Dwarf Gourami Hiding

[aqua7]

I recently bought 2 Dwarf Gouramis. Seems like I got a male and a female. I got the male first and about a week later the female. About a week after introducing the female she now spends most of the day hiding behind the driftwood or plants. Could anyone please tell me why she might be doing this?

 

[angloe1]

I recently bought 2 Dwarf Gouramis. Seems like I got a male and a female. I got the male first and about a week later the female. About a week after introducing the female she now spends most of the day hiding behind the driftwood or plants. Could anyone please tell me why she might be doing this?

I have 3 male dwarf gouramis and they are very shy fish! Mine hide all the time. They are just starting to come out now that they are getting used to our movements and routines and of course they always come out at feeding time!! Hiding is perfectly normal for Dwarf gouramis. Any research I've done says they are shy. Good luck and enjoy them.

 

[aqua7]

Thanks anglo! Your post made me feel a lot better about the fish hiding.

 

[Amicus]

Thanks anglo! Your post made me feel a lot better about the fish hiding.

Thanks from me too. I lost one and the remaining hides now, chalk it up to shyness.

 

[angloe1]

No problem! I just love their shyness!! I think it's so cute! They are such neat fish!

 

[siva]

Are you sure it's a female? Is one brightly colored, and one lacking almost all coloration? There does seem to be more females around lately, but they are generally considered pretty a pretty rare find at an lfs.

As a general rule, dwarf gouramis should be kept as a single, or in groups with atleast 3 males and a 2:1 female to male ratio. You'll likely find your gouramis will begin to fight. If it's a 55 gal or larger tank it's possible they might live together peacefully, but in smaller tanks one usually eventually starts picking on the other until death.

 

[Josh]

I definitely don't recommend two gouramis in a community tank if that is the situation. More than likely, your female is actually a male. While gouramis do take a bit longer to acclimate to a tank if "she" is not swimming around withing 2-3 days I would assume "she" lost a territorial dispute and is being heavily stressed.

 

[aqua7]

The Gourami is now seen a lot more. I believe it's a female because of things I read online. It has a lot of gray (less color) than the other one. Both pick on each other from time to time, but never anything extreme.