Should I Separate My Gourami's Immediately?

[ey2006]

I got 4 juvenile (small, 4cm) Pearl Gourami's from the LFS yesterday but couldn't tell what the sexes were, neither could the guy at the LFS.

After observing the four gourami's tonight (my tank is 29g), I've noticed that one of them constantly chases and 'headbutts' the other three, so I'm guessing I might have one male and three females. As they are still juveniles, they are hard to determine the sex. However, of the three gourami's (assuming their females) being chased, one of the three would then chase the other two, so this makes it more confusing for me to work out whether I have 1M and 3F or 2M and 2F.

The gourami that is chasing the other three is also having a go at the corys and cardinals, should I take him out and put him in the larger (240L) tank? The large tank is still being cycled, so I'm not sure if the gourami will survive in there...otherwise, I hope the constant chasing wont kill the other gourami's or my other fish!

Any recommendations on what I should do? I don't want to lost any of the other gourami's and definitely none of the other fish!

 

[fish mad]

I got 4 juvenile (small, 4cm) Pearl Gourami's from the LFS yesterday but couldn't tell what the sexes were, neither could the guy at the LFS.

After observing the four gourami's tonight (my tank is 29g), I've noticed that one of them constantly chases and 'headbutts' the other three, so I'm guessing I might have one male and three females. As they are still juveniles, they are hard to determine the sex. However, of the three gourami's (assuming their females) being chased, one of the three would then chase the other two, so this makes it more confusing for me to work out whether I have 1M and 3F or 2M and 2F.

The gourami that is chasing the other three is also having a go at the corys and cardinals, should I take him out and put him in the larger (240L) tank? The large tank is still being cycled, so I'm not sure if the gourami will survive in there...otherwise, I hope the constant chasing wont kill the other gourami's or my other fish!

Any recommendations on what I should do? I don't want to lost any of the other gourami's and definitely none of the other fish!

Ive got the same problem but with 2 golden gouramis i brought at the weekend the male (i think) is constantly attacking the female. It is upsetting especially for the other fish as well. So if anyone can kill two birds with one stone that would be great.

 

[Mariposa]

Pearl gouramis aren't usually aggressive, it's one of the rare kinds of gourami that it is OK to put one pair (male and female) together alone. So I am not sure what to tell you but for the golden gourami, there should be two females for every male in the tank.

 

[fish mad]

Pearl gouramis aren't usually aggressive, it's one of the rare kinds of gourami that it is OK to put one pair (male and female) together alone. So I am not sure what to tell you but for the golden gourami, there should be two females for every male in the tank.

Thanks for your comment but wouldnt that mean he would have two to bully as apposed to one?

 

[BOD]

mmm...yea pearls arnt overly aggressive, but it could be lack of territory space in a 29G, i have 2 in 65G and they still argue over what space is whos, just see what happens, if the same gourami is being aggressive towards lots of fish though that may just be its personality and you might want to take it back to the shop.
Also you probably wont be able to tell the sexes until they get a bit older and bigger, and the headbutting my be because you have all males and one is trying to establish himself as the dominant male....hope this kinds helps

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I got 4 juvenile (small, 4cm) Pearl Gourami's from the LFS yesterday but couldn't tell what the sexes were, neither could the guy at the LFS.

After observing the four gourami's tonight (my tank is 29g), I've noticed that one of them constantly chases and 'headbutts' the other three, so I'm guessing I might have one male and three females. As they are still juveniles, they are hard to determine the sex. However, of the three gourami's (assuming their females) being chased, one of the three would then chase the other two, so this makes it more confusing for me to work out whether I have 1M and 3F or 2M and 2F.

The gourami that is chasing the other three is also having a go at the corys and cardinals, should I take him out and put him in the larger (240L) tank? The large tank is still being cycled, so I'm not sure if the gourami will survive in there...otherwise, I hope the constant chasing wont kill the other gourami's or my other fish!

Any recommendations on what I should do? I don't want to lost any of the other gourami's and definitely none of the other fish!

According to this profile on them, they are quite easy to sex- the males have a very bright red throat, while the female does not;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=72152

Although i'm not sure if they are too young for that- do any of them have a remotely red throat? Gourami's prefer heavily planted aquariums, and adding plants to create more hiding places and break up the horizon so to speak can also cut down on agression between goramis .

 

[BOD]

Well ive had my gouramis a while now, and unless by red throat they mean the first bit of the fin which is orangey im not quite sure.....but apparently when i asked about the behaviour towards one and other on here i got told they were probably both males because of the nature of the behavior to one and other. So the sexing atm isnt really that clear for me either, but i guess ey2006 could go by this to try and establish which sexes he/she has, and also tokis is right they do like planted aquariums to hide and have space from one and other, but like i said it may just be in that certain pearls nature to be a bully and may need removing, but i would wait for a while to see what happens.