Moving a Dwarf Gourami

[lotsofcloth]

I'm three-weeks new to this and definitely started the wrong way - the local big box pet store told me I could add fish 2-3 days after setting up my 20 gallon tank. I put in 3 guppies and 3 male dwarf Gouramis (they said they had to be in groups of three or more to school). So I now know that so much of that was wrong - and one of the Gouramis didn't survive the process because he was bullied so much by the others.

The 20 gallon is now almost fully cycled with the help of Prime and a lot of water changes. I've learned a ton from reading forums. But of my two remaining Gouramis (both dwarf - orange and blue), the orange has now started bullying the blue. I went out a few days ago and bought a second, 10 gallon tank with the goal of splitting them up before I end up with another bullied, dead fish. I bought Tetra safe start plus and plan to use that, and I'd eventually like a small school of tetra in that 10 gallon tank. It is planted, heater, filter, etc.

Question - how do I know which Gourami to move? The orange one is larger and more aggressive (but leaves the guppies alone, so far anyway). The blue is smaller and more docile. The new tank will have to go through a cycling process, which I know is better fishless but if I wait that out, the blue one will likely not survive.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Byron]

Difficult to answer, at least with any degree of certainty, as individual fish can vary in their behaviours/traits. All male gourami are territorial, so the issue is how the individual gourami views this, and how much it will defend its space, and what other fish will it view as threats. But from what you have posted, I would leave the aggressive gourami in the larger tank, and move the smaller to the 10g.

The next question though is will the smaller tolerate other fish? A 10g is small space to a gourami, and the tank will be "his" space. None of the basic tetras are suited to this small a tank regardless of the gourami, so finding tankmates is not going to be easy. The small "nano" species like the Boraras dwarf rasboras are suited to the tank itself if well planted, but such tiny fish may or may not bee compatible to the gourami. Is returning one or both of the gourami an option? Might solve things.

You have learned a couple things from this. Gourami are not always peaceful community fish. And advice from pet stores is often not reliable and it is wise to always research trustworthy sources before deciding.

 

[lotsofcloth]

Thank you so much for your reply. Yes, I know the 10g is smaller than ideal. I hadn't intended to set up a second tank and I have a space issue - the 10g is the largest one that the furniture can hold and I don't have space for a stand. I'm not sure on returning. They had said 14 days, and it's been over three weeks. But perhaps that was just for a refund and it's possible to return if I don't ask for money back.

In the meantime, I'll move the one over so he doesn't get bullied any longer. And I have learned so much. It's really quite upsetting how much inaccurate information the chain store gave out - over and over. I visited and talked to at least 3 separate employees before making a purchase.