Help: Pearl Gourami gender and health

Pretty sure it's a female. Pearls prefer heavily planted tanks and a slow current. They are better by themselves also in groups of 5 or 6. They are a very beautiful fish at maturity.

 

If it's a "he" you should see more colors as he get older - a beautiful fish regardless. I have what I thought were two male Red/Blue Gourami (although they are mostly red). At maturity or near maturity one is nearly completely black on one side and black with some of her red/blue stripes left - but they are fading. I would now never guess they are the same species.

Gourami are my very favorite species - they are typically very peaceful (that doesn't mean they don't show dominance - they just won't injure or kill other fish in the tank as far as I know) If fish are feeding in three locations the dominant one is the one that tries to be in all three places at once to make sure nobody gets to eat - as a result the food is nearly gone by the time he/she gets around to getting any food - SERVES THEM RIGHT LOL and it's funny to watch.

My dominant fish are usually the biggest in the tank - with the exception of a little zebra danio that actually managed to eat the fins and kill one of my larger Gourami's and did kill all but one of his "brothers" usually by just stressing and nipping at them constantly. So that's the downside of having a very peaceful fish- they don't always fight back at all - and the Gourami that was killed just completely shut down and gave up. But both my large tanks have some large Gouramis (3-5") and they are kings/queen of the tank. Some are getting to be the same size or even larger - can't wait to see the dynamics then. That all said - they are RARELY dominant to any other fish species in the tank - they do not head butt the Cory's or my little Cherry Barbs but just try to squeeze between them to eat or flash around them to startle them from eating.

Next time I think I'll do just a tank of Gourami's and no other fish - because while peaceful, they are NOT boring. My dominant Gourami in one tank GLARES at me when I'm in the room. The dominant one in the other tank gives me tail wags and little dances that I interpret to be a happy greeting (I love him) whenever he sees me.

So wait and see - you may get a surprise. I agree though, the male's of Pearls are so beautiful.

 

The fish is skinny and has a curved spine. It could be a natural deformity or a disease. Try feeding it 3-5 times each day with a variety of dry, frozen (but defrosted) and live foods.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day or two to keep the water clean.

Monitor its poop and tell us what it looks like. If it's white and stringy it could have intestinal worms or an internal protozoan infection.

Male pearl gouramis have a longer pointer dorsal fin and their anal fin is also bigger and develops filaments on it when they get bigger. Your fish is young and looks female but could be a young male that hasn't reached sexual maturity.

 

It should settle down in a week or so when everyone learns their place in the pecking order. If it continues after a couple of weeks the gourami might have to go.

 

Livebearers (mollies, platies, swordtails, guppies) should be kept in single sex tanks (all male or all female) to prevent the males from harassing the females. If you want males and females together, get at least 6 females (preferably 10 or more) for each male.

 

probably not.

 

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