My gourami is a killer!!

[fishhottie]

Hey everyone!! I have the meanest blue gourami in my tank. I keep tryint to put the fish in with others, just doesn't work out. The only fish he likes to be with is rare royal blue betta (male) I need help. Is there anyway to put a fish down? aYou know kill it (not in a mean way, like you put down an old dog that just need to go) HELP ME!! I'M SO CONFUSED

 

[Dakota Ice]

Don't kill it, that isn't fair to the fish. Try taking him back to pet store, or getting him his own tank.

Since my pet stores won't really take fish back, I'd just use the latter of the two as another exuse for a tank.

I'm not sure on what a "Blue Gourami" is, but if its a three spot gourami, or anything other than a dwarf gourami, I'd go with a 20 to 29 gallon tank at the least. Try adding other fish to the new tank with him, so he will be just as new to the tank as them.

 

[Dakota Ice]

Sorry, forgot to add this.

If getting another tank isn't an option, try re arranging the tank. Move everything around. That will mess up his territory, and then add fish immediately after you move things around.

Good Luck!
Dakota

 

[sylvia]

Actualy I'd have to say that I doubt there's much you can do if this is a male blue (three-spot color morph) other than buy a bigger tank without any other gouramies (or bettas) or return him to your local fish store. It's unlikely that re-aranging the tank would have lasting effects. Blue gouramies are territorial so it would only last for as long as it takes him to re-establish his territory. You can't keep changing things around every few days. It CAN help when trying to introduce new fish but I suspect (just guessing) you'd be over-stocked if you did and I know he would still eventualy start showing aggression. Absolutely NEVER kill a fish just because you cannot handle its temperament. This is completely unfair as it wasn't the fish' fault you didn't research or provide the correct environment in the first place. I don't mean this as a personal attack on you - I do realise you are trying to do what's best.

 

[Aulonochromis]

Take him to a fish store. Stores are greedy, so when you tell them you have a free fish, they shouldn't have a problem taking it. I had the same problem with a dwarf gourami that I bought, he was picking fights with all my other gouramis. I got a small tank just for him, filled it full of plants and put it on my window sill. It's a pretty cool little tank and he seems happy.

 

[Terrorbyte]

I have 2 male opaline gouramis (fortunately not in the same tank), both are very aggressive. However, the gourami in the smaller tank is not as aggressive because there are a lot less fish per gallon in the smaller tank. Opalines are closely related to blue gouramis, so I'm not surprised that your specimen is also quite aggressive.

The male opaline in my larger tank has killed off at least 2 fish (both angelfish) and a flower shrimp. I have 3 dwarf gouramis in that tank and he loves to chase them around. The dwarfs are fairly peaceful, they really don't bother each other or any of the other fish. Over the past several days I've noticed some fin damage to all 3 dwarfs' rear fins (tail fins and back of dorsal fin), so I know he's nipping at them. If any more fish die as a result of the aggression, I'll have no option other than to return him to my local fish store (right down the road from where I live). Truthfully, the opaline should probably be in a much larger tank with the amount of fish that I have, but I'd rather keep what I have than buy a 70+ US gallon tank just to accomodate one fish's aggressive tendencies. I've added a few plants and have rearranged the tank a few times, and that seems to have helped matters. The male opaline is still aggressive, but only after a feeding. Most of the day he keeps to himself and stays in his own territory that the other fish have learned to avoid.

If your tank is large enough, and you can find them at your LFS, adding some female blue gouramis might help matters. Additionally, rearranging the tank or adding new plants might calm the blue gourami a bit. Try a few things first to see if it improves the situation, returning the fish should be a last resort -- it's certainly not fair to the fish to just flush it down the head or to kill it; fish are virtually brainless and don't know any better.

 

[in_denial]

I put 3 plattys and 2 blue gouramis in my 20gal last Friday. On Sunday, I found the one gourami dead. Yesterday I found one of my plattys dead at the bottom of the tank. What really concerned me was that it's fins and tail were completely missing. I think my blue gourami ate it. They have only been together for a few days. Now he is missing. He might be hiding in one of the ornaments. It might be upset because its brother croaked the other day . Who is eating who? Are the plattys eating the gouramis and visa versa.

Thanks,

 

[Inchworm]

Hi in_denial

Please stay calm. It is a problem you are having with your tank cycling that is killing your fish, not your other fish.

It is, however, the way of many fish to eat what they find available and this includes other fish who happen to be dead. It's just nature's way of insuring that nothing goes to waste.

 

[in_denial]

My gourami came out of hiding. He has ick really bad. I have him in a salt bath right now. The platys see unaffected.

 

[Dane]

okay, please excuse me if i repeat what anyone has said, i couldn't read the entire thread, but anyway. Sounds like you have a Paradise Blue. I have one.. I had a pair actually, the other one had died.. and the remaining one was the less dominant of the two.. but once the more aggressive one died, he followed in the other;s footsteps.. He killed off all my mollies and platies and the male betta that was in the tank.. And a few months later, about five days ago, he hopped in with one of my males (my favorite male -.-) and gutted him alive... so that is when i took action, I wanted to upgrade to an aggressive tank anyway. I tossed him in with equal aggressors.. so now there' sa pecking order, and he doesn't bother anyone, and no one bothers him.. I always encourage to my customers and to everyone, ALWAYS aLWAYS ALWAYS heavilly plant your tank... that really cuts down on death...

 

[Terrorbyte]

<snip>... I always encourage to my customers and to everyone, ALWAYS aLWAYS ALWAYS heavilly plant your tank... that really cuts down on death...

Couldn't have put it better myself -- plants not only add natural beauty to an aquarium, but they also provide refuge for those "less-dominant" fish that are being bullied around; not to forget the additional O2 and algae control plants provide for aquariums. It's not a "be all, end all" solution, but should cut down substantially on fish loss due to aggression.