-pinky-

I have a pair of dwarf gouramis.. a male and a female ..but the male seems to chase the female around almost all the time, sometimes nipping her a little bit. So i need to know... is this normal, or should i be concerned?

Shawnie

definitely normal as most gourami's , even DG's, are territorial fish ...what size tank they are in would make a difference on if you should worry or not....if there is fin damage, definitely worry...and separate...if there isnt enough room (20 gals or more and depending on other fish with them) there should be worry...having lots of extra plants and hiding spots will help allot but not if the tank is too small..that would just take away swimming space

-pinky-

There is no fin damage at all, they are both healthy at the moment.. i think the tank is probably too small for them, i won't deny it, but i do follow the 1" of fish to every gallon rule pretty well. I have 8-9 inches of fish in an 8 gallon tank. I don't suppose this helps with the gourami's in any way? Is this somthing i should be really worried about, as in, removing the fish from the tank?

There are enough plants for her to hide from the other gourami, the chasing is most common at feeding time, when all the fish are in a smilar position in the tank.

Shawnie

the 1 inch per gal rule is a general rule and mainly for smaller tanks and smaller fish...but with that said, territorial fish are a different story and yes, I think its too small for them both....one would have to go into another tank before it does get more serious....

-pinky-

Bummer... Can you suggest a less territorial type of fish to substitute Gouramis? It would also need to be compatible with tetras (neon and glowlight).. i regret ever buying the tetras as they take up too much space and i prefer larger breeds, but i have no way of getting rid of them