My experience with dwarf gourami & killifish

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djblac

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Feb 2, 2006
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I have a 30 gallon long set up with fake plants, 5 cories, 10 black neon tetras, 2 flame gourami and 2 powder blue gourami (4 dwarf gourami)...

and one unknown male killi fish

I stocked the 4 gourami and 1 killi a week ago at the same time, the tank had been established and just waiting for the gourami, but i saw the killi on the way out and had a impulse buy to explore a new type of fish (hey who hasn't done it?).

Well the tank is great,very peaceful with the exceptiong of that killifish! I think it's something to do with the bright colors of the dwarf gouramis, because they attract the killi fish so that the male killi flares out and does spawning/defensive behavior towards the gourami! Well even after about 4 days of this bickering, no damage so far to either fish. At first the gourami protected the top of the tank, bothing the killi and pushing him around. Well now after a week the killi has gotten so defensive of the top that he will dart at all the gourami who goto the top for air. Whats worse is now the killi follows the gourami to the mid/low levels of the tank, still flaring out and every now and then "pecking" at the gourami. I'm real surprised there hasn't been damage!!

I'm going to remove the killi soon,when I'll have more time to monitor the tank i'm moving him into....but I would be careful mixing bright fish with killi! It seems that my male killi is oversexed and being agressive towards the gourami, even though i've only read good things about the peaceful nature of killi.

Anyone else have experience with mixxing gourami and killi? almost all my tanks have gouramis in them, so if this isn't going to work then that killi is out ;P
 

djblac

AC Members
Feb 2, 2006
71
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UPDATE

i've moved the killi into a bigger tank, a 55g rainbow fish tank. There are 3 thicklip gouramis ((bright orange colored, not shiney like a dwarf)) and 3 moonlight gourami also ((simi shiney like a dwarf)).

Well the move calmed the killi down a little, but he still follows some of the gourami when they goto the top of the tank to breath. He hasn't gotten all flared out like he was getting with the dwarf gourami, but I think he is still attracted to the moonlight gourami. Still he seems calmer then before, so i'm just keeping an eye on him for now.


I'll try to get a picture, but my camera doesn't work with my tank very well, **** auto focus. If you want to give a stab at a ID, he is pearl green/blue colored, similair to a jack dempsy but not as dark. When his color isn't directly in the light you can see a faint dark line down his body from his mouth to his back fin. The fins are also irridecent (sp) but outlined in a bright red. They have a overall yellow tindge to them...... any ideas anyone?
 
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