Female Honey Gourami Aggressive toward other female

I have 2 F and 1 M honey gouramis in my QT now waiting for placement into the main tank. They have been in the QT for about a week. QT is standard 10 gallon - glass bottom, 1 fake plant, cycled filter, airstone and heater. I started treating with Prazipro today because based on advice from forum members on another thread, they may have an internal parasite. Since adding Prazipro this morning, they have become a lot more active. They were some what lethargic before and did not often surface for air. This afternoon they have been all over the tank and surfacing pretty regularly. I would be surprised if the Prazipro worked that quickly, but who knows.

Anyway, one of the females all of the sudden seems to have staked out one side of the tank as hers. The other female, who is apparently a glutton for punishment, keeps venturing over to that side only to be chased off again. It looks like there might be some light fin nipping as well. The dominant female gets very close to the other female's caudal fin which looks a little bit damaged (nothing major).

Has anyone ever witnessed this behavior before? Could it just be stress from adding the Prazipro? I was thinking that if there would be stress they would be less active....

 

Update: put dominate female in a breeder box for time out. How long should she be in here or should she not be at all? Also has anyone used the marina breeder box? Is it normal for the water to be siphoning in in spurts? Its rather loud.

This is the setup:



And here is the girl who is getting bullied...her tail looks more tattered than before:






New update: WHAT IS THIS? Is it prazipro foam? It looks like eggs....






@CindiL & aliray - you have gouramis right? What is this?

 

That sure does look like eggs . Where are they and what other fish are in with the eggs? Stressed fish can get very restless and glass surf. What made you think they had parasites? I have a pair of sunset thick lipped gourami, male and female but they have not spawned. From what I have read the male makes a bubble nest using floating plants to hold it together. Gets the female in there and she lays the eggs which he fertilizes them and puts them in the bubble nest and then boots her out and he takes care of the eggs and fry. So you need to put her somewhere else for a while. Alison.

 

aliray - They are in my qt bc I just got them. I thought they had parasites because they had long white stringy poop. See attached. Already treated with prazipro. The female is in that breeder box for now. Will that be ok?


There was never a bubble nest btw so they won't survive





It's definitely eggs by the way. I disturbed the eggs and they floated away and the male dutifully scooped them up with his mouth and placed them back on the side of the tank. I feel kind of mean for doing that to him....I also feel mean for keeping this poor girl in the breeder box : (

 

Sometimes long stringy white poo does not usually indicate internal parasite, you said you only had them for a week. It might be due to a change in diet. But someone please confirm.

 

Sometimes long stringy white poo does not usually indicate internal parasite, you said you only had them for a week. It might be due to a change in diet. But someone please confirm.

I agree with you It can depend on what they ate. Alison

 

@aliray - They are in my qt bc I just got them. I thought they had parasites because they had long white stringy poop. See attached. Already treated with prazipro. The female is in that breeder box for now. Will that be ok?


There was never a bubble nest btw so they won't survive

View attachment 198175


It's definitely eggs by the way. I disturbed the eggs and they floated away and the male dutifully scooped them up with his mouth and placed them back on the side of the tank. I feel kind of mean for doing that to him....I also feel mean for keeping this poor girl in the breeder box : (

I wouldn't right them off right yet . they may be brand new parents and in any case he would be the ones that takes care of them and would reject her from the nest. By putting them back he is doing what he is supposed to do so just wait and see what happens. You may end up with babies. meanwhile I would keep her in another tank or the breeding box will do for now. Keep us posted on how he is doing with them and just keep her water as clean as you can and I would not treat her with the antiparasitic med. Alison

 

I wouldn't right them off right yet . they may be brand new parents and in any case he would be the ones that takes care of them and would reject her from the nest. By putting them back he is doing what he is supposed to do so just wait and see what happens. You may end up with babies. meanwhile I would keep her in another tank or the breeding box will do for now. Keep us posted on how he is doing with them and just keep her water as clean as you can and I would not treat her with the antiparasitic med. Alison

Unfortunately the eggs are gone. I saw the female who released the eggs eat them and the male chased her around the tank to no avail. I put her back in the main tank bc she seemed stressed in the breeder box and I panicked. Oh well, maybe next time!

 

I would just treat the whole tank with prazI pro if you suspect parasites. It is very gentle and safe for all inhabitants.

 

Put some. More (floating) plants in so she can hide and he can build a decent bubblenest.

 

Put some. More (floating) plants in so she can hide and he can build a decent bubblenest.

I might but this is my qt tank and right now I am not actively trying to breed them. I am really mostly concerned with keeping the aggression level down at this point.

Good ideas for the future though! Thanks!

 

Okay, more plants means more hidingplaces though.