Poor Dwarf Gourami

[Carolyn N]

Today I stopped by Petco. Watching fish. In a tank full of Platys and Swordtails there were 4 Dwarf Gouramis.
As I watched the DG had there fins nipped,they were cringing away from a Platy or Swordtail that was
pursuing them. The Platys and Swordtails were nipping them constantly. The DG was trying to get away from them, not succeeding.

A salesman came by and I pointed it out to him and we watched for a few minutes and he was surprised to
see that happening. I told him the Platys and Swordtails were going to kill the DGs. He agreed. And as I was
leaving he was netting them and going to put them in another tank.

I was really distressed. I had never see this happening. It wasn't just one fish that was a bully. Every time you
looked away, another one was doing it.

I recently had something similar happen in one of my tanks. A young
swordtail was pursuing a Cory and constantly nipping. I finally had to remove it and put it into a tank by itself.
One Cory actually had a ragged Tail and Dorsal fins.

My big tank isn't set up yet, I thought, hopefully, that when I get a couple more Swordtails it will no longer be
interested in the Corys. I have never had this happen with my Swordtails in a community tank.

Anyone have this behavior before?

 

[Colin_T]

Most fish will pick on a sick or dying fish. They see it as food and pick away. Sometimes feeding the fish can reduce the nipping, other times you have to remove the offending fish or the fish that is being picked on.

 

[utahfish]

I had some swordtails in my first tank when i was 10 years old. They tore up any fish they could. I took them back crying because i was sad they killed my fish, ive never gotten swords since cuz they suck!