3-spot/Opaline Gourami aggression

[FinFanatic]

I've been searching online about these two. I picked them up Saturday for my 90g tank and for the first two days, the 3-spot hid. Now he's out and he's got his eye on the opaline and has started picking on it.

Have no idea on sex, they're both about 2 1/2-3 inches.

things I've read online have people with 20, 25, 29g tanks keeping 3 different types "no problems." I call BS. My 3-spot is going hard after the opaline.

What are your experiences trying to keep these together? Other tank mates include three mature silver dollars - about as big as my hand. But they've spent most of their lives with a texas, some red jewels and other aggressive fish. They are sufficiently cowed. They don't bother anyone.

So who thinks the 3-spot and opaline are just establishing territory and who thinks the 3-spot won't stop until it kills the opaline? I'm leaning toward the latter and will try to fish him out and return him to the LFS.

It's a 4-foot tank, maybe 30 inches tall.

Thanks

 

[tanker]

I have always had problems with those 2 Gourami.. IMO, the are among the meanest of all Gourmai.

I think you are right, the 3-spot will not stop till he kills the other.

 

[FinFanatic]

I have always had problems with those 2 Gourami.. IMO, the are among the meanest of all Gourmai.

I think you are right, the 3-spot will not stop till he kills the other.

Great :/

 

[Tifftastic]

In that size tank it seems weird to me that they are constantly going after one another. I would suggest either getting a couple more (to disperse aggression) or rehoming one of them.

 

[FinFanatic]

I agree, Tifftastic. They're only about 2 inches in a 90g tank. You'd think they'd figure out how to live together in peace! LOL. Enough room for everybody.

Actually, it looks like they were just establishing a pecking order. The 3-spot appears to have cooled down. Haven't noticed a lot of aggression the last couple days.

As for adding more, I did lose a lemon gourami (thats what the LFS called it anyway), so the guy at the LFS still owes me a fish. Would it be safe to intro a new gourami species now that these two appear to have found an uneasy peace?

 

[Tifftastic]

I'm pretty sure the opaline is just a different color morph of the blue (three spot) gourami. I've known a few people with tanks your size that have kept groups of the blue gouramis and have said you get less aggression with more. If you did add another, I wouldn't add just one. One fish makes a single target for both fish to pick at. If it were me I'd add two (or more, depending on your other stock) or I'd not add any at all.