Gourami, the Angry Dwarf

[Anike]

I have a neon blue dwarf and he is a little tyrant. He harassed the other dwarf to sickness and now that I've quarantined the sick one, the little tyrant is terrorizing everyone else in the community tank. He sends platies, cories, zebra danios, neon tetras and my larger pearl gouramis swimming away fast in fear. They have all been living together for 2+ months and it's been during the last couple weeks that he's been getting nasty, esp. after the removal of his sick buddy. It's too late to take him back where he came from; what can I do to mediate? If I get a couple more dwarf gouramis, will that spread the aggression only amongst themselves? There are plenty of hiding spaces in the tank, though only a corner of the tank has floating plants-which he claims for himself. Maybe I should get some more top cover? I'd get females, but I cannot find any in my area.

 

[Leopardess]

Well, I'm sure that a fish store in your area would gladly take him back, if not for credit, but just to take him off your hands. (Hey, it means profit for them.)

If that is not the case, you could get a few more gouramis, providing that you have the space, in hopes of spreading the aggression among them. However, yours seems like he has an attitude problem and would continue to be a big bully.

Really, it may be best to return him. Or, get him a five gallon tank for himself

 

[Gomer]

I have a bully too...his agression is brought out when I float riccia. He makes a nest out of it, so ...well..he guards it


Is yours a bully, or is he guarding a territory?

 

[Iggy]

You can try removing the bully, give him a day or so outside the tank, then re-introduce him to it. I heard this sometimes works. If it does not, I would get rid of him like the others suggested.

 

[Igor The Cat]

SHOOT HIM JUST JOKEING

 

[Jubilee]

If any of your larger pearl gouramis are male, you will have to separate them eventually anyway. Once the male pearl matures there will be war with the dwarf gourami.

 

[Anike]

I'm going to do what Igor said because I'm such an impressionable moron! *shootshoot* Doh, sorry Igor, are you O.K.? Both pearls are female because they are sugar and spice and everything nice, yes? Right now, AngryDwarf is in exile in his own tank. I will re-introduce him after rearranging my main tank with new plants I've ordered. Perhaps I'll simultaneously introduce two or more dwarf gouramis as well. Thanks for the input.