i have attached a photo of my white gourami.. its always disturbing the other fishes..?

Question

http://www.asianaquariums.com/jpg/anabandits/Gourami%20White.jpg


is it really harmful so that i should keep him in another seperate bowl or something? i am scared that it would lead to some dangerous situation to the others fishes..

Answer 1

Gouramis may be aggressive toward other fish, but it depends on the individual. Some get along fine with tankmates.

The ones that become troublemakers are usually males that are attempting to guard a territory. This can be a problem if you have a smaller tank. These should be in something about 30 gallons or larger to give them room (or give the other fish room to get out of his way).

You're right that constantly being harassed and chased will be stressful for your fish. You can try to help them out by putting lots of plants in the tank (they can be fake ones) and some driftwood to separate your tank into "areas". Even put some plants in the middle. If the gourami isn't always able to see the other fish, this will keep him from wanting to chase them, and the plants will give the other fish a place they can hide. This may work if the other fish are able to stand up to a little bullying.

If this doesn't solve your problem, you could get a tank divider and give him his "own" part of the tank where he can't get to the others. Other than that, he'd need his own tank.

Answer 2

I've had aquariums all my life, and never yet had any luck with gouramis. They are just inveterate nippers, they'll nip the fins of any fish that comes near them. As pretty as they are, they're not worth the trouble.

Answer 3

If you are keeping him with a betta, that's your problem, as they're in the same family and so can't be kept together, just as 2 bettas can't be kept together. Also, if you have them in too small a tank, he will be stressed which can lead to aggressive behavior. It would be helpful to know the tank size and his tank mates.