my red flame dwarf gourami is building a bubble nest!!HELP!!?

Question

hi
i have recently bought 2 red flame dwarf gouramis and after i had them 4 about 2 days one of them started building a bubble nest!This is really exciting but........im not sure if the other 1 is a female!how do i tell?do gouramis ever build nests without having a partner 1st?also how do i tell if the bubble nest has eggs in it?
thanks
dom

Answer 1

If the other Gourami is not colorful (more of a gray color), then it is a female. But they generally don't sell females because of their poor coloration. You likely have 2 males. Yes, it is normal for that to happen w/o a female. Bettas are a type of Gourami, and they do the same thing.

Nosoop4u

Answer 2

No sweat,there won't be any problems. Yes, they build nests without partners of the opposite persuasion. It's been over 15 years since I've seen a female dwarf Gourami of any color strain. The breeders in Singapore don't ship females,so you gotta buy all of the fish from them. If they did screw up and let a female get through,you should be studying books on breeding Anabantids. Also provide tons of hiding places for the female to hide,cause the males can get a little rough if their mate is not in spawning condition.

Answer 3

It's unlikely you have any female dwarf gourami. As they are best described as small, and grey. It's much more rare for a dwarf gourami to build a nest unless they have a mate(s) than say betta, but it happens. I wouldn't worry as it's harmless unless the gourami starts bullying other dwarfs too much. (The males tend towards mild aggression towards other dwarf gourami male, and female.)

Answer 4

the females are often culled because they are drab (just some "flame" on the tips of the fins). i think gouramis need women's rights advocates.

they blow bubbles because they can -- it doesn't mean they are about to mate.