Pearl Gourami

[Kiri]

I have 4 med-large pearl gourami in my community tank. I noticed that one male in particular was beating the only female up and her fins were torn and her color went very pale. She was always being chased and bitten by the boys although on a few occassions she did fight back. She was eating well but seemed to up the top alot taking in air.
I took her out of this tank and put her into my "odd ball" tank to recuperate. I have lots of very small guppies and a very handsome crowntail betta and 2 kuhli loaches in this tank. I thought by giving her a break from the boys might allow her fins to repair so I could put her back in better form.
Today I noticed that she is still very pale and hanging out in the corner on her own looking at her reflection. I just put in some bloodworm and she sucked it in but immediately spat it out, she did this about 5 times with each worm and didn't eat anything. Now I'm very worried.
Is she lonely without her "men" whom she has been with since I bought them over a year ago, is she unwell and possibly on her way to the fish heaven
Should I return her to her "family", I can't move the guppies..which no one has tried to eat... and the Betta is as happy as ever.

 

[OscarCichlid]

I had the same problem with my opaline gourami. I bought her at the same time along with 2 male Blue gouramis and i noticed that the blue gouramis are always nipping and ripping her fins and she is always hiding. The males grew alot faster than her and i was worried. I moved her to my 30 gallon tank to let her get healthy again. Well in a matter of a day she lost all of her color and stiopped eating. So i put her back in the tank where she was healthy. Well she still gets beaten up and her fins are always ripped but her color returned and shes eating. It has been this way for abot 5 months now and shes fine. She always has ripped fins but she seems to enjoy when the males chase her. she gets darker in color and tries to breed with them.. I would put her back into the tank with the males. A fish thats is eating and has ripped fins will be healthier than a fish that doesnt eat.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Kiri

Do you have plants and other decorations in your tank to give your female a place to escape to?

Being chased by the males is one thing; being caught and beat up is something else again.

 

[modernhamlet]

You have 3 males and 1 female, which kinda goes against the common advice I've seen. To steal from the Jan and Dean song: "Two girls for every boy"!

 

[fishdude]

Yea inchworm and hamlet are right also make sure their is enough tank space between gouramis. I would slowly introduce any gourami and then watch for a while and see if their was any aggressiveness. If there was i'd take them one out.

 

[Kiri]

My tank is 170litre upright baywindow design and it has lots of plant, a boot and 2 large driftwood for her escape. When I bought them we thought we had 2 females and 2 males but as they grew, one was actually a male....did contemplate getting another female to take the pressure off her but the tanks can't accommodate another large fish...fully maxed right now. I bought some Betta food for our latest addition in the odd bods tank and she ate that quite happily. I put some Melafix in the tank to help her fins but I think I will put her back in the next few days. The boys are VERY happy without her... no fighting and awesome color...sheesh!