Male dwarf Gourami unhappy with females

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
🐶 POTM Poll is Open! 🦎 Click here to Vote! 🐰

xxBarneyxx

Fish Aficionado
Joined
Oct 28, 2006
Messages
3,701
Reaction score
904
Location
Kent, UK
So a few weeks ago I got a male dwarf Gourami (standard colour morph as far as I can tell).

At the time I could not source any females but one of my LFS ordered some in for me. I added 3 of these 1 week after the male.

The tank is 70L and densely planted. Other fish are lampeyes, neons and corys.

The male seemed happy enough by itself, cruising around the tank. However as soon as I added the females it went nuts on them, chasing and badly nipping. This lasted for about a day and then he seemed to chill out. He still shoo'ed them away if they got close but wasn't going out of his way to try and attack them.

However for the last week or so he is generally hiding up in the plants at the back of the tank. Still eating and looks healthy, but I rarely see him. The females are almost always together cruising all over the tank and seem pretty happy. There has been zero aggression from the females to each other or the male. Generally if they see him they move out of his way before he gets close, they are also half his size.

I haven't kept these fish before so not sure what is considered normal and what isn't. I got the females specifically because I didn't want the male to be alone but seems like he was better off by himself. Everywhere I read said that 1 male to multiple females is generally the best option.

Not sure if there is anything I should be doing here? If needed I could set up a secondary tank short term but I have nowhere to keep it long term.
 
So a few weeks ago I got a male dwarf Gourami (standard colour morph as far as I can tell).

At the time I could not source any females but one of my LFS ordered some in for me. I added 3 of these 1 week after the male.

The tank is 70L and densely planted. Other fish are lampeyes, neons and corys.

The male seemed happy enough by itself, cruising around the tank. However as soon as I added the females it went nuts on them, chasing and badly nipping. This lasted for about a day and then he seemed to chill out. He still shoo'ed them away if they got close but wasn't going out of his way to try and attack them.

However for the last week or so he is generally hiding up in the plants at the back of the tank. Still eating and looks healthy, but I rarely see him. The females are almost always together cruising all over the tank and seem pretty happy. There has been zero aggression from the females to each other or the male. Generally if they see him they move out of his way before he gets close, they are also half his size.

I haven't kept these fish before so not sure what is considered normal and what isn't. I got the females specifically because I didn't want the male to be alone but seems like he was better off by himself. Everywhere I read said that 1 male to multiple females is generally the best option.

Not sure if there is anything I should be doing here? If needed I could set up a secondary tank short term but I have nowhere to keep it long term.


I’d relocate the male. At least temporarily.
 
Pictures of the alleged females?
Most shops don't carry female dwarf gouramis. Are you sure you got females?
I'm fairly sure but no gourami expert by any stretch. This shop does normally stock males and females (in separate tanks) and I do trust them but who knows.

Pictures of each of them below.
20211215_165315.jpg
20211215_165308.jpg
20211215_165302.jpg
 
I'm shocked, they are females :)

The male might be gay or just fussy about strangers in his territory. Give them a couple of days and see how they go. If he continues to attack them, move him out for a couple of days so the girls can settle in, then re-introduce him.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@Colin_T Thanks a lot. Will monitor and be ready to give him some time out if needed.

With normal behaviour would the male be spending time swimming with the females or would it normally be more solitary? He isn't really overly aggressive now but is just hanging out in one part of the tank almost all the time.
 
Last edited:

Most reactions

trending

Staff online

Back
Top