Honey Gourami went psycho

[Lardeelion]

I have a 29g that I just got going a few weeks ago. I started with a honey gourami, 2 black skirts (to be joined by a few from my other tank after quarantine) and a school of 8 cardinals. The gourami was calm and benign.

Today I added some cories and the gourami went bananas. Those poor cories. The gourami chased everybody in a crazed frenzy until I fished him out and put him in a small tank by himself.

Is it possible he'll calm down after being sequestered, or should I just give him back to the LFS? I like the way the gourami looks, but I'm not subjecting my cories to aggression.

 

[FeldmansFish]

While the gourami is out of the main tank, rearrange it then add the gourami back.
If that doesn't work, since you want to keep him, you could consider making the spare that the gourami is in his permanent home.

 

[AaronW]

Honestly. You might have to rehome the gourami. They're kind of aggressive

 

[Lardeelion]

Yeah, what a punk.

 

[AaronW]

Yeah, what a punk.

Not all of them are though. I have a gold gourami and he is a great fish gets along with everyone. But I recently tried adding a blue female. And she was really aggressive to newcomers. So it's a hit or miss with them. They should be the last fish you introduce.

 

[Lardeelion]

I knew it was a gamble, just as I have an aggressive betta and a very mellow betta. You're right - he should have gone in last. I saw him, he was lovely, I bought him. Rats.

 

[AaronW]

Yeah. Try Feldmans idea. Although I still had to rehome even after I rearranged the tank. But it's worth a shot

 

[Rivercats]

If they aren't in a big tank they can get the same "this tank is mine" territory issue. Do as instructed above and always put the new fish in before adding the aggressor back in. When rearranging the tank while a fish is removed and then reintroduced the fish thinks it's in a different tank.

 

[smallfry53]

I put a honey gourami in a tank with pristella tetras, and it was put in last. It was fine for about 3 months until a week ago. It began chasing my pristellas like crazy, so I put it in my other tank. Then it was chasing my bolivian rams in that tank. Then I moved the bolivians to the other tank. Right now the gourami seems to be getting along with everybody, but I still think I'm going to try and get rid of it. I had a dwarf gourami that I had to get rid of already. I'm pretty much sick of gouramis at this point.

 

[Lardeelion]

I put a honey gourami in a tank with pristella tetras, and it was put in last. It was fine for about 3 months until a week ago. It began chasing my pristellas like crazy, so I put it in my other tank. Then it was chasing my bolivian rams in that tank. Then I moved the bolivians to the other tank. Right now the gourami seems to be getting along with everybody, but I still think I'm going to try and get rid of it. I had a dwarf gourami that I had to get rid of already. I'm pretty much sick of gouramis at this point.

That's how I feel. I had gouramis many years ago and now I remember why I quit. Live and learn...multiple times, obviously. I'll see what I come up with. He was so peaceful until the cories arrived that I thought I'd gotten away with it.