Gourami behaviour, can someone try to help?

Not sure if Mo is a female or not. How can I tell? I thought females were hard to come by.

Shape (i'd say female), short dorsal fin (making me doubt). Have a google at Cosby Gourami female.
I understood female DG's are rare in your country, but are not aware of the same problem with Cosbys or other Trichogaster Trichopterus-variaties.

 

Shape (i'd say female), short dorsal fin (making me doubt). Have a google at Cosby Gourami female.
I understood female DG's are rare in your country, but are not aware of the same problem with Cosbys or other Trichogaster Trichopterus-variaties.

No, you can get female Trichopodus species here frequently.

 

You're right Anders : it's Trichopodus !!! Sorry

 

Shape (i'd say female), short dorsal fin (making me doubt). Have a google at Cosby Gourami female.
I understood female DG's are rare in your country, but are not aware of the same problem with Cosbys or other Trichogaster Trichopterus-variaties.

Oh boy! Or girl! So I thought Mo was an opaline gourami. He sure looks like Cosby gourami to me! AND a female!! Yikes! Not that I care. He/she is cool.
So what if Mo IS a girl?? MO and Curly can't make babies right?? OMG they were just kissing!!!

 

Oh boy! Or girl! So I thought Mo was an opaline gourami. He sure looks like Cosby gourami to me! AND a female!! Yikes! Not that I care. He/she is cool.
So what if Mo IS a girl?? MO and Curly can't make babies right?? OMG they were just kissing!!!

Opaline, gold, silver, blue, and cosby are all the same species, just color variants. Trichopodus trichopterus. No, Mo and Curly can't have babies.

 

Sorry for the confusion but think it's an Opaline. That name isn't used overhere.
But both are the same species, but a tankbred variaty. Could be in some of both. Stripes are more Opaline. Kissing is jawlocking a way of fighting (not kissing).
To me these species don't hybridize. Think Curly is protecting his nest against intruder Mo.

 

Sorry for the confusion but think it's an Opaline. That name isn't used overhere.
But both are the same species, but a tankbred variaty. Could be in some of both. Stripes are more Opaline. Kissing is jawlocking a way of fighting (not kissing).
To me these species don't hybridize. Think Curly is protecting his nest against intruder Mo.

Oh no!! What do I do!??? There isn't a bubble nest currently. I took a video of their behavior. It is uploading now and I will post it ASAP. Is Mo going to drive Curly crazy?? I don't want to re-home either one. I'm rather attached to them.

Opaline, gold, silver, blue, and cosby are all the same species, just color variants. Trichopodus trichopterus. No, Mo and Curly can't have babies.

Thanks. I'm totally fine with no babies. I just want the two of them to be happy. But Mo is driving Curly crazy right now.

 

Take it easy. When the bubblenest is gone Curly will calm down. Temp not to high so you won't trigger him that way to build a new one.
Go with the flow. No need to panic.

 

The temp did spike the last 18 hours. To 80. My husband forgot to turn off the light overnight. Grrrrr. Now we know what that does. It puts Mo in the mood!! Poor Curly.

Here is the video I took.

Take it easy. When the bubblenest is gone Curly will calm down. Temp not to high so you won't trigger him that way to build a new one.
Go with the flow. No need to panic.

Also, the bubblenest has been gone for days. ???

Oh gees. So if Mo is female and she is in this state, will she be producing eggs? If so, will she be able to lay them? I don't want her to become egg bound and die!

 

All shes produce eggs, but not all lay them. Some females live alone for years. Just wait and see what happens the coming period.
Not wanted to stress you and no need to. Two males could mean more problems than a male / female of different species.

 

All shes produce eggs, but not all lay them. Some females live alone for years. Just wait and see what happens the coming period.
Not wanted to stress you and no need to. Two males could mean more problems than a male / female of different species.

Ok. THANKS! I turned off the light in hopes to bring the temp down a little. I have to give it to Curly. He sure is patient. I'm sure he could harm Mo if he really wanted to.

 

Sorry reacted on another post (grrrr on my mobile) as said : not wanted to stress you or make you panicking!!! See how things go the coming days. Some aggression now and then isn't a problem. Take care thete are enough hidingspots aso. Things will be allright.

 

Your play by play description is too cute on your fish. Is that what you'd call a sexual behavior among the two of them? I have two male gourami's and I haven't seen anything like this before or territorial behavior or bullying for that matter. I have seen in the past a few extremely short chases but no picking on one another. I liked seeing your video for these reasons.

Your fish are beautiful.
You said something about not wanting to rehome one of them for your too attached to them already. I hear you. I'm also with mine. You might wan to consider adding a few more plants for them if you don't have enough already for them to escape/hide.

 

Your play by play description is too cute on your fish. Is that what you'd call a sexual behavior among the two of them? I have two male gourami's and I haven't seen anything like this before or territorial behavior or bullying for that matter. I have seen in the past a few extremely short chases but no picking on one another. I liked seeing your video for these reasons.

Your fish are beautiful.
You said something about not wanting to rehome one of them for your too attached to them already. I hear you. I'm also with mine. You might wan to consider adding a few more plants for them if you don't have enough already for them to escape/hide.

Thank you for your compliments. I believe this is courting/mating/sexual behavior. Mo is demonstrating submissive behavior and REALLY wants Curly to notice her. Hopefully with a lower temp, Mo will snap out of it and Curly can get some relief.

I did have quite a bit of plants in my tank, but I recently lost a bunch of my java fern while I was treating for ich. I'm building my plants back up. But still there should be plenty of plants for them to hide from each other. Mo seeks out Curly even in the plants. Poor guy.

 

Thanks for answering my questions. Good to know. That's too bad about losing some of your plants. I hate it when I have a plant that is dying on me.

 

Hi, I see that you have a dwarf gourami with a turquoise guppy. I have a turquoise blue and yellow guppy just like that and another guppy along with two tiny one month old guppy babies. I've been planning to get a dwarf gourami and I am just worried that the dwarf gourami would harm the guppies or kill/eat the babies. Maybe plants would give them shelter/hiding place? I am just wondering how the dwarf gouramis are interacting with your guppies because gouramis tend to be aggressive and kill/nip guppies.

 

I often find my golden gourami sitting at the bottom of the tank and I was wondering if this is typical behavior or if I should be concerned?

 

I had a 3 spot who would take siestas now and then. How long have you had it? Notice any aggression from tankmates? Other than what I mentioned as long as its eating and swimming normally to the surface. It should be fine.

 

I also thought maybe it was just having a rest. He's been with me for just over 2 months I'd say, and no aggression between him and the tank mates. He'll swim up for food and when I get close to the tank, but slowly drifts back down again

 

Ad a bubbler. My betta does the same thing and that is what I'm going to try

 

Not sure if that's normal. How long as this been going on? Like I said other than a rest now and then mine would swim the tank and he was a constant nibbler. But he was also the King of the tank.

 

I reckon it's been going on for about a month?...

 

My dwarf did that when I first got my tank but as I added decorations and plants he swam around more, maybe that's helpful? Also I got a bubbler a little while back and mine is one of few fish that seems to enjoy swimming through the bubbles now and then.

 

He probably just needs some fresh air. I mean a bubbler.

 

My DG used to shrink away when I came up to the tank. Adding some Water Sprite at the top made him so much more secure. It also takes some time for gouramis to get used to their surroundings generally. Gouramis typically demand a more planted tank.
There is also the matter of the temp of the tank. Gouramis feel better at around 74-80 degrees Fahrenheit. That could be a cause of his sluggishness as well. :c

 

I keep the tank at 26°C, which is 78 Fahrenheit. Don't think that's the problem? For everyone saying that a bubbler would help, is it that he will play with the bubbles? Just trying to figure out how it would help, thanks

 

I knew aeration was important, but struggled to figure how to explain it so I found this in an article: "Even under the best circumstances, there’s 95 percent less oxygen in water than there is in air. Plus, water is 800 times more dense than air and 50 times more viscous. So, fish have to expend a lot more energy “breathing” water—that is, pumping it through their gills—than we do breathing air." not sure exactly how accurate the numbers are but the premise remains your fish may be acting lazily because it is expending most of its energy just to breathe. Imagine running when your out of breathe I bet it becomes much harder to keep running. Plants will also help with aeration and will also make your gourami happier and more comfortable.

full article: Aeration and Oxygenation | Aquarium Basics | Columns |

 

I'm currently running 2 filters in the tank and get a lot of aeration from those... though I do have a bubbler that I haven't used and I guess it won't hurt to try thanks

 

My powder blue gourami has had some issue since I've had him. He wasn't doing so hot when I first got him he would hang out at the bottom of the tank not moving laying on his side all that. So I put him in quantine. I did this because I've had 3 fish and they all died in the tank but our water has always been fine. So I completely drained the tank left some water at the bottom and refilled it with all the necessary things. So he was in my one gallon for about 4 days. Did a small water change he was doing pretty good then my fiance came home and he was on the bottom laying flat so he didn't know what to do to save him because we couldn't just throw him back in the 1 gallon after changing the water. So he put him in the bigger tank that I refilled. He seems okay but he literally stays at the top not hiding just swimming along the edges and getting air from the top. I don't know if that's normal but he's been doing it since yesterday. Does anybody have any insight for me....

 

I've had only 2 gouramis and they both passed away on me. They breath air so they go to the top of the tank and get air so that part is normal. The laying on its side doesn't sound good at all, your gourami looks very bloated and sick unfortunately, I am no expert at all so I could be wrong. You say you had 3 fish in the tank die before but the water is fine, the parameters of the tank (nitrates,ammonia) might be ok but something else like parasite ot fungus and be in the water. If you have other fish in the bigger tank I'd suggest you keep the gourami away or you buy clove oil and put the gourami down. Again I might be wrong

 

I've had only 2 gouramis and they both passed away on me. They breath air so they go to the top of the tank and get air so that part is normal. The laying on its side doesn't sound good at all, your gourami looks very bloated and sick unfortunately, I am no expert at all so I could be wrong. You say you had 3 fish in the tank die before but the water is fine, the parameters of the tank (nitrates,ammonia) might be ok but something else like parasite ot fungus and be in the water. If you have other fish in the bigger tank I'd suggest you keep the gourami away or you buy clove oil and put the gourami down. Again I might be wrong

So you say he looks bloated I thought that too. And yeah I drained the tank because that's what an amazing fish store told me to do because we can't find the source of the problem k don't have any other fish in there right now. He's doing a lot better than he was but I'm not sure if what he is doing is normal. I did know that they breathe from the top too but it's weird he just stays there...

 

Dwarf gouramis are notorious for stomach issues- he does look bloated- could be constipated, you can try some mashed, peeled pea, you can put some garlic on it to entice him to eat... aquarium salt... it is so hard with these guys. Provided he is still eating. Hows his poop?

I have had so many issues with these guys- the pet store by my house said they had a bad batch atm with tummy issues.

 

Dwarf gouramis are notorious for stomach issues- he does look bloated- could be constipated, you can try some mashed, peeled pea, you can put some garlic on it to entice him to eat... aquarium salt... it is so hard with these guys. Provided he is still eating. Hows his poop?

He hasn't ate at all since I quatined him... So no poop... IDK what to do..

 

He hasn't ate at all since I quatined him... So no poop... IDK what to do..

That is so hard. I wish I could tell you a solution that worked for me but sadly, every time I caught a fish at the point of no eating it was too late I am hoping someone else can hop on this thread and give you hope. Its the worst thing to watch.

If he isn't eating - aquarium salt will help him get electrolytes and possibly promote pooping.

These guys are notorious tummy troubles from what I have experienced.

 

That is so hard. I wish I could tell you a solution that worked for me but sadly, every time I caught a fish at the point of no eating it was too late I am hoping someone else can hop on this thread and give you hope. Its the worst thing to watch.

If he isn't eating - aquarium salt will help him get electrolytes and possibly promote pooping.

These guys are notorious tummy troubles from what I have experienced.

Okay I'm gonna go get some of that maybe it will help .It is very hard. I almost cried yesterday because I seen the 1 gallon empty and thought he died.. I never even wanted fish. Now I love em

 

Okay I'm gonna go get some of that maybe it will help .It is very hard. I almost cried yesterday because I seen the 1 gallon empty and thought he died.. I never even wanted fish. Now I love em

I wish I could say it got easier but my boyfriend always reminds me that it’s a wonderful thing to have this amount of compassion- and your caring is wonderful.

Keep me posted if the salt works out for you!!!

 

I wish I could say it got easier but my boyfriend always reminds me that it’s a wonderful thing to have this amount of compassion- and your caring is wonderful.

Keep me posted if the salt works out for you!!!

Well he didn't make it... I ran out yesterday I got him a little log thing to go in in case he was stressed and the aquarium salt put it all in yesterday and woke up this morning and my fiance told me he didn't make it ... I just don't get it. We've had 5 fish from pet world it was our first time buying from there and none of them made it. I have a 10 gallon that has 5 fish in it and they are doing amazing. IDK if that many fish can be bad from a pet store though...

 

Well he didn't make it... I ran out yesterday I got him a little log thing to go in in case he was stressed and the aquarium salt put it all in yesterday and woke up this morning and my fiance told me he didn't make it ... I just don't get it. We've had 5 fish from pet world it was our first time buying from there and none of them made it. I have a 10 gallon that has 5 fish in it and they are doing amazing. IDK if that many fish can be bad from a pet store though...

Sometimes breeders have bad batches to be honest!!
Was the gourami in a ten gallon? And do you know the parameters?

I do know petland and petsnart currently have bad batches of gouramis here in Canada. There was a breeder issue.

 

He was in a 29 gallon. And in that tank I've had a rainbow fish angelfish and 2 gouramis... I have no idea what's going on