Dwarf Gourami Issue

[dalios]

The other week i purchased 2 dwarf  gourami's as my tank looked really bare, i read in my tropical fish book they can live together peacefully also the shop keeper said they are fine and as they had a tank with a good 10+ in there they all seemed fine.
 
I believe they are males pretty sure it said males on the tank they were in, there blue with red lines down them quite common i believe.
 
Now reading into it some are saying not to have 2 males! the bigger one does have a little chase at the other but no aggression at all there fine when they eat no problems. Looking today the bigger one that does the chasing has a like a bit of a black line on its underbelly right at the bottom of the fin?
 
any idea what it may be? has been eating fine etc moving about seems happy enough and to chase the other at times.
 
any help will be grateful

 

 

[juhason]

The black line doesn't sound TOO suspicious to me, although I have no idea what it could be. I would just keep on eye on it and on him. If he's acting fine he should be okay for now. Two male gouramis WILL fight and be aggressive, if you have a large enough tank with lots of hiding places and dividing lines then it could work otherwise one will end up dead.

 

[dalios]

ok will do thanks, oh really? i have read different stories some saying theres were fine and others not.
 
I have a 3 foot tank 180L with quite a few hiding spots they havnt attacked each other at all just a bit of chasing other times they swim past one another and do nothing.
 
Crazy as i got these pretty much fully grown as were all the fish in the same tank at the pet shop and none of them were aggressive in the tank its why i didnt take a second thought to it. My brother has a tank but is only 60L dont think thats big enough for one of these?

 

[juhason]

ok will do thanks, oh really? i have read different stories some saying theres were fine and others not.
 
I have a 3 foot tank 180L with quite a few hiding spots they havnt attacked each other at all just a bit of chasing other times they swim past one another and do nothing.
 
Crazy as i got these pretty much fully grown as were all the fish in the same tank at the pet shop and none of them were aggressive in the tank its why i didnt take a second thought to it. My brother has a tank but is only 60L dont think thats big enough for one of these?

Well each fish have their own personalities, so you can get lucky. In general though, they are extremely intolerant of their own kind. 3 foot is a decent size, so maybe it could work. I had 2 dwarf gouramis in a 3 foot tank before actually, and no matter how many hiding spots I put the meaner one would go after the timid one. Again, it all boils down to the individual's personality. As long as the fish don't seem stressed out or are obviously hurt (torn fins, etc.) you can try it. Also, a 60L should be big enough for one dwarf, but it depends on what is already in the tank.  

 

[dalios]

 

ok will do thanks, oh really? i have read different stories some saying theres were fine and others not.
 
I have a 3 foot tank 180L with quite a few hiding spots they havnt attacked each other at all just a bit of chasing other times they swim past one another and do nothing.
 
Crazy as i got these pretty much fully grown as were all the fish in the same tank at the pet shop and none of them were aggressive in the tank its why i didnt take a second thought to it. My brother has a tank but is only 60L dont think thats big enough for one of these?

Well each fish have their own personalities, so you can get lucky. In general though, they are extremely intolerant of their own kind. 3 foot is a decent size, so maybe it could work. I had 2 dwarf gouramis in a 3 foot tank before actually, and no matter how many hiding spots I put the meaner one would go after the timid one. Again, it all boils down to the individual's personality. As long as the fish don't seem stressed out or are obviously hurt (torn fins, etc.) you can try it. Also, a 60L should be big enough for one dwarf, but it depends on what is already in the tank.  
 

Ok thanks matey will keep an eye on them see how they go, have been watching them the bigger one does chase the other but doesnt seem to do anything when he gets to him once i see him give him a peck but in general he seems to leave him alone.
 
No the other one dont seem stressed he seems happy enough to keep swimming over to him not hiding away at all and eating fine. If it does get too much i will put one in my brothers tank he has 2 mollies and 2 platies at the moment with a fluval u2 filter which i made him get as it does up to 110L in august he will be getting a bigger tank the juwel rio 125 so will be a big difference.
 
Thanks again

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

Some black lining at the fin tips is sometimes common with some varieties of dwarf gouramis. Could also be a stress indicator