Newbie Gourami Problem

[lukegeorge]

Hi

I'm a newbie to tropical fish. I recently bought a 60 litre tank. After the running in phase I added 3 guppies, just to help get the water into a more natural cycle.

A couple of days ago I got 2 gourami, one is a male dwarf and I'm not sure of the type or sex of the other. It's light blue and dark blue in a marble effect if that helps.

However the non dwarf gourami keeps attacking the dwarf gourami with what I can only describe as kissing attacks! The dwarf gourami is quite submissive and doesn't attack back but it does face the other fish side on and curl it's body into a banana shape. Initially the attacks were just in one bottom corner of the tank so I thought they were just setting up territories and it would settle down but now it's chasing the dwarf round the tank.

I was hoping to add more fish to my tank like a few Angel's, a plec and so on over time and really want a tank full of colour and variety so don't want to go down the species tank route.

Will these fish ever live peacefully together or should I take one back? Also is the behaviour normal?

Apologies for the lack of knowledge. I spent ages reading websites and getting advice before buying the 2 and thought I had done right.

Many thanks

 

[rocknurworld2006]

Hi

I'm a newbie to tropical fish. I recently bought a 60 litre tank. After the running in phase I added 3 guppies, just to help get the water into a more natural cycle.

A couple of days ago I got 2 gourami, one is a male dwarf and I'm not sure of the type or sex of the other. It's light blue and dark blue in a marble effect if that helps.

However the non dwarf gourami keeps attacking the dwarf gourami with what I can only describe as kissing attacks! The dwarf gourami is quite submissive and doesn't attack back but it does face the other fish side on and curl it's body into a banana shape. Initially the attacks were just in one bottom corner of the tank so I thought they were just setting up territories and it would settle down but now it's chasing the dwarf round the tank.

I was hoping to add more fish to my tank like a few Angel's, a plec and so on over time and really want a tank full of colour and variety so don't want to go down the species tank route.

Will these fish ever live peacefully together or should I take one back? Also is the behaviour normal?

Apologies for the lack of knowledge. I spent ages reading websites and getting advice before buying the 2 and thought I had done right.

Many thanks

can you get a pic of the unknown gorami, so we have a better idea of what it is

 

[Biulu]

60 litres is ok for 2 gouramis provided the fact that you have enough hiding places (such as rocks, wood and plants) so they can delimit territories.

The banana shape sounds more like breeding behaviour to me. Is he basically wrapping his body around the other fish?

Marble effect and blue colour sounds like a three spot. These are more agressive than dwarfs in general. Does it look like this one?

aquarium-journal.com/2007/11/blue-gourami-tri...

www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_tricho.php

 

[rocknurworld2006]

60 litres is ok for 2 gouramis provided the fact that you have enough hiding places (such as rocks, wood and plants) so they can delimit territories.

The banana shape sounds more like breeding behaviour to me. Is he basically wrapping his body around the other fish?

Marble effect and blue colour sounds like a three spot. These are more agressive than dwarfs in general. Does it look like this one?

aquarium-journal.com/2007/11/blue-gourami-tri...

www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_tricho.php

you cant state that 60l is fine for both his gouramis as you dont know what the other type is yet, so you shouldnt state something which you dont know full facts yet!

 

[Biulu]

Yes, I can, unless it would be a giant gourami! For the commercially available gouramis we calculate 10 gallons/fish which makes 30 litres. Honeys and dwarfs can be kept in less than that as they are smaller.

 

[chesterscot]

if its a kissing gourami they grow quite big
scot

 

[rocknurworld2006]

Yes, I can, unless it would be a giant gourami! For the commercially available gouramis we calculate 10 gallons/fish which makes 30 litres. Honeys and dwarfs can be kept in less than that as they are smaller.

things like pearl goramis and kissing gouramis shouldnt be kept in 30litres!

 

[lukegeorge]

I've since been back in the shop that I bought it from and it's a crosby gourami. I've added more plants to the tank now and there's plenty of hiding places. The fighting has more or less stopped although they both still curl their bodies at each other now and again when one of them ventures too near the other.

When they curl their bodies they face the other one side one and it looks as though they are trying to touch their own tail. But as I say they seem to get along fine now.