Should I move a pair of sunset gouramis?

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Sadielynne
Posts: 77
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:17 am

Should I move a pair of sunset gouramis?

Post by Sadielynne » Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:06 pm

I have 3 paradise fish (2f, 1m) and 2 sunset gouramis in a 45 gal. aquarium. I am able to add fish at this time, but I take care of the aquariums at a veterans home and money is a bit limited!! I am wondering before I do, if I need to do a couple little changes.

One of the sunsets is a bit emaciated and the tail fin is a it rough. I am thinking the paradise fish are a bit too aggressive to be with them, but I don't really see any real bullying going on. I am wondering if I should move the 2 smaller gouramis to the tank that has non-aggressive live-bearers. I put 3 angel fish in that tank, but lost one within a couple days. I think one angel was aggressive and actually killed it! I have since lost a platy, which, as I remember was fine. another one that died did have issues, so that was not surprising. I have read that 5-6 angels are actually better than a few and less likely to cause problems.

Besides the moving of the gouramis, I had thought about putting the angels with the paradise gouramis, but read that would not be a good idea. I could use some suggestions on what would go with them.

I hope I haven't totally confused everyone!! :)
Thank you!

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Re: Should I move a pair of sunset gouramis?

Post by Diana » Mon Sep 23, 2013 9:47 pm

Paradise Gouramis: Among the most territorial and aggressive of the Anabantoids. Thrive in cool water, but generally can only keep one Anabantoid per tank, especially one this aggressive. Some are so aggressive they attack the lower level fish, too, and need a tank all by themself.

Sunset Gouramis: If this is the color morph of the Dwarf Gourami, these also are quite aggressive. If these are the hybrid of the Honey Gourami, I am not sure how pushy they are, but it sounds like one of them is getting attacked. I would move them.
Some Dwarf Gouramis are almost as aggressive as Bettas and I have heard of more than one that needed its own tank, no tank mates. I have seen some pushiness among Honey Gouramis, but nothing like I have seen from several other species. I have not kept the hybrids.

Angels are also quite aggressive toward each other. They form a M+F bond and chase everyone else out of their territory (which usually means out of the tank). 2 males almost never get along. Sometimes 2 females are OK together. Even a male and female may not like each other. Cichlids can be very picky about who they mate with. A single Angel is usually a reasonable tank mate to other species as long as the little fish do not fit in his/her mouth.

Look into the water chemistry and temperature requirements of the fish before you buy them.

Paradise fish: Cool water, adaptable to many GH levels, but generally softer water.

Honey, Dwarf and Hybrid Gouramis: Warmer, soft, acidic water.

Angels have been bred in captivity for so long that they will handle a wide range of conditions. However, warm, soft, acidic water is best. They can eat tank mates as large as an adult Neon Tetra, so avoid smaller fish.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

Sadielynne
Posts: 77
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:17 am

Re: Should I move a pair of sunset gouramis?

Post by Sadielynne » Tue Oct 29, 2013 5:46 pm

Thanks, Diana!
I did lose the one sunset gourami, and have since added 4 dwarf gouramis (called neon on the tag). I have not been out since I added them yesterday, so I am hoping they are OK. I THINK there are 3 males and 1 female, because one is a bit lighter in color and heavier bodied than the others.

I bought all 4 because they were in a tank with African cichlids and I didn't want them killed!!!!! I have since talked to management at the store (wally world, where I also work!), because I was having heart failure about the introduction of the new fish to the tanks!!!!!

I can move these fish to a community tank, if need be. I thought with the small school of them, they would do OK with the others. I hope I am on the right track!! Plus, the tank is a 45 gal., but might need a little more hiding spots.

Continued thoughts?

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Re: Should I move a pair of sunset gouramis?

Post by Diana » Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:09 am

Gouramis are not social fish. They do not school. At all.

ONE male will set up and defend a territory, usually building a bubble nest. He chases all fish out of his territory, especially near the bubble nest, and an area extending around it.
If a gravid female comes by they will mate, then he chases her out of the territory and guards the bubble nest, eggs and fry.
The female might eat the eggs.

If any other fish besides a gravid female comes by that fish gets chased out.

In nature their territory is about as large as an average aquarium. Depends on the male and the surroundings- plants, driftwood... but a couple of feet across, larger if there is nothing to block the line of sight.

An intruder that does not go away far enough is probably sticking around to challenge the other fish.
In an aquarium, they do not know that the aquarium limits how far away an intruder can go away.
So the dominant fish thinks the other Gouramis are staying too close to his territory, and keeps chasing and attacking to make them go away. Even the females.

Female Dwarf Gouramis are rarely seen in the stores. Not impossible, of course. The color is striped, the same pattern as the male, but instead of being blue and red or some similar combination, the female is blue and silver. As you can imagine, blue and silver are not very distinct from each other. This makes the female Gouramis look sort of like the Powder Blue color morph.

If you want to try several dwarf Gouramis in a tank, then have plenty of upper level plants, either floating or tall plants that reach the surface. WATCH them, and when one starts pushing the others around, or building a bubble nest be ready to move the others. Have a back up plan.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

Sadielynne
Posts: 77
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:17 am

Re: Should I move a pair of sunset gouramis?

Post by Sadielynne » Wed Oct 30, 2013 7:40 am

Maybe I have set a tank that is waiting for a disaster to happen!! I do have a couple other tanks that I can move fish to, and maybe I should before something happens! Yesterday they looked fine, but maybe a territory hasn't be designated, yet. I feel pretty stupid, because I used to have a pet store and had read about, and had fish for YEARS, but maybe there is more knowledge about them, now!! Of course, that was over 20 yrs. ago, too!

Because the tanks are at a care facility, I don't see them every day. I go there every other day, usually, and nobody else does anything with them. I can go out and watch them for a while today, as this is one of my days off.

Thank you!

agostinodepretis
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 7:43 am

Re: Should I move a pair of sunset gouramis?

Post by agostinodepretis » Wed Oct 30, 2013 11:06 pm

Thanks for sharing useful information.

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