Demon Gourami

[RyanChance]

I had a blue powder gourami (about 2-3") in a 5 gallon tank with a very young red-finned shark. These are the fish I replaced my old ones with after my friend killed all of mine (and it was HORRIBLE -- not for the faint of stomach) over Christmas.
Anyway, the two fish got along quite well for the past four months -- no aggression ever. Then this weekend I woke up one morning to find my shark dead. Not just dead but mostly eaten. Gouramis aren't supposed to eat other fish as I understand it. Kill them maybe -- but consume them?
Anyone have any similar experiences? This summer I am getting a 30 gallon tank after I put down a wood floor but I am actually worried this fish will do that again and then it's not just a territory issue. At that point would it make sense to put it down since it can't live with anything?

-C-

 

[RyanChance]

I realize it seems crazy to theorize on an evil fish but it ate the shark. It was missing a lot of flesh and half its face (I've never seen a fish get mutiliated like that).
Is this normal behavior for a gourami?

 

[TomK2]

I think most fish will pick at the flesh of a dead fish, I know I have seen it before. But I can't say for gourami.

 

[dr_girlfriend]

Thats normal behaviour for most (if not all) fish. Even goldfish pick and eat at the dead. I don't know if your gourami killed your shark, but I'm not suprised at the scavenging.

 

[RyanChance]

I am pretty sure he killed it. The shark was perfectly healthy before that (good color, active, ate plenty). Maybe it was just scavenging but I get the feeling that the gourami killed that fish to eat it. Sounds weird but maybe. I've thought about buying a danio or something else similar in size to the shark (preferably cheap) to use as a test. If it were to turn up dead and ripped apart I'd know.
And yet somehow it seems like cruelty if the gourami takes the bait. Would it be unethical to sacrifice a smaller fish to it just to see what happens?

 

[dr_girlfriend]

How big is your tank? Do you have any other gouramis? Is the demon fish a male? He may have killed it if they are in a very small tank. Gouramis are territorial, especially around other gouramis and their bubble-nests. (I have been learning this with my male and female). My male chases and nips at anything that comes close to him or his nest.

 

[RyanChance]

It's a five gallon hex -- I think it's a male gourami because of the thin sides and he was with a red-fin shark (little one).