[ravekiss]

Please help me identify the sex of my two gouramis...the opaline and the thick lipped next to him. Sorry pic is that clear

 

[Damon]

At first glance I would say the opaline is a female while the other is a male. Look for the ovipositor (white dot under the fish's belly). Females have one while males do not.

 

[Cichlid Man]

I agree with simpte.
Are you still having problems with gourami aggression or are they OK now?

 

[ravekiss]

Actually I had to return one of the gouramis to the lfs...it wasnt working out. :-(

 

[Damon]

Gouramis are like bettas. While some strains are generally more docile than others, keeping more than 1 male in a tank can lead to problems. Same with females.

 

[Cichlid Man]

Which gourami did you keep, the aggressor or the victim?

 

[ravekiss]

I kept the Opaline, she was the victim. I guess I felt sorry for her.

 

[duh]

Male gouramis have a sharper top fin, the female gouramis have a rounded one.

 

[Eustace]

Females also have a more generally rounded body. Just for the record.

 

[ravekiss]

Lately she's still been hiding though, at least most of the time. Her coloration seems to be a bit darker too. You think something is worng? SHe does come up to eat and swim about a little.

 

[Cichlid Man]

Has anything changed in the tank?
I.E. new tank mates, different feeding routine, different water parameters.

 

[ravekiss]

No the only thing I have changed is taking out the other Gourami, I added 2 tiny albino cories but she was acting like that before I put them in.Everything else is the same.

 

[Cichlid Man]

Iv'e found your problem! Because the female got chased around all the time, she didn't have a chance to hide because as soon as she rested she would get chased again, the reason why she has changed colour is because she used to be stressed alot but now she has retained her natural colour.
Hope this helps.

 

[ravekiss]

Thanks I'm glad she's better now.