# another dead harlequin



## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

Hi, today I came home from work to find a harlequin upside down at the front of the tank with its tail missing! It's breathing, it occasionally wriggles and tries to move but it cant, it has no tail.

All that is in the tank is a school of 10 (I guess now 9) harlequins, 1 bn plec and a pearl gourami. The gourami used to bully the betta who I moved to a new tank but online they are supposed to be PEACEFUL, especially the females which is why I hand picked a female pearl!  The tail is clean missing from this harlequin - is the gourami to blame? there is fishing line attaching moss to driftwood, its POSSIBLE the harlequin got caught but a) the harle's never go near the wood really and b) the wood is near back of tank, fish is upside down near the front!

I don't really want to get rid of the gourami which is why i moved the betta last time. But if she's gonna start attacking my harle's then she'll have to go!


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## FredericoAlves (Jan 5, 2013)

Gouramis are tough, some may be kind of bullies. I once had a dwarf gourami that would just kill every small fish in the tank. My tank was a small 10 gallon, so if you have a big tank the harlequins should be able to avoid the gourami and she will just guard her own space. If your tank is small, then you should remove the gourami


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## chenowethpm (Jan 8, 2014)

IME gouramis can be big bullies. I once had a pair of gouramis in a tank with two angels and the larger gourami just about killed both the angels, they had very little fins left. I managed to save the angels but I rehomed the gourami and all was peaceful again.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

My vote is the gourami.Very sad as the pearl is one of my favorites.
Possibly adding a male would keep the two of them busy with each other.I have a female pearl in my 180 who bothers no one ,but has gotten HUGE!All of 3 + inches long and FAT.I think she is holding eggs,but I don't have a male either.
Make sure if you get a male the LFS will take BOTH back if they continue to cause trouble.
Pearls are the "champagne" of gouramis to me.


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## dalfed (Apr 8, 2012)

To take the full tail off I would be surprised if it was the gourami, I have a white cloud swimming without a tail that was lost to a hair net around some java moss. More likely that he got caught up in the fishing line, Is the cut smooth?


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## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

the cut was pretty neat but not perfect. some jagged parts. the thing is I still havnt found the tail! I thought it might be on the wood by the line if that was how it was lost but i cant find it


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## dalfed (Apr 8, 2012)

Not ruling the gourami out, just seems like a big bite for a pearl and would be in tough to catch a healthy harlequin.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Fish eat fish!Even the harleys would probly eat the tail(fresh meat) if they found it(you never will).
What size is the tank Dave?I think this is the deciding factor on the gourami.If under 20g it may be too tight for her to get comfy and safe feeling,definatley could lead to aggression or defensive behavior.If tank is larger it really could be the fishing line?All fish seem to be curious and go where you don't want them to go,ask anyone with overflows!


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## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

its a 96 liter tank which I believe in us gallons is 25.3. 
Photo:



And that is what it usually looks like every time I look! Harlequins either schooling or sometimes they would seperate but since the one lost its tail they've been in a school every time I looked! and the pearl mostly sits by the filter but sometimes goes for a stretch then swims allllllll around, under things and over things and through things.

I found the harlequin without a tail upside down at the front right of the tank  No other incidents since then though..


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