Killer

[michellebradford]

ok i think i have a killer gouriami, i had 2 sunset gouriamis and 4 kissing gouriami in one tank the male sunset has been building bubble nests ever since i got him, i never seen any eggs /or babys.

then all of a sudden i had a lot of dead fish, 1 kissing gouriami, followed by 2 neons and 1 otto couldnt see anything wrong with them i know the neons and otto were quite old. but the kissing wasn't. I am also missing another kissing but have yet to find a body but i prsume he is dead

But today i have found the reason the male sunset is ramming them, when i saw him today he was attacking another kissing and has left him stuned and i dont know if he will suvie. Can any one tell me is this normal when i got them the guy in the shop said they would be fine together is he wrong.

 

[sylvia]

Your tank is far too small for those fish so it's no surprise this is happening. I am surprised that it is the little dwarf gourami (is that what you mean by 'sunset'?) that appears to be causing the deaths though. I would actualy expect to find the kissers were responsible and the dwarf simply provokes attacks through his territorial behaviour but this is immaterial anyway. You need to rehome the kisssing gouramies you have left. these fish grow to at least 10" and even one in a 30 gallon is cramped. They will also be aggressive as adults if in such a small space. The sunset gouramies are a different matter. Once you rehome the kissers, get yourself at least 2 (large) female dwarfs per male you already own. Also reduce the tank's temperature, increase the surface current a bit and destroy any bubblenests as they appear (you won't be able to raise fry in a community setting anyway). It is essential that you plant the tank and include floating, or very tall, plants.