Male Dwarf Gourami...

[bogwood]

I have a male and a female Dwarf Gourami... I've just noticed the male going to the surface... sucking in air... then swimming under my surface floating Amazon Frogbit plants in one corner of the tank and expelling the air - producing a mass of small bubbles... is he nest building?...

I've also noticed him turning 'sideways' on to the female (as if 'displaying' his coloured flanks). He then seems quite aggressive - chasing her round until she hides (not the best way of finding a potential mate!).

One worry: I've read that 'if' they do mate/lay eggs etc, the female has to be removed immediately. Is this rule 'cast in stone'? If I leave her there will the male kill her whilst protecting the eggs?

My only other tank (see my sig.) houses a dwarf puffer... I definately don't want to put the F Gourami in there!!

 

[IovaykInD]

Yes, the male is building a buble nest. That's for sure, and he is probably doing a mating dance for the female to attract her under the nest. When she is ready, she will go under the nest.

If your tank is large enough, you could probably leave the female with the male. However, if the female goes near the nest after the eggs are laid, the male will attack her, thinking she is trying to kill his eggs. I've read many times of people leaving the female with the male and they were still fine.

 

[sylvia]

You won't realy be able to raise fry anyway in that set-up. It may be best to destroy his bubblenest to stop the aggression and then get yourself another couple of females... Re-arange the tank a bit before you put them in to confuse the current inhabitants to prevent them from bullying the newcomers. With three females, leaving the male to build and guard his nest will be less of a worry. Also, it's not only the female gourami who may fall vctim to him - your other fish are also potentialy at risk though dwarf gouramies aren't too bad with non-gourami tankmates. Note that the only reason I'm suggesting you add two more is that only adding one may result in the single new fish being bullied to death and I am suggesting adding more more gouramies in the first place because, first of all, you don't appear to have any alternatives open to you and, also, pairs of gouramies don't usualy work out long-term so something must be done to change your current 1:1 male:female ratio and you seem to just have enough room in your current 20 gallon for the two extra female dwarf gouramies (females appreciate company usualy as well).