Helen Price

That's a great sensible approach. I shall observe and not try to fix what is not broken.

If it is a male female pair, should I get another female? I do not want to go down the route of separating or breeding. I do not have another tank to deal with this. I also do not want a male harassing a single female. Can anyone confirm if there is a breeding window whereby the male is interested in breeding or is it pretty much an ongoing thing?

Brilliant. Thank you for reply. I did initially think they were both males but now think the same as you that one is female.

Hello all, This is my first time fish owning. I have read lots about the subject and how the gender of Honey Gourami is established but some info can be conflicting. I have a pair. I believe the one with darker red is male. The lighter colour doesn't have the obvious 'extra' triangle shape behind the stomach to identify ovaries. Maybe they are not totally obvious in all females? I have had them a month now. All quiet and calm up until the last few days. The drker red one seems to pay more attention to the lighter one and uses the feelers more. Nothing violent or too much. I have noticed a black line appearing the whole length along the body on the lighter yellow one. Back to what I have read.... do you think I have a female that is developing a maturity black line (unless they should be born with it??) or a male that has developed the line due to stress or being subdominant? Thanks for your time. Helen