fighting gouramis

[DevanKristy]

We have 2 gouramis. They look a little different, so I think I have one of each sex. I don't know which is which or even if they are of opposite sex. We've had them for almost 2 weeks and I knew that one was more active than the other, but I don't know fish fighting or playing. I grew up with guppies. Today, I noticed that the calmer of the two has now got reddish color spots on it. Which then right away I saw the other pecking/ nibble at it in the exact spot. I got a closer look and the fish is actually bleeding, very little. Like the scales are red, but not seeing any flow of blood coming off of it. So I guess my long story short, too late, is the question, how do I stop this? Am I going to have to get rid of one of them? Please help, they are my son's fish and he gets upset seeing them fight.

[Heyguy74]

Welcome to the forums. What size tank are theyin? What type of gouramis are they?

[SGypsyMermaid]

when you say "they look a little different", what do you mean? different size, color, markings? they could be different species, depending upon what those differences are. gouramis usually don't play well with each other.

[DevanKristy]

no, same colors (kinda like opals), one is little longer than the other.

[Heyguy74]

If you have 2 males they will fight. What size tank are they in? If its say a 10 gallon tank. You'll always have problems.

[DevanKristy]

what if it's smaller, there are in a 2.5 gallon. I noticed today that the mean one has nibbled 2 little holes throw the calm oneback fin area.

[djfungus]

I'd get a bigger tank :)

[Glaive]

deffinetly a bigger tank, perhaps return one of them and get a few smaller fish that won't fit in the gourami's mouth.

[Heyguy74]

You can put a single male betta in the 2 1/2 gallon. Dont put 2 in the same tank or one will kill the other.

[DevanKristy]

Thank you all for your help!

[Stretch-1]

i had two kissing gouramis and they fought all the time. finally the larger one killed the other. they were in a 20 gallon. now the one i have left is like 6" in my 29 gallon. he is awesome i love that fish.

[Dempsey88]

I had 2 gouramis that were only 3 inches long in a 37 gallon tank. And even in 37 gallons, one would always chase and peck at the other.

[vally136]

if they are 2 males the bigger 1 will chase the smaller one constanly.......... i got so tried of this in my comm.tank so i took the agressive 1 and put him in the oscar tank needless to say hes fine in there ,get along with the oscars and he dosent chase them.............. vally136

[nick447923]

I have 2 gouramis in a 135 gallon and they still don't get along that well. They have plenty of romm though. When they were in a 10 gallon things were alot worse. One would stay behind the hang on back filter.

[nick447923]

sorry just noticed that this post is over 2 years old

[vally136]

i had 2 in my community (3-spotblue gouramis) one was a little bigger than the other 2-males the little couldnt get eny kind of peace in the tank so i fixed him ...i said u be the 1 chased for a while because i got to oscars -he was the same size as the oscars ----dont hate me for it -hes doing ok and hes not chasing another fish in there the oscars dont pay him much attention hes doing fine in with them i will probably take him out when the other gouramis gets the same size as he is........

[vally136]

hi, had the same problem 2 males had to saperate them.