So I HAD 5 Dwarf Gouramis. 3 neon blues and 2 flames. I started to see what looked like Ich on tw of the neon blues so I immediately began treating with Rid-Ich. However, the lesions on the fish kept getting worse. I couldn't figure out what was going wrong as I lost two of the neon blues. Then, last night, I watched as the largest of the flame gouramis beating the living shit out of the remaining neon blue. It was the most vicious thing I'd ever seen.

Beyond the fact that I feel like a total idiot for thinking they had Ich and treating for a disease they apparently didn't have, I'm trying to figure out what to do now. Should I take the aggressive gourami back to the LFS? Or should I try to purchase some females (I realized belatedly in all this, that they are all males in my tank) in order to reduce levels of aggression?

Whatever I do, I have to do it fast or my last neon blue will be dead. I don't have a quarantine tank for the aggressive one otherwise I'd have quarantined him already.

Thanks in advance for any advice/suggestions!

-Kevin

I ended up taking the aggressive one back and since then the two remaining ones seem much more mellow. I asked my LFS to order some females for me in the hopes that I can restock these fish as I think they are very lovely to watch.

I was off work over the weekend and didn't catch this post. I had several male dwarf gouramis and had the same problems. I did not realize when I got them that I was getting males. My neon blue terroized the flame and a full sized male golden gourami that I also had. I didn't realize it was the gourami at first much like you. I just saw a sick fish and thought I had an illness or parasites. When I finallly realized what was going on the golden gourami was dead and the dwarf flame hid and would not come out of hiding for anything. I believe stress finally killed him. I think gouramis are beautiful, but they are far too savage for my blood. When the neon blue finally died I swore off gouramis. Just too vicious. Hopefully, your two remaining males won't decided to duke it out before you get your females, but be prepared. They can turn nasty pretty quickly.

u got both male/female guaramis...cause if u do tht's why he's soo aggressive...if she's not interested in courting..the male will be aggressive toward everything ncluding her..until she gives in!