Honey Gouramis - true or false?

[zen242]

Hey guys
since i had my own dramas with dwarf gouramis (as in constant spawning and attacking all my other aquarium inhabitants endlessly) , my friend has decided not to get them for his tank.
he went to the store that I go to, which is pretty big and the owner seems to know what he's talking about, and they told him that in terms of aggression all gourami males are bad, but that the Honey gourami is the best because its the most peaceful and rather than the males just building bubble nests and getting territorial all the time, they just get aggressive for a few days once every month or so.
Is this correct?

[Abbeys_Mom]

gouramis aren't bad if they are in a tank with fish bigger then them. All fish can be aggressive if they feel they "rule" the tank. I had a balloon molly in a tank full of guppies who reeked havoc, but the same molly in a tank of Kribs never hurt anyone.

[kimmers318]

Each fish tends to have their own personality....and most refuse to read the books on how they are supposed to behave. :)
One way to avoid spawning is to only have a male or a female, not both. If your tank is large enough with enough hidey holes and territories you could probably get away with more, but stick to one sex....no spawning.
I have a male dwarf gourami....with sparkling gourami....a betta....and dwarf honey gourami......no problems. The betta flares at the gourami all of the time, but as you can see in this pic he could care less. I haven't seen any nips or evidence of nips and this usually comes about when everyone is trying to get the sinking foods for the pleco.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h216/kimmers318/bettas/seymoreflare.jpg

[Lady Hobbs]

Agree with Kimmers. My dwarf gourami's were all males. They did the bump and chase thing now and then but it never was a problem. Add females and you get the bigger problems. But, yes, the Honey gourami's are very nice and very docile.

[zen242]

Strange. Ive had a male dwarf gouramis and both within two weeks of being purchased began creating bubble nests and getting terrorial. My aunties did exactly the same without any females present.
Im particularly curious about whether honeys do the same bubble nest thing as in all the time or just occasionally

[kimmers318]

Well, maybe it has something to do with no live plants to tear up and add to the bubble nest, and a high current. It's not like my tank is swirling but there is current where the filter shoots water back into tank, also where the biowheels flow it back into tank, and 2 decorations with airlines running to them for the bubble effect. That might all combine with no females into a situation where it just isn't worth the trouble to try to build a bubble nest and attract a female.

[zen242]

I think my friend made a big mistake - he got a honey and a dwarf and they are already attacking one another - darting at each other and running up behind each ofther and all this kinda thing.