Gourami Violence.

[ezyone123]

I have a pair of blue Gourami's which at first were fine in the tank.
I have noticed that the larger of the two is now chasing the smaller one.
Is this a problem,or should i seperate them?
I know the gouramis should be kept in pairs,if i were to seperate them would it make the smaller one happier?

 

[Toam]

First question is, do you know the sex of each of your gouramis? having two males in a tank together can always lead to problems. What size tank are you keeping them in?

 

[ezyone123]

Its a 100ltr tank,but i do not know the sex of them.
The local store,said its difficult to know the sex of the fish at a early age.
Would i be ok to just have 1 gourami on its own?

 

[IDunnoWhy]

It is absolutely fine to have a single Gourami all by themselves (Male or Female), Many people use a single Gourami as their "Centerpiece" Fish. *thumbsups

As for sexing them, look at their Dorsal fin, if it's longer and comes to a distinct point, it's likely a male, if it's shorter and more rounded point, likely female (There are some exceptions to this rule, but it's fairly accurate across most types of Gourami). If you have 2 males, definitely seperate, they will live peaceably most times, but can get very aggressive towards each other on a whim (Usually associated with spawning time).

Others may/will disagree but I have never believed in housing 2 males together.

 

[Phinx]

Yuh I had the exact problem. 2 male gouramis. 1 (The bad boy) is in a 10g. The other (more calm less aggressive) in a 50g with my African cichlids. The African's leave him alone. Until he reaches out with those feelers of his. Then those get nipped.

He has learned not to do that!

If one of them is looking frayed and torn up. Being chased when it tries to hide. Best thing to do with that kind of aggression would be separation. Even regardless of gender. Some fish will not get along (even if it’s the same species) and can result in death.

 

[Lotus]

I don't know where you read to keep them in pairs, but they generally do best on their own, especially males. Blue gouramis are especially mean to other blue gouramis. I highly recommend you separate them into different tanks (or take one back to the store), or expect to lose the non-dominant one.

 

[Tballgame87]

I've found that my two Black Paradise Gouramis have had this problem. They're in a 20 long for now, and down the road hopefully i'll be able to separate them. The larger of the two basically has a problem with ensuring his control in the tank and always feels like he needs to show who's boss. It's mostly intimidation tactics. I've yet to see any real fighting or damage being done to the smaller. For the most part they live in peace.

Just keep an eye on them, if they do start biting then you probably want to separate.

 

[rshxt9]

You more than likely have two males (it's what's sold most often because the fins are longer and prettier- according to my store). Seperate them as soon as possible! They will tear each other apart if given the chance. Males should be kept with females or other fish because as they get older they get more agressive. Making sure your tank is well planted because gouramis really like folage to dart around in Good luck!

 

[ezyone123]

Thanks guys for all your advice.
I will seperate them.