Gourami mating?

[KMW1954]

I have a tank with 5 Gourami in it. 2 Dwarf and 3 Red Flame.

All of a sudden today one is picking leaves from the bottom and sticking them into a floating plant. Also that one and another are dancing tail to tail and chasing away the others. Is this mating?

 

[Colin_T]

need pictures and video of the fish

if all the gouramis are colourful and not grey/ silver, they are all males. The females are grey/ silver all over and have no colour.

 

[DoubleDutch]

need pictures and video of the fish

if all the gouramis are colourful and not grey/ silver, they are all males. The females are grey/ silver all over and have no colour.

Agree. Sounds as 5 males.

 

[KMW1954]

that was my understanding too but have never observed this behavior before.

 

[KMW1954]

So now I am even more confused.
Floating on top in one corner is some coontail plants. There is now a male dwarf building a bubble nest and chasing away the others.. Also the other day I witnessed that male and another fish doing the sideways mating dance. That fish is a Flame and displays a very orange/red body and a very colorless head. Didn't know there are LGBTQ fish. That male is being very protective of this nest.

 

[Colin_T]

post pictures and video of the fish so we can confirm their sexed.

You can have males building bubble nests in the same tank as other males. It just means the conditions are right for breeding. But if there isn't enough space, they will fight.

 

[KMW1954]

No way to take a good video or pictures as the camera I have just don't get it done. also very hard to get clear pictures of the fish because the water is so stained from the drift wood that was in there.

the fish on the right is the female in question the one on the left is not the male in question.
Best I can do for pictures.

 

[Colin_T]

The 2 red fish are both males. They are fighting.

 

[Essjay]

Just to expand on Colin's post - male dwarf gouramis of the red variety are red; the females of this variety are silver. You have two red fish so you have two males.

 

[KMW1954]

Being inexperienced I can't argue but I have seen fish mating before and this did not look like fighting.

 

[itiwhetu]

It is very unusual for any fish shop to carry female dwarf Gouramis. Importers don't import them as the only fish people want are the colorful males your fish will almost certainly be males.

 

[Colin_T]

They are either gay or fighting but they are both males.
100% guarantee they are both males.

 

[DoubleDutch]

Agree with Colin There is not 1% doubt that these are two males. If this lasts you might end up with one of them dead.

 

[KMW1954]

So what is this?
Just finished setting up a temp tank to house in until I can break down this tank, clean it and rebuild it. Started pulling out the rocks with the ferns and found this in the corner.

 

[Colin_T]

It's a bubblenest from one of the male gouramis. They build them when they are happy, well fed, and have an established territory.