I Can't Figure My Sparkling Gouramis Out

[Crossfire]

So I have a 20 gallon tank, currently understocked (if you don't count guppy fry) nicely planted and plenty of hiding spots. I have 2 Sparkling Gouramis, and if i could figure out their gender, get one more if it allows. I know its impossible to sex them, but I can't figure out if they're female or male! Male gouramis fight, but when they're not by themselves they costantly follow each other around. They don't attack each other, or show signs of aggression...but occasionally they circle each other like sharks! Can't tell if they're being aggressive or not, they don't croak at each other like male sparkling gourami do...perhaps they are both female? Gouramis don't school..Any advice is appreciated

 

[Liquid skills]

Well circling is a sign of cortship so you may have a female and a male

My female dg is slightly moody and my males
( 1 died ) so got replased they are as soft as anything lol

Bu males an female can fight especially during spawning males get terratoriel

 

[Crossfire]

Well circling is a sign of cortship so you may have a female and a male

My female dg is slightly moody and my males
( 1 died ) so got replased they are as soft as anything lol

Bu males an female can fight especially during spawning males get terratoriel

Oh okay, thanks! Do males and females still croak at each other ? I've yet to hear any croaking from them

 

[Liquid skills]

Well circling is a sign of cortship so you may have a female and a male

My female dg is slightly moody and my males
( 1 died ) so got replased they are as soft as anything lol

Bu males an female can fight especially during spawning males get terratoriel

Oh okay, thanks! Do males and females still croak at each other ? I've yet to hear any croaking from them

Hi from my research they are just smaller less colourful versions of tge croacking gourami so im gonna say they do i cant find any thing tgat suggests other wise the only advice to be give unfortunatly is to wait and see

 

[snowflake311]

The ligh method will confirm if it's female. If you can shine a light on your female you can see a small mass of eggs right behind the vent. The female will be a bit more round then the male.

Males will build a nest and become very protective of it only letting the feme around it. My male is a big jerk when he makes a nest.

Male and females do fight sometimes. Males make the sounds I don't think females do. The male will chirp at the female.

Can you post some photos of the fish?

 

[Liquid skills]

Yeh listen to this smart person lol

 

[Baccus]

I have a group of 8 sparkling gouramis in with guppies and the little sparkling g's seem to be a content little bunch. They used to be in with my cory's but they hid all the time (all of my tanks have a collection of live plants that grow to different heights, so I don't think it was lack of plant cover) and I suspected that they wheren't comfortable being the only mid/ surface fish in the tank. Since being in with the insane guppies the sparkling gouramis seem much happier and out and about from the plants a lot more.
Certian ones will stake out certain clumps of plants but I have not seen any fighting only the very occasional half hearted chase, otherwise they seem to have little pow-wows/ council meetings .

 

[snowflake311]

I have a group of 8 sparkling gouramis in with guppies and the little sparkling g's seem to be a content little bunch. They used to be in with my cory's but they hid all the time (all of my tanks have a collection of live plants that grow to different heights, so I don't think it was lack of plant cover) and I suspected that they wheren't comfortable being the only mid/ surface fish in the tank. Since being in with the insane guppies the sparkling gouramis seem much happier and out and about from the plants a lot more.
Certian ones will stake out certain clumps of plants but I have not seen any fighting only the very occasional half hearted chase, otherwise they seem to have little pow-wows/ council meetings .

I don't think it is a bad thing when sparkeling gouramis hide. Mine were hiding out when they made the bubble nest. If you don't see them that means its a good chance they have a nest. My pair have fry now that they are guarding with thier life. But they went missing for a little while I would see one at a time.

They don't fight like say cichlids. They will do the side body shimmy that's about it. They will nip at each other fins from time to time when chasing. The chasing is the main thing they do. If you have some camping out and aggressivly chasing others from its space they could have a nest. My male turned into a Nasty little thing that went after other fish with aggression.

 

[Crossfire]

My Sparklers are quite small, only about a 1/2 inch long...My camera doesn't focus well on small fish, even if i zoom from far away or no zoom close up. Any picture I would get would be too blurry to distinhuish. I did read that SG have some physical sexual dimorphism. Male SG have a straight, well defined vertical line and the spots above it are clearly defined too. Female SG have thicker line, and their spots are more squished together blobs and not very ordearly. I took a good look at them, and they do appear to be male and female. They have yet to show any aggression, the only real problem i have with them is that they're hard to feed...whenever I put in brine shrimp or pellets, they never go after them until all the other fish have stopped feeding

 

[snowflake311]

My Sparklers are quite small, only about a 1/2 inch long...My camera doesn't focus well on small fish, even if i zoom from far away or no zoom close up. Any picture I would get would be too blurry to distinhuish. I did read that SG have some physical sexual dimorphism. Male SG have a straight, well defined vertical line and the spots above it are clearly defined too. Female SG have thicker line, and their spots are more squished together blobs and not very ordearly. I took a good look at them, and they do appear to be male and female. They have yet to show any aggression, the only real problem i have with them is that they're hard to feed...whenever I put in brine shrimp or pellets, they never go after them until all the other fish have stopped feeding

The food has to be really small. They are not aggressive eatters. So if you have other fish like crazy tetras that attach food yes you have a problem. Mine like live brine shrimp and tiny bite sized flakes. Mine were not big on food when I first got them but now they eat well.

I will post this photo again of my pair. Female in back male in front. You can see the different in the lines and dots on the side.

 

[Crossfire]

They still eat, they just don't eat as much when the other fish feed. My stock is in my sig, and someone on this forum once told me pink jewel tetras are very peaceful tetras and would be fine with SG

 

[snowflake311]

Being peaceful and being aggressive eaters are differant. Aggressive eatters go after food like a bunch of starving sharks. These aggressive eatters are peaceful fish but love to eat. Sparkling gouramis tend to be more laid back feeders a bit more shy about it.

 

[RobberyinCSharp]

I have a group of 8 sparkling gouramis in with guppies and the little sparkling g's seem to be a content little bunch. They used to be in with my cory's but they hid all the time (all of my tanks have a collection of live plants that grow to different heights, so I don't think it was lack of plant cover) and I suspected that they wheren't comfortable being the only mid/ surface fish in the tank. Since being in with the insane guppies the sparkling gouramis seem much happier and out and about from the plants a lot more.
Certian ones will stake out certain clumps of plants but I have not seen any fighting only the very occasional half hearted chase, otherwise they seem to have little pow-wows/ council meetings .

I don't think it is a bad thing when sparkeling gouramis hide. Mine were hiding out when they made the bubble nest. If you don't see them that means its a good chance they have a nest. My pair have fry now that they are guarding with thier life. But they went missing for a little while I would see one at a time.

They don't fight like say cichlids. They will do the side body shimmy that's about it. They will nip at each other fins from time to time when chasing. The chasing is the main thing they do. If you have some camping out and aggressivly chasing others from its space they could have a nest. My male turned into a Nasty little thing that went after other fish with aggression.

I really hope that's what's happening in my tank. I've had 3 sparkling Gouramis in my tank for months with success. I recently upgraded to a 20 gallon. I added plants and some driftwood. The Gouramis love it - except, one male is literally beating the crap out of everything in my tank BUT my ram. He's lead 2 cardinal tetras to their death from stress!!!
He's NEVER caused problems before! Normally theyd just chill out around the tank!!!

 

[Crossfire]

I have a group of 8 sparkling gouramis in with guppies and the little sparkling g's seem to be a content little bunch. They used to be in with my cory's but they hid all the time (all of my tanks have a collection of live plants that grow to different heights, so I don't think it was lack of plant cover) and I suspected that they wheren't comfortable being the only mid/ surface fish in the tank. Since being in with the insane guppies the sparkling gouramis seem much happier and out and about from the plants a lot more.
Certian ones will stake out certain clumps of plants but I have not seen any fighting only the very occasional half hearted chase, otherwise they seem to have little pow-wows/ council meetings .

I don't think it is a bad thing when sparkeling gouramis hide. Mine were hiding out when they made the bubble nest. If you don't see them that means its a good chance they have a nest. My pair have fry now that they are guarding with thier life. But they went missing for a little while I would see one at a time.

They don't fight like say cichlids. They will do the side body shimmy that's about it. They will nip at each other fins from time to time when chasing. The chasing is the main thing they do. If you have some camping out and aggressivly chasing others from its space they could have a nest. My male turned into a Nasty little thing that went after other fish with aggression.

I really hope that's what's happening in my tank. I've had 3 sparkling Gouramis in my tank for months with success. I recently upgraded to a 20 gallon. I added plants and some driftwood. The Gouramis love it - except, one male is literally beating the crap out of everything in my tank BUT my ram. He's lead 2 cardinal tetras to their death from stress!!!
He's NEVER caused problems before! Normally theyd just chill out around the tank!!!

Maybe his hormones are raging and he's ready to mate? Is there more than one male? Maybe that one is stressed its not the dominant male and taking out his rage