems to be really aggressive towards my other fish when they get in his way, he charges after them and often pecks at them if they dont get out of the way quick enough. Is this normal?

I was thinking it might stop if I got him a friend. The time last he had a friend it was another dwarf gourami they were really territorial and would go at it, if i got him a different kind of gourami would they still be territorial? Also, do I have enough room for another fish? I'm thinking of getting another cory and a otto so after that my fish list would be:

2 guppies
1 dwarf gourami
2 Julii Corydoras
1 Otto

If I threw in another gourami..would i be overstocked?

THANKS!!