aggressive blue gourami

17 years ago

i have a blue gourami that is always picking on my blue dwarf. now he is afraid to come out becauswe he knows he will be chased as soon as he comes out of hiding. i also have angels, red dwarf and a blue paradise but he doesn't bother any of them. can someone please help and tell me why he is doing this and what i can do to stop it.

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Comments (8)

skygee
17 years ago
Blue gouramis are notoriously aggressive. They along with the golds and kissing fish. You can't do anything to stop it - it's their nature.

If you were to remove the blue dwarf, most likely he'd start picking on another fish in the tank.

How large a tank? Do you have plants (fake or real).
sherryazure
17 years ago
Luvtoplay, skygee is 100 percent correct. I can say that as I just went through this. That said, some do keep them together (Ind fish personality) but those that do have extra huge (I mean huge) tanks with pleanty of wood and plants for them to each have large territory spaces.

For my three (which started out well, I remember my joy) I bought what I thought was large enough (NOT) 20 long, driftwood, and lots of annubias plants and dark water (tannin from wood) each stayed in diff area, right left and middle. Then as they matured (was neon blue dwarf but most dwarfs and others same agression) all heck broke out. One died simple from stress (even after I moved him out) they are prone to much disease due to their bad breeding conditions so not strongest to begin with. So he got this big belly (parasites?) (sometimes this occurs then next day dead)(they are often loaded with parasites)

Then the other two had their day. One ruled tank other hide all day and could never eat. so gave him away, and third is now fine with three blind (agressive at feeding time so seperated from albino cats (now fine from those who read re them in earlier posts) which were attacked during feeding.

Gourami goes after then and vice versa but no harm done... a few guppies, in huge globe (several feet wide 1/2 filled with plants in middle).. I tried to move him into another 20 gallon all by himself but he just hide, so put him back, and now swimming all over.

I did same with red flame or what ever they are called. Returned three which all four starting fighting from day one. One now happy in 20 long with albinos and one betta (again wood and plants and I have found (female only ) betta and one gourami works if enough space.. (gave betta that was in with blue to same guy at petstore for his home tank, both doing well)

So mho, they unless tank is several hundred gallons (met guy who had many diff types of gouramis in 300 tank) heavily planted and hiding spaces won't work.. There are always exceptions, but after mine didn't work out, realized when I did my research, I only listened to what I wanted to hear. When I reread, there were many warning of agressive natures.

solution is to seperate asap, before victim gets stressed and dies. this can happen fast as I found out (a day or two).. Best Sherry
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luv2play655
Original Author
17 years ago
thanks for the idea. it's a 20 gallon tank and there are fake plants. i was wondering becaue i had one before but he was very friendly with the fish i had. i may just wsee if i can take him back to the petstore. i would hate to see my blue dwarf get hurt again because of him
sdank329
16 years ago
I have the same problem. I already owned the Blue and tried adding a Neon Dwarf. The Blue just keeps attacking the Neon. I only have 10 gal with lost of floating plants and hiding places, but I guess it is not enough. The Blue swims around more and fun to watch. Which one should I get rid of for the long term population of the tank? Please HELP soon.
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