Lace gourami

[fingers]

In addition to tetras I have 2 lace gouramis. I had them under recommendation for being peaceful. The slightly larger one is chasing the other all day and "pecking" at it. The larger has a sort of spinney effect on both fins. I don't think this is disease but may be wrong. I do not know (amateur) if they are both male or what, I got as a pair.
Although the smaller fish doesn't seem too bothered I dont think it can go on much longer without getting stressed. Tank is 55L (10gal) and well planted.
Do I get some more to dilute the focus of this one fish or put up with it?
Anyone any ideas?
P.S.
I was also planning to get some male guppies but will they present more issues?

 

[eudielynn]

I just had to take two male gouramis to the lfs and trade them in because no matter what I did they continued to harras my smaller gourami. I tried extra plants and more places to hide, but they still kept after him until they had nipped off most of his fins. They did not bother any other fish in the tank, and I have two guppies, 6 zebra danios, 1 betta, 1 plec, 2 african dwarf frogs and about 4 ghost shrimp in the tank. Everyone else was fine.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi fingers

Welcome to the forum!

The lace (a.k.a. pearl gourami) gouramis are often thought of as being peaceful, but they are no more gentle than other standard sized gouramis. I have a lovely male that I just cannot keep with other gouramis be they males of females.

Mine has that spiny look to his fins and I too thought there was something wrong at first. As he matured it has turned into a beautiful fringe effect.

Here is a thread with several pictures of both male and females to help you determine which ones you have:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...190&hl=gouramis

As you can see, the fins, both upper and lower, are more long and pointy in the male. He will also have the red coloration on his breast area. Another thing to look at is their overall shape. If you look at them from above, the female will have a rounded belly area which narrows toward her tail, while the males shape is wider toward the head and more gradually tapers back.

 

[sylvia]

Actualy pearls are a very peaceful fish and I have only ever had a problem with one. Your problem is that you are keeping them in a 10 gallon tank. The minnimum should be 20 gallons for a pair or, sometimes, a trio. Also, it sounds like you do have a male and female. The only sure way to dilute aggression is to move one out or move both to a larger tank.

 

[Fruitbat]

There is one other alternative explanation to the aggression you saw. I have occasionally seen the Combtail, Belontia hasselti, sold as 'Mosaic Gouramis' or 'Lace Gouramis'. The Combtails are a completely different proposition than your run-of-the-mill gourami in that they are often aggressive and very territorial (like the Paradise Fish). I've been eyeing a trio of B. hasselti to go into an aquarium with my Java Combtails (Belontia signata) but I don't think my male B. signata will tolerate any other intruders into his domain (he gave a Climbing Perch, Anabas testudineus, of similar size quite a hard time before they settled the territorial squabbles).

-Joe