help! fighting kissing gouramis

[mfj]

i have a 125gal peaceful tank. i had 1 kissing gourami because that's all the lfs had. he never bothered any of my other fish. yesterday i bought a 2nd kissing gourami about same size of 4". now the original gourami can't stop chasing and pecking at the new one. i am considering taking the new or old gourami back to lfs, or isolating the old gourami in a vacant 10gal tank for about a week, then putting him back in. anybody have any advice?

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Well my local LFS lists Kissing G's as Simi-aggressive. :-/ Maybe thats if you have more than 1 in there.

I have found it is easier to get fish and let them grow up together that way they know each other and are very peaceful.

 

[Scavanger]

Well first off, the name kissing gourami is a bit mis leading. When it looks like they are kissing, they are really fighting. Males do not tolerate each other. The kissing display is really a dominence test. It sounds like you may just have 2 males together. If they were near in size and strenght you would get the kissing display. If they are not, the smaller weaker one would flee.

 

[mfj]

It looks like you're right. But everything I read about them on the Internet before I bought them was that they were peaceful community fish and the males fighting was only occasional. He's going back to the lfs tomorrow. Thanks for your help!

 

[Scavanger]

Your welcome. Yes they are a peaceful community fish just as long as you don't have 2 males. It's kinda like deer, they are usually nice and peaceful except when you get 2 males together during the rut. Then watch the head thrashing battles.

 

[mimi13chan]

^_^`````

Gouramis are picky
But one thing I know
Gouramis DO NOT LIKE Other Gouramis
No matter how big or small it is
as ong as it is a Gourmai they don't like it and will chase it forever *watches all 3 of hers in a tank go at it* ^_^`` yes I have learned from a mistake...