Is This Really A Female Dwarf?

[lsmall]

Hi folks. I have been keeping dwarf gouramis for several years and this is the first time I have been sold a "female" that looks like this. I bought a male dwarf (non-variant with the usual red stripes) and what is supposed to be female. To me the female looks like a small male "powder blue" dwarf variant. In general I trust this LFS, but I am just not convinced. In the past my females have been grayish with very faint striping and very little iridescence. This one clearly has an iridescence about it. See photo

http/www.dropbox.com/s/pqcuni5xbxqlpzn/photo.jpg

 

[Chad]

It's a little hard to tell from the photo. Females are more rounded in the middle and have a rounded dorsal fin. From what I see in the photo it doesn't look rounded which would make this a male, but the fin is also not displayed so I can't say for 100% as it's hidden.

 

[lsmall]

Thanks for the reply. I think the photo is a bit deceiving as it makes it look longer than it is. In profile the fish is rounder in the middle. I'll try to get a better photo. I don't want to waste my time trying to breed 2 males and I don't like keeping male gouramis together. One always ends up bullied and dead. It may be a female, but I've just never seen a female with a vibrant silver blue color like this. If I can get a full on profile shot I will repost.

 

[Chad]

I don't want to waste my time trying to breed 2 males...

LOL!

 

[lsmall]

I should probably post this elsewhere, but since its about the same fish I'll put it here. So this "female" dwarf gourami seemed to be ill a few days ago. Listless lying on its side type of stuff. No obvious trauma or outwardly signs of infection. Color was still good. Tankmates were all OK. Checked my water and nitrates were about 40ppm. Nitrites were 0. I'm out of ammonia tests unfortunately. I did a water change and the nitrate level is down.

Usually when I see this type of behavior I expect the fish to be dead within a day or so, but this seems a little different. She's going on day three like this. Still looks healthy, but often lying on her side or propping her self up against a plant. She does swim around sometimes, but seems to have trouble turning left and will often go in rightward circles.
I'll try to get her in an isolation tank and see if she still eats. Not sure whats going on here, but I suspect she is dying albeit slowly. Wonder if I should euthanise her.

 

[Chad]

Gourami, betta, and badis seem to like to rest or even sleep on plants. This may be the cause here. However, if you took a video and posted it to YouTube then here that would help for us to see exactly how the fish is acting. The swimming issue you describe makes me think it's an ill fish and not just a resting one. Often if a fish will eat and the water is clean, their natural immunities take over, but without knowing more I can't say for sure.

 

[MBOU]

The blue (cobolt) dwarf gouramis are probably the only colour dwarf gourami where the males and females are actually a very similar colour! I think there is a high chance she is a female...

Any chance you can get another photo or two side on from her?

 

[lsmall]

Sigh - She died. And the male died 2 days later with similar symptoms. I give up. This has been my experience with dwarf gouramis for the last five years. They are overly inbred and a high proportion of them are infected right from the breeders. It's so unfortunate, I love gouramis.

Does anyone know someone who breeds dwarf gouramis in the Toronto area? I refuse to buy them from LFS ever again

 

[Chad]

Sorry to hear about that. I do agree that these fish are more difficult to keep in recent years than in previous.