When (age/size) do giant gouramis usually calm down?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Cecropia

Cecropia

Candiru
MFK Member
Jan 17, 2008
664
17
48
US
I was under the assumption that once the "teenage" phase for GGs has passed, they usually mellow out and start taking more veggies but my 4ish year old, 13-14" male doesn't appear to have done that. He's in a 210 with a Dempsey and a shovelnose that he ignores for the most part (they're also his only tankmates to survive his teenage years) but I recently made an attempt to add some dithers (3-4" congo tetras) to see how he'd react. If he did ok, the plan was to move the congos to another tank of mine and try what I really wanted to put with the gourami next.

The GG methodically ate or just killed them all outright, in about 20 minutes. Did I try too early or is he just set in his ways at this point? I did switch up the tank decor and make sure he was well fed days before the introduction. I'd love to introduce some dithers for movement since the shovelnose is MIA during the day and the dempsey just patrols her flower pot all day but after losing the congos, I'm not sure I want to risk the tin foils or roselines I was wanting to put with him and get the same result.

Any ideas? Am I too early? Is the GG just a jerk? Am I trying the wrong dithers? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Is it a regular giant gourami or a red tail giant gourami? IME only the RTGG are placid and can be cohabbed with a number of different species. A regular osphronemus is pretty much going to be a solo specimen in a 210. IMO its just going to grow larger and meaner towards other fish. It will also grow more personable towards you tho.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cecropia
Had a pair of white/albino GG and they settled down around 14” but they were in much bigger accommodation. They did have a go at each other every now and again but generally left others alone. Females seem to be more peaceful in my experience.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cecropia
This seems to be one of those species that displays huge variations in personality and aggressiveness from one individual to the next. I'm basing that comment mostly on observations of others on the internet; some GG's are killers, others are pussycats.

I've had a grand total of 1 of these guys, a standard grey model. He grew up in a community tank of assorted small fish from the time that he was about 2 inches in length; his first day home he killed the other GG I got at the same time. He also relentlessly beat on a couple of other GG's I tried over the years (yeah, I'm a slow learner...).

But...he never ever picked on any other fish species, regardless of size. He was one of those wonderful giant fish that could be kept with anything else with no worries at all. It made for a great display, a roughly 18-inch fish cruising placidly around amongst little 2-inch barbs, tetras, etc. He could also be kept in a community of typical butt-head cichlids and never seemed to suffer for it; the cichlids just carried on fighting amongst themselves and he just blithely swam through all of it without partaking. Absolutely wonderful fish.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cecropia and DMD123
wednesday13 said:
Is it a regular giant gourami or a red tail giant gourami? IME only the RTGG are placid and can be cohabbed with a number of different species. A regular osphronemus is pretty much going to be a solo specimen in a 210. IMO its just going to grow larger and meaner towards other fish. It will also grow more personable towards you tho.
Click to expand...
He's one of the gold regular ones.
 
Little update and I think I figured out the problem is the GG just being a glutton.

I introduced a school 15 Buenos Aries tetras and an errant roseline shark (fish store lady snagged it by accident catching the tetras and didn't want to risk trying to get it out of the bag). Went swimmingly, except the GG really seemed to not like the roseline and stalked it specifically a few times.

It's been a few days now and only problem is the GG goes nuts at feeding time and attempts to eat the tetras. Once there's no more food in the tank, he goes back to normal.

Given that experience, I'm thinking about growing out some blue acaras and trying to find some tinfoils, things that get big enough to not be seen as food but not big enough to try to fight him.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tlindsey
HUKIT said:
The tank you have currently is too small for the fish you already have so I don’t understand continually trying to add more. It’s just not going to work.
Click to expand...
Thanks for parroting the obvious but I've never had a fish that ended up in a solo tank successfully make the transition to back to a community tank and I'd rather not risk that happening to my GG.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: jjohnwm
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom