gourami question

frankenfish

frankenfish

Large Fish
#1
Nov 5, 2009
260
0
0
CT
#1
A friend of mine just got a pair of gouramis for his 10 gallon. one keeps chasing the other around, not really doing any damage but the one being chased is obviously stressed. I dont have any experience with these so i'm not sure what to tell him, which is why i'm checking here. I read that the need lots of hiding places and there arn't many in that tank. would adding lots more fake plants and caves and such fix the problem or should he just bring back one of them?
 

JarreT329

JarreT329

Small Fish
#2
Jan 3, 2011
21
0
0
New Jersey
#2
im not sure of the real solution to this problem, but i would try to add hiding places for the fish as long as there is not attack damages accuring. My other thought is that maybe the one chasing the other is trying to mate? i could be wrong so wait for other advise but thats my thought. if he does start to hurt the other one i would try to return one of the fish.
 

Fuzz16

Fuzz16

Superstar Fish
#3
Oct 20, 2006
1,918
3
0
Wellsville, KS
#3
one to a tank?

anks not big enough for two, really hope their dwarfs at least. things to break line of sight may help...but will lead to a sick fish from stress then a dead fish possibly. try adding a couple other fish-platies/guppys/danios as dithers for them to bully instead of eachoher.
 

MdngtRain

MdngtRain

Large Fish
#4
Jan 9, 2011
288
0
0
New England
#4
Even 2 dwarfs are too many for a 10g. I would suggest returning one. They need more space then that. Also, definitely add more hides and things to break line-of-sight (even for just the one gourami). They feel more comfortable with more hides to choose from. I've found (with my guys anyway) that the more places there are to hide, the more the fish stay in the open. I heard somewhere that this is because they feel secure in knowing they will have a hide to e'en to should they need it.
Good luck to your friend. What else does he have in the tank?
 

frankenfish

frankenfish

Large Fish
#6
Nov 5, 2009
260
0
0
CT
#6
update:

i helped him net and bag the more aggressive of the two and we brought it back. the guy asked if we wanted to swap it out for something else. He got a nice artificial african sword plant which he gave to me for helping him out. i picked up a dwarf gourami too to fill out my tank (lost quite a bit of my tank from that week we were without power. gotta love east coast winters :D). these guys are cool but you're all right they DEFINITELY are much happier on their own
 

CAPSLOCK

CAPSLOCK

Elite Fish
#9
Jul 19, 2004
3,682
33
48
39
Cape Cod
#9
onefish:
The gouramis should leave the snails alone. However, the black fin shark will get quite large, and will be interested in eating your gouramis and other little tank mates as it grows. Not sure about him with snails?

BTW, liveaquaria.com is a good reference for fish sizes, compatibility, general info... tends to be more accurate than the guy at the fish store trying to sell stuff to you. Black fin shark: Tropical Fish for Freshwater Aquariums: Columbian Shark
 

CAPSLOCK

CAPSLOCK

Elite Fish
#11
Jul 19, 2004
3,682
33
48
39
Cape Cod
#11
According to planetcatfish.com and others, it is difficult to tell as juveniles, as adults (which require brackish to marine conditions), the female has lighter fins. Also they reach up to 20".... if the store will take this fish back, I would recommend that. Unless you have the ability to have it in a large, brackish tank.
 

O

OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#14
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
36
#14
onefishtwofishredfishblue said:
found out that the two were either evil gouramis or just mean gave them to my sister because they kept attacking the snail got some more fish for now cant wait to get my bigger tank got three snails another cat an algae eater a dwarf frog and four small cichilids
Click to expand...
It would really help us understand you more clearly if you used punctuation.
 

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