NinjaTetra
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2012
- Messages
- 298
I have had a pair of female moonlight gouramis for a couple days now. They are definitely both female, via my diagnosis and the guy at the lfs who i know has had 20+ years fish experience. They seemed to exhibit fairly normal gourami behavior, but tonight I was a bit surprised. I have to say that one is a quarter inch shorter and the fins aren't quite as large, but it has followed the slightly larger one as they explore their new home. The other tankmates (tetras, corys, etc.) haven't payed them any mind, not even the guppies I have (I've kept a close watch- I don't want those ventral fins damaged). Most of you may know that gouramis use their ventral fins to "feel" their surroundings- everything from my sponge filter, the glass, my plants, and surprisingly my clown pleco (there was no response- yet if I blink, he goes and hides). They began reaching out to each other, like lightly brushing the other's ventral fins, like a handshake or something, and then the larger one did a sort of kissing gesture (which was my first thought- kissing gouramis do that when they fight), and slowly moved closer, until finally sweeping past the smaller one. They darted around, and it then appeared as if the larger one was nipping, but not at the fins. It was like mid- body. Apparently, a quick google search said the kissing behavior isn't always hostile, usually only between two males. They chased around for a bit, like my tetras do once in a blue moon but larger scale. The smaller one seemed a bit more pale but I'm not sure, its hard to tell on a grey-white fish. The dorsal fin also seemed slightly more compressed to the body for the next minute or two, and the caudal fin sagged a little bit, just making it look depressed. They are supposed to be peaceful, and supposedly moonlight gouramis need to be in at least a duo. Can anyone help me with this? Is it normal? Should I try and return them? Also- the larger one keeps pecking at my pennywort's roots, and eating them, it seems a little fat too....