Honey gourami breeding behaviour already?

[Falena]

I got myself a trio of golden honey gouramI about a week ago and they are currently in quarantine (10gal heavily planted)
I have 2 ladies and a gent .
They were a little shy at first, swimming mostly at the back behind the plants, following each other around in a little line lol , very cute!
They have since come out of their shells and come up to greet me. However the male is in full breeding colours and is now heavily guarding one corner of the tank from both females. It's a corner with massively dense java moss, duck weed and hygro. So I can't see back there, to see if he has a nest.
Is guarding like this normal male territorial guarding for honeys? Since they are comfortable. Or do you think he may have already wrapped a lady?
I've only kept thick lipped, sparkling and dwarf gouramI , never honey. I know with the others, they are generally quite territorial as a whole, but does this apply also to honey gourami?
I don't want to stress him out by trying to look back there.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Coradee]

HI my males do that too, one has set up camp in one corner & the other in the opposite corner & the females go back & forth between them.
They will chase each other off if they stray too close but not with any real aggression & then they go back to their corners

 

[Falena]

HI my males do that too, one has set up camp in one corner & the other in the opposite corner & the females go back & forth between them.
They will chase each other off if they stray too close but not with any real aggression & then they go back to their corners

Hi, thanks for the reply!
So, do your males guard their territory from the females too? I only have the one male and he is being pretty relentless toward the females over his spot.
Could this aggression just be because they aren't enjoying being in the 10 gal quarantine?
The two girls are sticking together on the other side of the tank in the same territory.
Sorry for the questions, I just wasnt expecting such aggressive behaviour from honeys lol.
They will be in a 20 gal long when they're done in qt, hoping if this isn't breeding behaviour, it might calm down a bit with adequate space.

 

[Coradee]

Hi, once my dominant male has wrapped with a female then he’ll chase her & any other fish that get too close away, until then he’s quite happy for the females to come over & check out his nest building prowess

 

[Joshaeus]

I have not kept honey gouramies, but I have bred paradise fish, black paradise fish, and banded bushfish - all related bubblenesters - and can offer some input. Yes, males will shoo females away from their nesting sites; they will also shoo females when not guarding a nest, which becomes a problem when the tank is too small (don't put pairs of paradise fish in a 5 gallon). When they do spawn, the male will aggressively keep everyone away from the nest - females, other fish, shrimp, and even (at least for the paradise fishes) human fingers (the only fish that have ever deliberately bitten me were all male paradise fishes guarding bubblenests). No clue whether male honey gouramies will defend their nest with so much vigour.

 

[Falena]

Hi, once my dominant male has wrapped with a female then he’ll chase her & any other fish that get too close away, until then he’s quite happy for the females to come over & check out his nest building prowess

Ah, thank you!
It most certainly appears this is what has happened then. He's on a strict "no girls allowed" policy right now haha!

 

[Coradee]

haha, until he wants to impress them again! I have to say my honeys are fast becoming one of my favourites

 

[Falena]

I have not kept honey gouramies, but I have bred paradise fish, black paradise fish, and banded bushfish - all related bubblenesters - and can offer some input. Yes, males will shoo females away from their nesting sites; they will also shoo females when not guarding a nest, which becomes a problem when the tank is too small (don't put pairs of paradise fish in a 5 gallon). When they do spawn, the male will aggressively keep everyone away from the nest - females, other fish, shrimp, and even (at least for the paradise fishes) human fingers (the only fish that have ever deliberately bitten me were all male paradise fishes guarding bubblenests). No clue whether male honey gouramies will defend their nest with so much vigour.

That's amazing! I love paradise fish. Haven't kept any yet, but chinese paradise fish are on my radar
I have bred other labyrinth fish (bettas and dwarf gouramI ) but know with those species, the boys can be just grumpy and temperamental over territory and nesting sites until they are finished building.
So wasnt sure if the male honey was just going to be bratty all the time, like a dwarf male or if he'd calm down in between spawns lol.
So funny that one of your paradise fish guarded from you!
Amazing the lengths they are willing to go to defend their young ey?

 

[Falena]

haha, until he wants to impress them again! I have to say my honeys are fast becoming one of my favourites

They are lovely, I'm enjoying mine too!
Though I must admit, It's quite a relief that this is just spawning behaviour haha. I didnt want to end up with another grumpy butt. I've got a thick lipped male that's just plain mean, all the time.

 

[Falena]

:Update

It is confirmed! I caught my male wrapping both females today!
I wish they weren't in quarantine now. I'd have loved to have tried to raise the fry.
But, alas it'll have to wait.
plenty of time

 

[Joshaeus]

That's amazing! I love paradise fish. Haven't kept any yet, but chinese paradise fish are on my radar
I have bred other labyrinth fish (bettas and dwarf gouramI ) but know with those species, the boys can be just grumpy and temperamental over territory and nesting sites until they are finished building.
So wasnt sure if the male honey was just going to be bratty all the time, like a dwarf male or if he'd calm down in between spawns lol.
So funny that one of your paradise fish guarded from you!
Amazing the lengths they are willing to go to defend their young ey?

ALL my male paradise fishes that I bred (and my black paradise fish male, for that matter) would attack my fingers if I put them anywhere near the nest. Anyhow...congrats on the spawn

 

[Falena]

ALL my male paradise fishes that I bred (and my black paradise fish male, for that matter) would attack my fingers if I put them anywhere near the nest. Anyhow...congrats on the spawn

Oh! Haha, bless them. That's so funny, I admire their courage. Such beautiful fish.
Thank you! It is a shame I can't shuffle things around to raise the fry. But if they've bred for me once, I'm sure they will again