Sparkeling Gourami Is Crazy Nasty!

[snowflake311]

I have a pair male and female. The male and female were being cute till now. The male found a little cave and will case my galaxy danios like MAD if he sees them. Ear his home. The female is still fine she comes out swims around minds her own.

I am thinking I will return the male. They are in a tiny community in a 20gal long planted. Would one sparkeling gourami be happy alone?

 

[trianglekitty]

I have a pair male and female. The male and female were being cute till now. The male found a little cave and will case my galaxy danios like MAD if he sees them. Ear his home. The female is still fine she comes out swims around minds her own.

I am thinking I will return the male. They are in a tiny community in a 20gal long planted. Would one sparkeling gourami be happy alone?

From my understanding, males can become aggressive when they are preparing to mate. My reading indicates sparkling gouramis CAN be kept alone and are not strictly schooling fish, but my experience says otherwise. My two are clearly happier together and I would worry about their stress levels if they were separated.

So just from what I'm seen with mine, I would say she might be shy on her own.

 

[Mikaila31]

I would consider them very social gouramis as well. I had 4 in a 20H and a 15 before and they were very peaceful. I swear they often held little 'meetings' because they always gathered around and faced each other. The ones I bought all together were very social. There was one I had bought alone and kept alone for almost a year then added more. It didn't have a problem with the new ones, but never socialized with them.

Also I'm not sure how you got a pair, but sparklers are extremely difficult if not impossible to sex. Return the one if you want, but I would replace it with at least another fish. IMO though a group would be better. From what I have seen it takes at least two males to 'chirp' if you watch the video in my sig.

I've had mine spawn before in a community tank and even then they were not overly aggressive even guarding their fry as long as the tankmates gave them space.

 

[snowflake311]

I wanted a pair and I got lucky it is a true pair. They are not that hard to sex. Males have almost perfect spots and a more solid line. The females markings are less perfect. They have more bloches then spots and the line is not straight. Also I can see the eggs in the female under high light. My male makes sounds it's cute.

My male hats the Cory cats and the galaxy danios. He goes after them like mad. He only gets like this when he makes a nest. the galaxy's don't seem to stress much they are fast.


Here is the pair female in back male in front.

 

[Mikaila31]

The egg and light method is IMO the only viable way but only works on adult fish. I've found the line method to be pretty hit and miss. I agree you have a pair though mainly because that female is fat with eggs lol. Its interesting that your male chrips. I've only ever seen this behavior with two males in the same tank.

 

[snowflake311]

He makes this sound at the female when showing off to the female.

 

[snowflake311]

Well I have fry! I saw the parents catch a fry and spit it back on a moss branch. So that's why my male was being extra nasty to the galaxy he was protecting fry.