You’ve probably heard that gouramis are considered to be good community tank fish. Most gouramis have a reputation for being fairly peaceful fish.
This is why it’ll be somewhat shocking if you discover that one of your gouramis has been killing other fish. Is there something that might be making your gouramis more aggressive than usual?
Why would a gourami fish start killing the other fish in the aquarium? Does this mean you’re doing something wrong?
Continue reading to dig into this topic and get all of the necessary information. Once you’re finished, you’ll have a much better idea of what is going on with your gouramis.
Most Gouramis Are Peaceful
Most gouramis are considered to be quite peaceful. For instance, dwarf gouramis, sparkling gouramis, and honey gouramis are well known to have peaceful temperaments.
It’s fairly unlikely that these types of gouramis will go after and kill other fish. This doesn’t mean that it can’t happen, though.
Sometimes gouramis will fight each other for various reasons. Male gouramis often don’t get along well at all.
It’s possible that two male gouramis might fight to the death when put in the same fish tank. Also, it’s not recommended to mix different gourami types.
If you put two separate types of gouramis in the same tank, then the two sets of fish will fight each other. Unless there is a really large fish tank with lots of plants in it, the two sets of fish will always come into conflict.
You might also have a gourami fish that is just particularly aggressive. It could be way more aggressive than average and this is causing it to kill its tank mates.
Some Gouramis Are Semi-Aggressive
Some gouramis are going to be considered to be semi-aggressive. These gouramis can be placed in community fish tanks, but you need to be sure to pick out appropriate tank mates.
Kissing gouramis are among the largest types of gouramis that people commonly keep in home aquariums. These fish can grow to be eight inches long or larger.
They often bite each other and they will also go after other fish. It wouldn’t be unusual at all for a kissing gourami to kill a fish that is smaller than it in a community tank.
Other types of aggressive gourami fish include blue gouramis and giant gouramis. These fish can get along with other fish, but you just need to pick the right tank mates for them if you want things to go smoothly.
Also, it’s important to ensure that the fish have more than enough space. Semi-aggressive fish will become more territorial if they’re forced to live in a cramped tank.
Never overcrowd your fish tank by putting too many fish in it. This is bad for the health of the fish and is more likely to lead to fighting.
Big Fish Eat Smaller Fish
If you’re new to keeping aquariums in your home, then you might not have learned that big fish eat smaller fish yet. This probably sounds obvious, but you need to be careful which fish you’re putting together.
Putting gouramis in the same tank as fish that are much smaller than them won’t work out well. Pretty much any omnivorous or carnivorous fish is going to eat a fish that is small enough to fit in its mouth.
This is totally normal behavior for fish. It isn’t something that is unique about gourami fish.
Keep this in mind and be sure that you put some thought into things when planning out a community aquarium. Failure to do so could cause you to lose many of the fish in your tank.
Do the Necessary Research
Do the necessary research to ensure that you pick out good tank mates for whatever type of gourami fish you have. If you want to use the gouramis as community tank fish, then you’ll need to learn what types of fish they will get along with.
There are many fantastic fish that will pair up nicely with gouramis. Which ones you’ll be able to choose will depend on the type of gourami fish that you own.
If you’re looking to have an easy experience, then you should purchase gouramis that are known to be peaceful. These types of gouramis will have the most possible types of tank mates to choose from.
You can still have a good experience even if you’re looking to care for semi-aggressive gouramis. It’s just necessary to take a bit of time to find the perfect tank mates for them.
Even behemoth adult giant gouramis can work in a community tank setting. You’ll just have to pair them with other big and semi-aggressive fish such as oscars.
Taking care of gouramis should be a very satisfying experience. Hopefully, you won’t have to deal with the gourami fish killing another fish in your tank in the future.
Final Thoughts
It is possible that a gourami fish might choose to kill another fish. These fish can sometimes be territorial.
Generally, most of the popular types of gouramis are quite peaceful. Even these fish might choose to fight other fish under the right circumstances.
For example, keeping fish in an overcrowded fish tank will make it more likely that they will come into conflict with their tank mates. This is why it’s best to avoid putting too many fish in one tank.
You also can’t put gouramis in with fish that they aren’t compatible with. Even peaceful gouramis might choose to kill and eat smaller fish that are put in a tank with them.
Semi-aggressive gouramis might wind up bullying other fish. You can keep them in community aquariums, but it will be necessary to only put them in a tank with fish that can stand up to them.
Don’t let this information scare you away from wanting to purchase gouramis. These fish can be great community tank members, but you can’t just put them in aquariums with any fish and call it good.
So long as you’re doing the research, things will be just fine. You can enjoy your gouramis while keeping the other fish safe.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.