Is this what I think it is?

Hi! I have a pair of honey gouramis that were doing something weird yesterday. Is this mating behaviour? Or are they fighting? They're male and female wild types, the male has a big bubble nest in the water lettuce at the top of the tank. Am I going to be a grandpa?


^A video of it. It went on for about 1-2 minutes before they swam off to different sides of the tank. I attached a couple still pictures as well in case anyone can't see the video.

If they are mating, when will there be eggs? I didn't see any actual spawning, and I don't see any eggs in the bubble nest, either. Thank you!

I think I see 2 males who really don't like each other.

Video doesn’t work for me.

Here's some pictures of the two of them up close so you guys can check if I got their genders right haha.

Also tried uploading the video to a different site to see if that helps: https://www.veed.io/view/8760159e-72ef-487c-8081-232293bf6928?sharingWidget=true&panel=share

If you still can't see it then it's just the two fish circling around each other in a tight circle

I’d wait for GaryE to get back as he’s much more familiar with these than I am, but I don’t think a female should have that black and yellow on the anal fin. I think you have a dominant male and a subordinate male that doesn’t want to be there.
If it was a female I think the male would also be building a bubble nest?

The male does have a big bubble nest at the top! I've also heard that they make them even if there isn't a female, so I wasn't sure if it was important

TissueTenant said:

The male does have a big bubble nest at the top! I've also heard that they make them even if there isn't a female, so I wasn't sure if it was important

Click to expand...

In that case it won’t mean anything. They make them for when a ‘ready’ female swims by.

I agree, two males. Female wilds don't have that black throat and are a plain silvery beige with sometimes a darker stripe from nose to tail. Both your fish have a black throat = two males.

Mating honey gouramis don't swim like that either. The male displays in front of the female by swimming vertically, nose up. If she doesn't respond he chases her across the tank.

2 males fighting