Help with a murderer fish

[Boogety48]

My sister has a blue gourami that murders her fish. She's tried moving everything around to confuse him but he still munches on her other fish. I just was wondering if anyone has any ideas of different things she could try. Right now she has some zebra danios that he can't catch and another gold gourami.

 

[Cynic]

Some fish are inherently hostile but 9/10 they're just incredibly territorial. How big is the tank?

 

[mariah]

My sister has a blue gourami that murders her fish. She's tried moving everything around to confuse him but he still munches on her other fish. I just was wondering if anyone has any ideas of different things she could try. Right now she has some zebra danios that he can't catch and another gold gourami.

They are territorial fish. What size tank does she have them in? I have an opaline gourami with zebra danios. They are in a 29 gallon tank. There use to be lamp eye tetras in there also. Your problem could be that she is adding the fish after the gouramis were in the tank. With gouramis, you have to add the fish you want and then add them after the fish have settled in. You can add to the numbers after the fact but adding new ones won't work. Also, what gender are the two gouramis? If its two males.. one is going to die

 

[Boogety48]

Her gold is female and the blue is male. She's got them in a 29. She had other fish first and added him after but he's been killing other fish since she got him.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[mariah]

Her gold is female and the blue is male. She's got them in a 29. She had other fish first and added him after but he's been killing other fish since she got him.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

What are the other fish? They can not be with anything that has a lot of color or that is slow. They can not have long tails either. Only things like barbs, tetras and that's about it. With them being a breeding pair id think they would be ever more territorial? Don't going me on that but id assume..?

 

[Boogety48]

She's got zebra and leopard danios, she had tiger barbs but I think he killed all but two of them, and an albino bristle nose pleco.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[GreenLily]

I would also believe that the two gouramis have paired up and have become territorial. It makes complete sense to me..

 

[mariah]

She's got zebra and leopard danios, she had tiger barbs but I think he killed all but two of them, and an albino bristle nose pleco.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Yes that is more territorial then normal. With having the male and female, that's all that can be in that tank. Any other fish are just food now. Doesn't help with them having the taste for fish now lol

 

[Boogety48]

I never thought about it being that they've paired up.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Boogety48]

The gold always hides and she said only comes out to eat. I told her he's high class now with all these $3 meals she's been buying him lol.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[mariah]

I never thought about it being that they've paired up.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Just like, if we stuck you in a square room with a few spots to hide and a tiger that likes to have his owe place and not be bugged... you have a slim chance at living for a bit but its only time. Odds are you won't become friends lol. If you were to add another tiger into the mix.. your chances go down to nothing. They can corner you, take turns chasing you... anything.

 

[Old Scales]

You have a choice to make. Either have a one fish tank or eliminate the murderer one way or the other. It might be mean, but I have little sympathy for super aggressive fish. OS.

 

[mariah]

You have a choice to make. Either have a one fish tank or eliminate the murderer one way or the other. It might be mean, but I have little sympathy for super aggressive fish. OS.

Yes, there either has to be just the two gouramis in the tank (if they get along) or re home the one that is more aggressive and then you might be able to have a bigger school of the fish left in there. If fish still get attacked. Rehome the other gourami. There are lots of other fish that can go into a 29gallon tank. With my gourami, i only have 4 zebra danios because i have had mine for over two years. They are slowly all dieing off. I am not going to restock until something happens to the gourami because why stock it with lots id danios and then have them all when he's gone

 

[Patty1980]

How many male dwarf gourami would be a safe equilibrium? I can't find the thread that I swear talks about this. I don't want babies and the males are prettier.

Sent from my EVO using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Wiggles24]

That's odd I've had problems with blue gouramis and other blue or gold gouramis but anytime I've had one in a community tank they are model citizens.

 

[Coursair]

3 Spot Gouramis ( of any color), esp males are often very aggressive when they mature. In smaller tanks that can mean dead fish. I don't like them in anything less than a 40 or a 55g. They can hit 6" and prefer heavily planted tanks.

I'd rehome him to someone with a larger tank and no other Gouramis or someone who wants a male that wants to breed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Boogety48]

I'll let her know. She said she does Have bubble nests so I think they have paired off and he's protecting a nest. She said she's never seen any babies but I that makes sense to me since the gold never comes out.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[mariah]

I'll let her know. She said she does Have bubble nests so I think they have paired off and he's protecting a nest. She said she's never seen any babies but I that makes sense to me since the gold never comes out.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Making bubble nests doesn't mean they have paired up. My gourami is always making bubble nest and its just him in there. Id assume if they were to have paired up, they would always he swimming next to each other. With the one hiding, either its a male and is weaker so it gets picked on or its a female and they aren't going to pair and he picks on her. They need to rehome one of them.

 

[Demonknight]

LOL I adopted a blue that someone couldn't deal with any more...he's doing fine in my tank that has a school of Harlequin Rasboras, black skirt tetra, angel and some bn plecs...I even tossed in 2 male guppies hoping something would eat them and they are still swimming around

 

[shark21]

Blues are a challenge I have 6 in my 75g. 2 males 4 females...the males are very aggresive! One is over territorial but he is gorgeous looks like he is wrapped in blue army camo....if I diddnt love him I would rehome him immediately. ..he picks at my Angels here and there...pisses me off sometimes but it is what it is!