[Schulko]

So, I just recently got 2 Gourami's (about a week ago) and they were doing awesome at first!! swimming around eating off the plants/bottom and also eating really well at feeding time.
Now about a week into owning them I have just found out that I have a male and a female.
The female is doing fantastic although she is a big meanie and chases the male around quite a bit.
The male however, has been acting a bit lethargic the last 2 days. He has been hanging out near the top of the tank usually in the front left corner and of course swimming away form the bothersum female.
Is this normal behavior for Golden Gouramis?
someone please help me out. I really like owning them but this is the first time I have ever owned anything bigger than a Betta.

They are currently in a 30-35Gal tank.
Temp is around 80-82F
Tank mates include 2 Serpae Tetras, 1 lemon tetra, 2 black neons and 1 harlequin rasbora.

 

[willow]

you couldn't post a picture could you ?
i had gold gourami….the male hounded the female to death.
i don't want to come across as rude,but have they told you the right way round
for male and female.
(so hard not to appear rude when typing in cyber space,i don't want to sound condescending )

 

[Schulko]

you couldn't post a picture could you ?
i had gold gourami….the male hounded the female to death.
i don't want to come across as rude,but have they told you the right way round
for male and female.
(so hard not to appear rude when typing in cyber space,i don't want to sound condescending )

every time I try to take a picture they are fine with each other and go hide in the corner. It would seem that in the last hour she has given up the chase and he seems a lot more relaxed, swimming around normally.

Not to worry, you dont come across as rude at all. I understand that I am a somewhat beginner fish owner (aside from betta's that is) and know hardly anything.
I just finished doing some reading that one should avoid keeping 2 Gouramis in the same tank, is that true?
The pet stores where I live know nothing about fish. They are just there to sell the fish to whomever wants them. So any information you can give me about these guys would be HUGELY accepted

 

[willow]

hi
the males dorsal fin is pointed the female is rounded.
hmmmm i wonder if we have the gourami in our fish profile section.?

 

[willow]

Gold Gourami Profile and Description
Size Up to 6 inches or 15 cm
Fish Hardiness Easy to care for
Water Temperature 72 - 84 °F or 22 - 29 °C
Water pH 5.5 - 8.5 pH
Water Hardness 2 - 35 dH
Peaceful or Aggressive Although generally peaceful some individuals may become aggressive
Number of same species in one aquarium Two or more
Community Fish Yes, with fish of similar size and temperament
Sexes Males have longer, pointed dorsal fins than the females' shorter, rounded fins
Strata Mostly middle to top
Food Flake food, slow sinking granules, brine shrimp and bloodworms
Breeding Easy to breed, bubblenester
Breeding temperature 79 - 84 °F or 26 - 29 °C
Other names Two Spot Gourami, Three Spot Gourami
Scientific name Trichogaster trichopterus
Lifespan 4 - 6 years

 

[Schulko]

hi
the males dorsal fin is pointed the female is rounded.
hmmmm i wonder if we have the gourami in our fish profile section.?

yes of course, I found that out yesterday when I was doing some more research.

 

[rsskylight04]

Be carefull if your fish is sitting motionless near the top. Test your water, and make sure aeration and water circulation are good. Might be just him taking a time out, but it might be something serious.

 

[Schulko]

Be carefull if your fish is sitting motionless near the top. Test your water, and make sure aeration and water circulation are good. Might be just him taking a time out, but it might be something serious.

thank yo for your input i appreciate it! He seems a lot better today now that she has stopped chasing him so much

 

[j dizzel]

I currently have a 40 gallon gourami tank (1 male 3 female). All are around 3 years of age. Provide hiding places for the less aggressive fish. At the substrate i use small clay pots wrapped in java moss and wood or rock laced with java fern. Use some type of floating plants at the surface i.e. water sprite, frogbit, or pennywort. The floating plants give them cover near the surface where they spend large amounts of time. If live plants aren't your thing at one time I had a 3 foot plastic fern floating for top cover.

 

[j dizzel]

PS. click on my aquarium tank #1 to view gourami tank. these pictures are a couple of years old. will try to update soon. but you can get the general idea.

 

[Schulko]

I currently have a 40 gallon gourami tank (1 male 3 female). All are around 3 years of age. Provide hiding places for the less aggressive fish. At the substrate i use small clay pots wrapped in java moss and wood or rock laced with java fern. Use some type of floating plants at the surface i.e. water sprite, frogbit, or pennywort. The floating plants give them cover near the surface where they spend large amounts of time. If live plants aren't your thing at one time I had a 3 foot plastic fern floating for top cover.

thank you so much!! I'm glad to know that they can get along well!
I have been looking for some java moss at every pet store in my city but cant find ANYTHING i'll keep looking for sure though!

 

[Crazyfish]

I currently have a 40 gallon gourami tank (1 male 3 female). All are around 3 years of age. Provide hiding places for the less aggressive fish. At the substrate i use small clay pots wrapped in java moss and wood or rock laced with java fern. Use some type of floating plants at the surface i.e. water sprite, frogbit, or pennywort. The floating plants give them cover near the surface where they spend large amounts of time. If live plants aren't your thing at one time I had a 3 foot plastic fern floating for top cover.

I have 2 male dwarfs and I've found that my powder blue dwarf gourami doesn't like to hide when being chased by the other red one. Maybe they are playing bite tag... :-?

 

[jaysee]

No, they are not playing anything. The one is harassing the other to death.

 

[Crazyfish]

No, they are not playing anything. The one is harassing the other to death.

It looked that way at first but it's as if the blue one looks over at the red one and says "hey, come and get me!". When I had cichlids the one being harassed would look stressed and try to hide but this fish doesn't seem like it's bothered by the harassment.

I've solved the problem for now... I coaxed them into territories by dropping algae wafers on both ends of the aquarium. On one end I broke them up into pieces and tossed them onto a plastic plant so that they fell into the buds. On the other end I scattered little pieces along the bottom. It didn't take them long to find them and that seems to have settled them down.

I really like these fish and I think gourami tanks are best with live vegetation... if they don't get along in the long run, I think I'll get a 15-20 gallon and give the red one its own tank with some smaller schooling fish.

 

[jaysee]

Highly territorial fish known for conspecific aggression don't play IMO

 

[Crazyfish]

Highly territorial fish known for conspecific aggression don't play IMO

Would castration be a viable solution for fish? :-D