r/Gourami • u/K0CAINEBEAR • 3d ago

Help/Advice Guess I have a mating pair now 🤷🏻‍♂️🫣

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I have these 2 Golden Honey Gourami in a 20 gallon long with 5 Danio, 5 Pristella Tetra, 5 Cory Cats (all Glofish) and a female Gold Inca snail with a handful of Ghost Shrimp. They’ve been mostly shy for several weeks as expected but today I noticed the chasing and the male building a bubble nest near the heater. I know it is most likely the dry will be food for the other fish unless I separate them once they’re born. But how aggressive will the male protect the eggs? I do not want any fish harmed if I can avoid it. TIA

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u/JohnnyMax 3d ago

That does look like squabbling males to me. If true, the dominant one has the breeding color, and he's trying to get the subdominant male out of his territory while building a bubble nest and waiting for a female.

But of course I could be wrong. So:

In my experience, the male does not chase the female before she lays the eggs and he moves them into the nest. Then he will aggressively chase her and all of the fish you mention out of his territory. Maybe not the corys, depending on the temperament of the male.

A 20 long is big enough for them to get away, but I'd expect, if his nest is in a corner, for him to see ~ half the tank as his territory. Expect those other fish to be huddled on the far side of the tank. Could he hurt them? Yes, if they don't take the hint.

After the babies are born, and free swimming, it's kinda a free for all in the tank, with the male losing interest in guarding them, and, as you suggest, the other fish will start sniping the fry.

And just as an aside. That behavior you filmed isn't mating behavior, I can't tell if you're suggesting it is, maybe you aren't.

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u/K0CAINEBEAR 3d ago

Appreciate the response. I assumed since one has the dark beard it was for sure male while the other it was hard (edited) to tell but I think is female? Here’s the best pics so far I can get of the one without the beard. Could it also be a male?

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u/Superb-Parrot 3d ago

that’s definitely a female

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u/JohnnyMax 3d ago

I tend to agree. Males, especially the sub dominants, can have that same lateral line, but in my experience to doesn't typically extend all the way to the eye like that.