Help! Sparkling gourami has been bullied and has mangled fins

[enfiskejer]

I have 3 sparkling gouramis in a 110L planted with a school of cardinals. I used to have four but one died due to an accident (I know 3 is the worst number of territorial fish). Weekly I've been changing around the decorations but it doesn't help. It takes a lot of time to get bullied gourami to eat because he is so attacked.
1. I don't have a hospital tank
2. I am not getting more fish unfortunately

I have put in a 3L breeder box and he's chilling in there, I can tell he's much less stressed. Is there anything else I can do?

 

[Ellie Potts]

Why can't you get another fish/quarantine tank? $$?
I'm not sure if there's much to be done. Increasing the plants and decor may help. If the problems persist, you may have to give the bullied away or one of the others
With the weak one in a breeder box, are the other two tearing each other apart or operating well?

 

[enfiskejer]

Hi, Ellie.
The other two are fine with each other luckily, I'm open to setting up a hospital tank however when I put him back in the community tank won't the same continue to happen?
thank you

 

[GaryE]

Sparklers are usually peaceful. What's the size of the tank?

 

[enfiskejer]

Sparklers are usually peaceful. What's the size of the tank?

It’s a 110L. They were great until one of them died and now I think it’s because there is 3…

 

[GaryE]

It's odd. I'd invest. Get a few Cryptocorynne wendtii plants, and don't clump them together. A few rocks to break up the sightlines between the plants, which sparklers will pick as territories (they love the clumps of Crypts that should grow). And maybe 3 more sparklers.

 

[Ellie Potts]

Hi, Ellie.
The other two are fine with each other luckily, I'm open to setting up a hospital tank however when I put him back in the community tank won't the same continue to happen?
thank you

I'm not sure. This is odd behavior for the species. Perhaps if the fish were stronger then the others it would be ok? But long-term, I think more plants and perhaps more fish is necessary

 

[Back in the fold]

The newest issue of Tropical Fish Hobbyist - May / June 2023 - has an excellent article on all the smaller gouramis , the Sparkling Gourami being one.

 

[Byron]

Changing the lower aquascape is unlikely to have any positive effect. Like all anabantoids, this species is primarily a surface and upper water fish. Floating plants are mandatory, cover the surface with them. Ceratopteris cornuta (Water Sprite) is ideal as it has dangling root masses and this fish loves cruising among these.

The male of all gourami species is territorial. The degree to which they carry this out depends upon species, but also among individuals. It is always best to have a group of at least five of this species, preferably six or seven. This will usually mean a decent ratio of male/female, and the males will be busy challenging one another (and clicking their feelings audibly) and impressing the females.

You are almost certainly not going to be able to return the lone gourami in with the other two. Squabbles as you describe do not go away. One option that may work is to acquire three more, and introduce them plus the battered one at the same time. This can work--sometimes. But I will all but guarantee that putting the picked on fish back in with the other two and no more will result in more trouble and a dead fish. There is only so much of this a fish can take.

 

[seangee]

I agree. I had a group of 6 in a heavily planted tank and the fighting was incessant, eventually resulting in deaths. At that point I kept the most battered looking one and re-homed what was left.

 

[O2Breather]

I agree. I had a group of 6 in a heavily planted tank and the fighting was incessant, eventually resulting in deaths. At that point I kept the most battered looking one and re-homed what was left.

I once had a blue gourami that decided one day to terrorize all the other fish, except the pleco of course, who is big and ugly enough to remain unperturbed. This gourami would hang out in the upper left corner of the tank and make aggressive forays to scatter the other gouramis, a large zebra angel, and several American Flag Fish. I put him in a 2-gal. hospital tank for a couple weeks to consider his behavior, and it worked! After reintroduction to the big tank, he was just one of the gang again. Easiest fix ever.

 

[enfiskejer]

Thanks everyone for the extremely helpful insight!
I’ll just make sure he survives and then I’ll make a decision and keep you all updated