Gourami's fighting/mating? Please look!

[wrightrottie]

I have two Blue Gouramis that I bought from Petsmart last week. I have never had any before and knew i wanted a male and a female. The store girl picked me out two and I brought them home. I've noticed them today acting peculiar. They are circling each other and doing like a little dance, shaking their entire bodies and fanning their tails out big. They also turn darker blue. Doesn't look like they are really fighting, just dancing. I noticed that they both look very similar so I looked up online the differences in males and females...it said that the dorsal fins were different...these fish fins look the same. Please help...are they fighting or are they mating?? The first pick is the circling, the second is the shaking.

 

[irishspy]

It's hard to tell from the photos, but I suspect you have two males slugging it out for dominance. Has either made a bubble next yet? To be on the safe side, you might want to take one back to the store: trichogater trichopterus are among the more aggressive gouramis and should be kept in a ratio of one male to 2-3 females. What size tank are these two in? Are there any other inhabitants?

:coffee2:

 

[jpappy789]

I agree with what Irishspy said. Trichogater trichopterus can be very aggressive towards conspecifics and unless they are kept in a proper ratio, in a tank large enough to support the number, and with plenty of deco to break the line of sight then its best to only have one.

 

[jm1212]

do you have any more pics? its a bit hard to tell if they are both male.

those fish seem to have orange fins, and look to be a bit more like paradise gouramis than blue gouramis.

 

[grannylvsfish]

way to hard to see ...... I bet there pretty though !

 

[Lupin]

do you have any more pics? its a bit hard to tell if they are both male.

those fish seem to have orange fins, and look to be a bit more like paradise gouramis than blue gouramis.

Funny how I thought similarly as well when I saw the pics.:grinyes:

 

[irishspy]

those fish seem to have orange fins, and look to be a bit more like paradise gouramis than blue gouramis.

Good point. If they're paradise fish, they're even more aggressive. :swear:

 

[gabrie30]

Get them separated quickly, chose the one you want because they will go at it till the death.

 

[lymabean]

wow, these gouramis seem like such fighters some times. I think next time get some dwarfs, they are more peacful.