Dwarf gourami suspected in disappearances

[Rainer]

Supposedly dwarf gourami males are peaceful community fish but I'm having doubts. A single tetra introduced recently was bullied by the DG, then went missing from the tank, a 29g. The established group of tetras are all ok.

DG was very inquisitive about a couple of sub-adult amanos when they were still floating in their bag. I saw them cleaning the next day but they haven't been spotted in several days now.

Coincidence?

There are no signs of foul play, but still...

[LB79]

DGs are unpredictable, and check your floor around the tank. Tetra may have gone carpet-surfing.

[Rainer]

No dried fish or shrimp in sight - no indoor cats or dogs either.

Could a DG disassemble two sub-adult amano shrimp?

[StygianSteel]

Originally Posted by Rainer

No dried fish or shrimp in sight - no indoor cats or dogs either.

Could a DG disassemble two sub-adult amano shrimp?

It's possible. I've seen things online about Dwarf Gouramis being terrors and others saying the opposite. I guess it really is individual personality dependent, though I've never actually seen an aggressive one. The couple of Dwarf Gouramis I've kept both got on fine with Amanos. They were both pretty timid actually.

[c_gwinner]

My DG took out my rcs population and would hide right next to where the last one was located before snatching him up too. He even took out 2 of my male guppies, he seemed peaceful but i think i had the same thing you have going on with mine. Mine would also bully all the other fish(tetras and guppies) at feeding time.

[Rainer]

Is it possible to overwhelm or reset this behavior? I'm thinking of adding another 6-8 tetras/rasboras and a colony of shrimp. Maybe add the fish - hoping the biofilter can handle the strain - wait a week or two, then add the shrimp just before a blackout?

[LB79]

They're predators in nature, so it's not really feasible to rewire their instincts. The best you could do is get a lot of the same type of dither-fish and hope the aggression will be splayed over all the individuals. Shrimp... I'd not keep them with a DG in a 29. A 55 or 110 is different. Lots of space. But a 29? The gourami will be able to scour all surfaces in a few hours, not giving the shrimp a break.

[Jadenlea]

Call Nancy Grace!!! She will get to the bottom of this.

[Rainer]

That's too bad. His predecessor was a great little guy. Guess this one will go back to the pet store.

[Batch]

Where in TN are you? (I'm in knoxville)

[NWA-Planted]

Gourami like other labrynth fish, just really depends on the particular fish.

My Beta for example doesn't touch the cherry shrimp that hang out with him in his tank, however he hates any kind of snail.....

Just take him back and get another

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[Psionic]

My old powder blue was a total demon fish. I couldn't even keep guppies with him. He'd bully everything. He eventually just ended up by himself for a long time.


-Val

[Rainer]

Mine's a dwarf powder blue too - coincidence? The previous gentle one was not.

[Rainer]

Had a surprise when I came home today. There, sitting unconcernedly in the middle of the tank, was one of the "missing" amanos.

How a 2" shrimp can remain hidden for ten days in a 29g is beyond me. No sign of the other amano - yet - but something tells me the missing tetra isn't going to make a magical reappearance.

[daworldisblack]

DGs are hit and miss when it comes to compatible personalities.. I have a male and 2 females.. i got the 2 females because he was bullying all my other fishes.. none of them have ever gotten round to eating the Amanos in my tank though. I did have another DG duo once that took apart an entire dwarf red-claw crab.