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Well, today I changed out some plants for new ones, and left the old ones in there to float until I can bag them and take them home with me *I'm at work* later.

Since then the female will NOT leave the male alone. She came swimming really fast up to him, and just like bumped him with her nose. She keeps picking at him a little *but I don't see any damage*, swimming along side him really close, and passing by while rubbing her body up against his.

What's the deal? All the times before this it was the male picking on the female, and the female hiding and stressed out. They are facing each other head on now, spinning in circles all the while, and like pecking eachothers faces with their nose/mouths.


Update:

Erm, well I removed the male, he's in the largest glass cup I could find, and he's covered with one of my winter hats to keep him from jumping out, and to keep it dark. OBVIOUSLY I need to come up with some other type of solution here... I'm able to go to the fish store that is like 0.5 Miles away if anyone has suggestions. I'm trying to find something around the office I can use to divide this tank safely.
The female kept on going haywire and now I think the male "might" be injured.

How big is this tank? Do you have fake plants for him to take cover? Are you sure it's not the other way around (male chasing female)?

Do you have a larger container to put the male in for now? Fish need to be transferred with some of their own tank water to prevent shock/temp stress.

Also, what kind of gourami's are these?



Last edited by Cory_Di at 16-Dec-2004 11:36

Cori: It's a 10G planted yes, they have lived together for about a week now, before it was normally the male was the aggressor, though not too bad. Yes I'm positive this is a male and female pair. I posted a similar topic a while back, and you can see pictures of them in the Photo Forum.

I don't really have anything bigger to keep the male in. He wasn't doing very good in the cup *it is the tank water* so I put him back in the tank for now. The female is scared of me, so all I have to do is look in the tank and she goes running *and leaves the male alone for the time being*.

What to do what to do... perhaps I'll just return the female to the store.

The male was just blowing some bubbles at the surface, and the female is doing this weird, shaking of her behind, on and off. I'm really not sure what to make of this. If it's some breeding thing, territory issues, or general aggression.

She's just doing the fishy equivalent to telling the poor boy she has a headache

It may help if you can find something to kind of divide the tank a bit. If it is a territorial issue, having something to make their own territories will help.

I believe it may simply be a lead in to the courtship ritual but I don't know gourami's well enough. I've requested this post be moved to Labrynth Lounge where the gourami experts are. I hope you don't mind. Fewer people will see your post here.

Melafix is a good thing to have in the water when there is any kind of fighting or contact. I use it now and then when my white clouds or rasboras get into some pre-courtship fights