Dwarf Gourami friends?

[TheFishBoss]

Hi, I have 6 dwarf Gourami (males) and I heard the won’t get along but they do I’ve had them for 4 months now and no fighting just a tad bit of playing tag during feeding. I was wondering if it will get more aggressive as they mature or if I was just lucky and got a non-aggressive bunch? I also have an angelfish that is pretty much the same he’s pretty chill so anyway I was thinking that it could be possible that they suddenly get aggressive then my angelfish gets aggressive then my CAE gets to big and aggressive idk just wondering any thoughts? Also I’d love to see pics of everyone’s aquariums for ideas for mine. P.S. it’s a 37g

 

[jkkgron2]

In a 37g I think you’ll have issues once they mature. Dwarf gouramis are usually peaceful when young, but after they mature they’ll start fighting.

I don’t have a 37g, but here’s a pic of my 6.5g work-in-progress tank

 

[TheFishBoss]

That looks good I like how you combined artificial with real plants

 

[jinjerJOSH22]

Hi, I think you're either getting lucky for now or just aren't noticing the fighting when it happens. Either way I wouldn't count on it staying this way as they mature. When one decides it wants to breed, that's when you'll likely have your biggest problem.

Just as a little example, doesn't really prove anything either way but figure it would be interesting.

For a short period I kept a young male Betta and a young male Dwarf Gourami together in a 33 gallon setup. They really had no interactions and to be honest I was quite surprised. They not long after got there own separate tanks but a few months after I had to close down several tanks and move the inhabitants into other existing tanks. So I decided to add the Dwarf with the Betta again hoping for the same result as when they were young.... that lasted less than 5 minutes before I had to find a different spot for the Dwarf. One of them would of almost certainly died if I had of left it be.

This Dwarf was actually a sub dominant male when it was given to me along with a another male. He was always under attack from the other who I had to rehome. Eventually after everything he ended up in a 20 gallon on his own until I came across 3 females and decide adding them was a good idea... wrong! I ended up with 3 dead females and days later a dead male after losing an eye attacking the females to death. A genuinely horrible experience I don't want to happen to myself nor anyone else.

 

[TheFishBoss]

Hi, I think you're either getting lucky for now or just aren't noticing the fighting when it happens. Either way I wouldn't count on it staying this way as they mature. When one decides it wants to breed, that's when you'll likely have your biggest problem.

Just as a little example, doesn't really prove anything either way but figure it would be interesting.

For a short period I kept a young male Betta and a young male Dwarf Gourami together in a 33 gallon setup. They really had no interactions and to be honest I was quite surprised. They not long after got there own separate tanks but a few months after I had to close down several tanks and move the inhabitants into other existing tanks. So I decided to add the Dwarf with the Betta again hoping for the same result as when they were young.... that lasted less than 5 minutes before I had to find a different spot for the Dwarf. One of them would of almost certainly died if I had of left it be.

This Dwarf was actually a sub dominant male when it was given to me along with a another male. He was always under attack from the other who I had to rehome. Eventually after everything he ended up in a 20 gallon on his own until I came across 3 females and decide adding them was a good idea... wrong! I ended up with 3 dead females and days later a dead male after losing an eye attacking the females to death. A genuinely horrible experience I don't want to happen to myself nor anyone else.

Hi, I have 6 dwarf Gourami (males) and I heard the won’t get along but they do I’ve had them for 4 months now and no fighting just a tad bit of playing tag during feeding. I was wondering if it will get more aggressive as they mature or if I was just lucky and got a non-aggressive bunch? I also have an angelfish that is pretty much the same he’s pretty chill so anyway I was thinking that it could be possible that they suddenly get aggressive then my angelfish gets aggressive then my CAE gets to big and aggressive idk just wondering any thoughts? Also I’d love to see pics of everyone’s aquariums for ideas for mine. P.S. it’s a 37g

I appreciate you sharing that’s horrible but thx for letting me know I’ll take that into consideration

 

[Mudminnow]

Another anecdote: my brother had 4 male dwarf gourami in a 20 gallon. All was fine until his CO2 regulator stuck and stressed the fish. They were breathing at the surface. After that stress event, all four dwarf gourami began to fight to the death. He now has just one dwarf gourami.

In my opinion, it's just a matter of time until something sets them off and they start killing each other. It would be best to trade in all but one of your males now before that happens.

 

[GatlingGun]

Hi, I have 6 dwarf Gourami (males) and I heard the won’t get along but they do I’ve had them for 4 months now and no fighting just a tad bit of playing tag during feeding. I was wondering if it will get more aggressive as they mature or if I was just lucky and got a non-aggressive bunch? I also have an angelfish that is pretty much the same he’s pretty chill so anyway I was thinking that it could be possible that they suddenly get aggressive then my angelfish gets aggressive then my CAE gets to big and aggressive idk just wondering any thoughts? Also I’d love to see pics of everyone’s aquariums for ideas for mine. P.S. it’s a 37g

My first tank setup had a Dwarf gourami as the centerpiece with 3 cherry barbs, cory cats, and a pair of killifish in a 20g. Not sure if mine was just a devil, but he was very agressive with constant chasing of the barbs and actually killed my female killi the first day. If yours are getting along now then they should be good, but I just know that they will definitely fight anything so make sure there's a lot of hiding spots. I made the mistake of not planting my tank and that is probably why the gourami killed the killi. An idea would be to put more aggressive fish in there, so they will fall at the bottom of the pecking order and potentially be less aggressive.