Pair Of Powder Blue Gouramis!

[tim_1000000]

Hi


I am just starting out a new tank and I bought two powder blue gouramis. When I put them in about 3 days ago, one was biting the others tail. The fish that is being "bullied" will not eat and hides behind the filter. I am concerned that I will lose him what should I do? Should I give one away?

Thanks
Tim

 

[Ripley]

Dwarf Gouramis can be very aggressive, espcially in pairs. I would either get rid of one, or buy one more. Aswell ensure that you have lots of hiding places/cover for the odd fish out. What size is your tank?

 

[doresy]

Hi, if you have 2 Gouramis (dwarf neon blues?) that are colourful then you have 2 males and they will battle for territory. The correct ratio is 1 male to 2 females (females being mainly silver)

Also they are not a good starter fish as the need a cycled and matured set up (at least 6 months) with plenty of plants. They are also very easily stressed as the are shy, also there are quite a few problems with them at the moment.

To be honest with you it would be better all round if you were to take them back and start off with some Platy. They are robust fish without any special needs (although you should keep the water ammonia/nitrite free as with all fish). Platy come in a vast array of colours too.

 

[tim_1000000]

I think I will get rid of at least one if not two. I did ask the pet shop what they were like but I think they just wanted to sell fish. If I do get rid of one should I get rid of the aggressive one or the quiet one? I have a 42 litre tank. Also not much plant cover for them yet. How many plants would you buy for a 42L set up?

 

[mommyof2bettas]

Hi Tim and welcome to the forum!

As the others have stated, the gouramis can be agressive towards each other and dwarfs often carry diseases. It would be best to rehome one or both of them... but is the tank cycled? If not, I'd return both of them and then cycle your tank before adding any fish. I'd say rehome the one that's hiding if you have cycled the tank, as it might be weak from a disease, but you can rehome the agressive one and help the shy one get better
Good starter fish are livebearers (males are better since females have too many babies!), platies, mollies, guppies, and swordtails are the most common. Or, you can read up on the fish index to see which fish you like and make sure they're suitable for your tank.
About the plants, it depends on whether you want live, or fake. It's best to cover the tank in plants so the fish can hide, but live plants can be left to grow and fill out the tank themselves. Some fish may eat plants though, or have different preferences.
Hope this helps!