I had 2 powder blue gourami's in my 90 gal. A first they were fine, then one started bullying the other one around. He always hid in the corner and whenever he tried to sneak out, the dominant one nipped at him sending him back to the corner. There is no way he was getting any food and as the days progressed he became noticably skinnier, not sickly looking but skinnier. I watched til' every particle of food was consumed and I am sure he isn't eating. I've tried every trick in the book to get him to eat to no avail.
I understand this dominant fish thing is relatively normal.
So, I figured I'd get another so there would be 3 total. Now the same thing is happening, 2 in the corner and 1 "socializing" normally. I tried removing the dominant one for a couple of hrs putting it in a large bucket. My LFS said this might work. It didn't.
A little while ago I saw one of the submissive fish swimming happily near the top at the end of the tank. I figured now is a good time to throw a few extra flakes in as the rest of the fish were fed an hour prior to this and were swimming at the other end of the tank. I go to lift up the glass cover and what happens?.....it slips out of my grip, slams down and sends the gourami swimming for his life. I have never seen either of the submissive fish anywhere in the tank until now, and this happens!!
A few minutes ago I stood over where their hiding spot is and very slowly moved my hand near them to spook them out into the open. Sure enough, after a minute or two, one of them casually moves ever so slightly into the open and BANG, the dominant fish flies(swims) over from the other side of the tank and nips him!
Now I'm always a very patient/non violent guy and I really had to restrain myself from pulling the old freezer trick here. I am ashamed to even write this because I would never hurt a defenseless living thing but I am really at the end of the line with this fishes behaviour. I really think the submissive fish will eventually starve. From what I've heard, even if there is a dominant fish the others will still find a way to eat. Do to the dominant gouramis honed terrorizing skills, this isn't happening.
I'd like to get another tank for my dining room after the holidays so then would be a good time to isolate the dominant one. On the other hand I may choose not to, so I really can't count on this being an option.
I've been told rearranging the tank may remedy this problem but that isn't an option, like I said it's a 90 gal.
Any ideas??
I understand this dominant fish thing is relatively normal.
So, I figured I'd get another so there would be 3 total. Now the same thing is happening, 2 in the corner and 1 "socializing" normally. I tried removing the dominant one for a couple of hrs putting it in a large bucket. My LFS said this might work. It didn't.
A little while ago I saw one of the submissive fish swimming happily near the top at the end of the tank. I figured now is a good time to throw a few extra flakes in as the rest of the fish were fed an hour prior to this and were swimming at the other end of the tank. I go to lift up the glass cover and what happens?.....it slips out of my grip, slams down and sends the gourami swimming for his life. I have never seen either of the submissive fish anywhere in the tank until now, and this happens!!
A few minutes ago I stood over where their hiding spot is and very slowly moved my hand near them to spook them out into the open. Sure enough, after a minute or two, one of them casually moves ever so slightly into the open and BANG, the dominant fish flies(swims) over from the other side of the tank and nips him!
Now I'm always a very patient/non violent guy and I really had to restrain myself from pulling the old freezer trick here. I am ashamed to even write this because I would never hurt a defenseless living thing but I am really at the end of the line with this fishes behaviour. I really think the submissive fish will eventually starve. From what I've heard, even if there is a dominant fish the others will still find a way to eat. Do to the dominant gouramis honed terrorizing skills, this isn't happening.
I'd like to get another tank for my dining room after the holidays so then would be a good time to isolate the dominant one. On the other hand I may choose not to, so I really can't count on this being an option.
I've been told rearranging the tank may remedy this problem but that isn't an option, like I said it's a 90 gal.
Any ideas??
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