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Hi

I have 100gal tank with 2 Kissing Gourami, 2 Golden Gourami, 2 Two spot Gourami, 2 Angel Fish, 2 Molly, 1 Silver Dollar, 1 Banded Leporinus, and 1 Clown Loach. My problem is that 1 of my Kissing Fish keeps chasing all the other fish around the tank. It looks like it's freeking the other fish out. He is definitely terrorizing the other kissing fish. Is there anything I can do to make him stop? Or is this just going to work itself out.

No, this probably wont sort itself out, you probably have two male kissers and they are territorial. One may potentially kill the other, and the heightened aggressive state he's in will put other fish in the line of fire. At the shop I work at I seperated the kissing gouramies only to find that the next week when I came in some idiot had swapped them back, and one male had its lips ripped off. It didnt survive, basically it couldnt eat. Adding females to the existing mix will probably only get them killed.

Kissing gouramies can be so aggressive that in terms of community settings they are often much better off kept with fish that outgun them, like moderate sized cichlids, it actually better not to mix too many species of gourami together, as much like bettas are set off aggressively by guppies, kissers can be set off by other gouramies. Kissing gouramis are to some degree behaviourally fairly individual, but there are aggressive specimens, and if you happen to be the owner of one its more a case of seperating the bad tempered specimen or passing it on. They can be uncontrollable . Aggressive ones are often better placed in a species tank with an opposite sex partner.

Very occassionally kissing gouramis have that touch of a CAE about them , and if they run short of algae and aufwuchs to graze upon they can become extremely dominant about cagespace, and are not above attacking other fish, even occassionally sucking the slime layer off other fish. This is a fish where fighting to preserve its feeding area can be a daily reality, many will wish to preserve a browsing area no matter how much you feed them, their instincts for the preservation of natural food reserves is very strong,and its not always possible to placate them.

This is a fish that is commonly oversold for community, they actually fit surprisingly few communities. The whole kissing thing is really straight out fighting, its liplocking a la cichlidae, they are well known for it and basically that means they are a very aggressive little species. Stories like yours are commonplace.

The ideal setting for kissing gouramies is really a large 100 gal plus community with a few midsize cichlids and tough catfish with loads of bogwood etc, where they are a less significant fish, and their innate territoriality less of a problem. They are not a good choice for a community of small fish. Dither fish for kissing gouramies tend to be bigger than they are, and tougher. It makes them keep their heads down.

You have a bit of a time bomb there with that many gouramis. Something was bound to go wrong. Even in large tanks some gouramis just don't share and will terrorize other gouramis even if they only use up 1/10th of the tank. My blue kept trying to kill any other 3 spot even after I moved him to a 90g. Some gouramis just have to be kept alone and with mixing that many your practically guranteed to find 1 or 2 that take issue to it. I'd remove the kissing gourami and keep an eye on the others. You can never fully trust them not to turn on each other one day. Gouramis will most definitely kill each other if left in the same tank. Their idea of working it out is to permanently eliminate any competion so they own all of the tank.

Thanks I appreciate the help. I thought there was a problem. All the other fish just look so relaxed until that kissing fish comes along. Maybe I can give it to my niece. She is about ready to put fish in her tank.