Coloring

Feb 13, 2011
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38
South Carolina
#1
I have recently got my 30 gallon hex tank started back up and stocked it with 4 dwarf gouramis, two neon blue and two regular colored. I am pretty sure all males. Tonight after dinner I happened to notice one of the regular dwarfs had a bark blue color that started at his throat area and stretched to the front of his anal fin. He is acting normal and seems to be healthy as do the other three. I haven't seen this color in any of the pictures I've seen online and was wondering what and why this just apeared today.
 

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#5
Just an FYI...you're asking for trouble with four male dwarf gouramis in a 30 gallon tank. Gouramis are related to bettas and as such are EXTREMELY territorial with their own kind. Even breeding pairs must be separated when they aren't breeding. I know someone who had male and female siblings in their 55 gallon tank and they ended up having to remove one of them because they were too territorial and aggressive with each other. You will see one that is an aggressor and picking on the others. The others will start hiding and you will ultimately end up with three dead gouramis. I wouldn't even put four male gouramis in a 6 foot tank. There just isn't room for them to establish their territories (if you research gouramis in the wild, their territories generally cover an area of about 1 square meter, which is a little less than 3 feet). I would recommend rehoming three of your gouramis ASAP before you end up with dead fish. Also, especially being that your tank is a hex, there isn't that much surface area, so there's even less space for them to establish their territories.
 

Feb 13, 2011
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38
South Carolina
#6
Thanks for the concerns and I have been watching them closly. There is one that appeares to have named himself alpha fish but he doen't harrass the others on a constant basis. He just likes to establish that he is boss then swims away, never actually attacking. At feeding fime they all seem to get plenty of food, everyone has good color and doesn't seem stressed at all. They were tank mates at the store a bought them from so I'm not sure if that has to do with their ease of cohabitation.
 

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#7
How long have they been in the tank? They are "fine" at the store all together because it is a temporary situation. They don't have time to establish territories or fight for dominance because there is such a high turnover of them through the tank. Give it a while and they'll start fighting once they've really settled in. Research dwarf gouramis. Every site you'll find tells you not to have multiples in one tank unless it's an absolutely massive tank.
 

paperdog9

Large Fish
Dec 11, 2009
633
0
0
Your Imagination
#9
I feel your pain. Sometimes kids can get into a rut, wanting the same thing all the time. It takes away my creativity to have to do something over and over again. And I know what you mean. They make the same shapes, the same pictures, it seems like it never changes.
jacson, I'm not quite sure where you were going with that reply.
(By the way, that person is just posting pointless spam)
 

Feb 13, 2011
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38
South Carolina
#10
My fish have been in the tank for two full weeks now. They have been "fine" up untill a day or two ago when I noticed one is looking stressed, and one stays well clear of the dominant two. One of the neon blues has taken claim to the top of the tank, and one of the regular colored has taken claim to the bottom. Feeding time is almost an all out brawl between the two dominant fish. Needless to say I am going to make a trip to the pet store tomorrow with three fish. I admit I didn't do enough research before I bought them, but pet stores and the website I checked should know more about these fish.

Could anyone suggest good tank mates for a male dwarf gourami, preferably smaller in size, very peaceful and colorful.
 

Feb 13, 2011
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38
South Carolina
#11
On the original subject of a different coloring on one of my regular dwarves, his blue breast is very bright and stays that way most of the time now. He is one of the dominant fish and the one I'll be keeping because of his bright colors.
 

lauraf

Superstar Fish
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#12
Yup, yup, yup. Listen to bassbonediva from now on, okay ;) ?

Ummm, peaceful and colourful community fish? How 'bout them livebearers - swordtails, platies, guppies??? Certain tetras would work too. Neons or cardinals with your bright blue dwarf gourami would look lovely . . . .
 

Feb 13, 2011
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38
South Carolina
#13
i don't really much care for the live bearers, had a few mollies as a kid and i couldn't keep them from reproducing and taking over my tank with hundreds of fry. I was thinking some small tetras like neons or glowlights or maybe colorful danios like white clouds or zebras.
 

Feb 13, 2011
10
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38
South Carolina
#14
Back from the lfs, returned one dwarf gourami, and two neon blue dwarf gouramis. Purchaced three each of neon tetras and glowlight tetras and one julii cory cat.
total tank population for my 30g hex:
1 male dwarf gourami
3 neon tetras
3 glowlight tetras
1 julii cory cat