Aggressive gourami

[Zanzag]

Ive got 3 female convicts about 2-2.5 inches in my growout tank to hopefully put into my display. My issue is the growout has a resident opaline gourami who makes it his lifes work to chase the convicts. Have never seen him make contact and the convicts just flee, but should i be overly concerned about this for now or just monitor? The gourami is at least 5 inches.

 

[duanes]

I have found blue and opaline gouramis, and many anabantoids (like comb tails) to be very territorial, often on par with any aggressive cichlid, especially in a small space. So if the gourami was in the tank first, and is larger than the convicts, the chasing is no surprise, and if was first resident, it has a turf investment protect, so harassing the interlopers into a stress induced death is not out of the realm of possibility.
(ever wonder why there are no endemic cichlids in most of Asia where gouramis are the predominant Perciform?)

 

[tlindsey]

Ive got 3 female convicts about 2-2.5 inches in my growout tank to hopefully put into my display. My issue is the growout has a resident opaline gourami who makes it his lifes work to chase the convicts. Have never seen him make contact and the convicts just flee, but should i be overly concerned about this for now or just monitor? The gourami is at least 5 inches.

Do you have anything that the Convict's can retreat to like pvc pipe until you move them into the display aquarium. I personally wouldn't keep them in the growout with the Gourami for very long it may kill the smaller Convict's. The Gourami has claimed the growout already.

 

[Zanzag]

Oh yeah theres rockwork and hiding spaces all over the place. All three eat great, occasionally savage a few feeder guppies, and have nearly doubled in size in the past month. Once they hit about 3" the plan is to move them.

 

[Zanzag]

 

[Zanzag]

So this convict and the gourami seem to have split the tank down the middleish. Either crosses over the root the other smacks at it. Tank shuffle it is. The gourami should be fine with senegal bichirs right? Different habits and such. He only takes flakes. They eat anything that makes it to the bottom.

 

[tlindsey]

So this convict and the gourami seem to have split the tank down the middleish. Either crosses over the root the other smacks at it. Tank shuffle it is. The gourami should be fine with senegal bichirs right? Different habits and such. He only takes flakes. They eat anything that makes it to the bottom.View attachment 1375187View attachment 1375188

I suggest a good brand pellet for the Senegal.

 

[Zanzag]

Oh yeah they get krill brine shimp worms and my cichlid pellets