Dwarf Gourami Is Being Aggressive

[Sam44]

I have a 20 gallon tank that originally had a male flame dwarf gourami and 2 lyretail mollies. We added a black molly and a silver molly, and the black one adapted really well with the other mollies almost immediately. The silver one started to, but my gourami will chase it relentlessly. I’ve caught the gourami chasing the lyretails a few times but it’s normally just a little and it stops. But he will chase the silver one around the entire tank.

I’ve rearranged the tank completely, and it doesn’t seem to be a territorial thing. I love the look of this gourami but I’m considering taking him back if he doesn’t stop.

I feel terrible taking him back, especially because I’ve worked so hard to get him out of his shyness. Since I purchased him he’s not hiding constantly anymore and he’s brighter in color and more active than he was at the store.

 

[LunaSky]

It goes without say, three is a crowd. Your gourami is possibly feeling over crowded especially if this wasn’t an issue till more were added. You may have no choice but to rehome him.

 

[Sam44]

It goes without say, three is a crowd. Your gourami is possibly feeling over crowded especially if this wasn’t an issue till more were added. You may have no choice but to rehome him.

We decided to take him back and have a tank with just mollies. Like you said, he probably felt overcrowded and outnumbered and got aggressive because of it. At least someone else can take him home and hopefully give him a better life than we could

 

[Hunter1]

I would have taken the silver mollie back, the color/shape may have represented another gourami to him.

Or the aggression could have transferred to another fish.

But we’ll never know.