nina_k

hi i got a dwarf gourami a while ago and had him quarantine and finally he's in the big tank and he was shy at first but now he is just bullying the other fish, being very territorial to about half of the 55 gallon tank. the tank isn't overstocked and the other fish are (guppies and platies) are sticking over to their side of the tank. should i take the gourami out or what?

lilFishyfish

Hi, how long has he been back in the tank? You could try moving the plants or rock etc around and see if that helps... If not you are most likely going to have to move him. I had to do that about month ago with a aggressive fish (firemouth), I kept hoping he would calm down but he still kept chasing everyone, so I had to move him to another tank!

nina_k

thanks for the reply. i went out and came back and he has built himself a bubble nest so i guess thats why he's been like that but will he calm down? he's been in for like 2 days

Barbrella

The bubblenest is probably a big reason for his aggression.

Break up or remove the nest. I have a bubble wand in my tank that, along with my power filter, keeps some movement on the surface of the water which I think discourages my gourami from building a nest.

Do you have some tall plants that might cut down his view across the tank?

LeenBeth

what is a bubble nest?

Barbrella

Anabantids like gouramis, bettas, etc blow a tight nest of bubbles on the water surface. This is where their eggs are deposited and kept until they hatch. The fry are also kept there until they're free-swimming.

nina_k

well i broke up the nest. the poor guy didn't know what to do with himself. he's spent the last two days working hard at it, going and finding bits of stuff to put in there. should i get him a female and put them in their own tank so he can actually breed? i have the space...

Barbrella

Your gourami doesn't need to breed. He's just obeying instinct and will be fine on his own.

If you want to breed gouramis, it's quite a bit of work, similar to bettas.

It might just be better to keep your gourami a bachelor!

DarkRevoultions

I have one female dwarf Gourami, and 3 Dwarf Male gouramis. They are in my 29 gallon tank, and they share their territory with my giant pleco, 2 Australian rainbows, one black skirt tetra, 2 red eyed tetras, one make betta, and a bunch of angelfishes, and one rare altum angel. I also keep some rare fishes in my 200 gallon tank, and my new 350 gallon tank. I have mostly sand in my 350 gallon tank. So then I can house stingrays, and flounder tongue fishes I'm hoping to get some discuses, I just didn't get the stingrays and flounders yet xD