Are Dwarf Gouramis Aggressive? {The Top 6 Ways To Stop It}

Are you wondering if a Dwarf Gourami will become aggressive in your tank? Will they fight and disturb your tank’s ecosystem? In this article, we’ll discuss if a Dwarf Gourami is an aggressive fish.

Are Dwarf Gouramis Aggressive? Dwarf Gouramis are relatively docile and peaceful fish. Males can get more aggressive when trying to defend territories in small tanks or during breeding periods. Overall, you can add more decorations and shouldn’t have many issues with Dwarf Gourami fish in larger sized community tanks. 

Are Dwarfs Gouramis Aggressive With Bettas?

A male Siamese fighting fish belonging to the Betta genus is known to cause problems with Dwarf Gourami fish. The dwarf gourami is usually gentle and docile unless itsterritory is being interfered with.

Most of the time, they will back down by retreating or getting bullied to the point of getting weakened by the stress. It is not recommended to keep bettas and dwarf gouramis together in the same tank.

Do Dwarf Gouramis Fight Each Other?

The best part of stocking a tank with dwarf gouramis is that they are peaceful members in your community tank. You may face a challenge when including more males than females.

Males will sometimes fight over the chance to breed with female dwarf gouramis. It’s best to have more females than males in your tank to reduce this chance of aggression.

The final point here is that overcrowding will lead to aggression for available space. Try to stock fewer Dwarf gouramis overall in tanks that are 20 gallons or smaller.

What Causes Aggression In Gouramis?

Dwarf gouramis will not fight for no reason. This is not an activity that is amusing or fun. It’s a defense mechanism that is uncommon in larger tanks where there aren’t males outnumbering females. If they are fighting, it could be due to the following reasons:

  • Food
  • Mating
  • Territory

Food

Separate feedings in different zones. Try not to feed all of them in the same area. They shouldn’t fight over food unless there is a larger gourami or another tankmate that is instigating the aggression.

Mating

Mating seems to be a common reason for aggressive behavior. The males are trying to prove their strength to the female for the right to mate with her. Include more females or reduce the number of males.

Territory

Territories can be adjusted or rearranged if you notice a dwarf gourami fighting over a specific area. You can either add more decorations and plants or move everything around and allow them a chance to readjust.

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Is a Female Dwarf Gourami Aggressive?

Females tend to be less aggressive than males in the gourami family. They are not going to be docile all the time if they are breeding. A female dwarf gourami will get defensive when protecting her eggs or fry.

If she is not in protection mode, then she will be mostly carefree, but any surrounding male dwarf gouramis may get aggressive to win the chance to mate with her.

How Do I Notice Aggression In Dwarf Gouramis?

Sometimes it isn’t that easy to notice aggression. If there are no outright battles, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t any aggression. Look out for the following signs:

  • Chasing Others
  • Stealing Food
  • Breeding
  • Wounds

Chasing

A dwarf gourami could chase or butt head with tankmates. They will usually pick on smaller fish or their counterparts.

Sometimes fin nipping will occur if their tankmate has longer, stringy fins. If there is too much chasing going on, you may notice your dwarf gouramis hiding more often.

Stealing Food

Aggression in dwarf gouramis can result from the feeding frenzy when food is offered. They may dart around trying to nab any available food. They could even get close enough to their tankmates to take the food right out of their mouths.

Spread the food around and vary it from sinking pellets to floating flakes so there isn’t one area where stealing food becomes much easier to do.

Breeding

Females will protect their eggs or fry. They will not actively chase other fish unless they get very close. Your fingers may also get nipped at if you try to reach in near their young.

Males will become aggressive by head butting or chasing each other for the right to breed with a female. Too many males could be a problem.

Wounds

Look out for the following types of injuries:

  • broken fins
  • split fins
  • jagged edges on fins
  • excessive hiding
  • scratches
  • scrapes
  • loss of color
  • cloudy eyes

How Can You Stop Dwarf Gourami Fish From Acting Aggressive?

The following methods have been used to thwart aggression in dwarf gouramis:

  1. Removal of aggressors
  2. Allowing initial fights
  3. Adding decorations
  4. More plants
  5. Introduce a larger fish
  6. Divide the tank

1. Remove Aggressors

The first reason might be to remove the most aggressive dwarf gourami. Give it time and see if this behavior continues before reacting in this absolute way.

2. Initial fights

There is a pecking order between them that may need to be established first. This could take a day or two. Once dominance is asserted in the tank, things may calm down.

3. Decorations

Decorations add more hiding spaces to rest and relax. The spaces turn into active territories for spawning or feeding as well.. Keep decorations apart from each other and allow your dwarf gouramis to settle into them.

4. Plants

Plants not only provide more oxygenation and shade, they also serve as hiding spaces too. Add more plants and move then around if possible if they are too close together. Include floating plants as well for dwarf gouramis who like to swim more at the top level of your tank.

5. A Larger Fish

Add a large fish in your tank to let these little dwarf gouramis know who is boss. They may all become aware of a larger presence that lives with them and decide there is more safety in numbers when they aren’t trying to be aggressive with each other.

They may band together and realize that the big fish in the tank doesn’t wish to be disturbed with aggression in the tank.

6. Tank Divider

The final step before removal is to consider tank dividers. A piece of driftwood works in smaller tanks or actual dividers sold in fish shops could help during feedings and breeding periods. You can remove the divider at other times and allow them to be social once again.

Conclusion

Dwarf Gouramis are usually gentle and social. Their fights are usually due to territory or breeding. They usually don’t result in harm or death. Try to give them enough room with plenty of spaces to enjoy through decoration and planted areas.

 

Thank you for visiting HelpUsFish.com and see you again soon for another article on any of the marine life you are interested in keeping or learning more about!

Brian Arial

Brian Arial has kept fish for leisure and worked with fish stores for most of his life. He enjoys writing and caring for aquariums and ponds.

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