u/DoMindtheBuzzcocks

About a week ago I got a male dwarf gourami, and since then he's been regularly glass surfing. He swims very quickly back and forth against the front glass of the tank, from one corner to the other. This mostly happens when the tank lights are on, and he seems fine when the lights are off. He eats, goes up for air now and then, and is not aggressive to any other fish in the tank.

The tank is a 29 Gallon Tall. The back wall of the tank is blacked out with window-treatment, but the other three sides need to stay clear. I have some floating plants, but there's only enough to cover about a quarter of the tank surface. Hes sharing the tank with two Bolivian Rams, 8 Neon Tetras, and 8 Lemon Tetras right now, and he basically ignores all his tank mates completely. no aggression, chasing, or avoidance.

All metrics are good (API test kit, 0PPM Ammonia and Nitrites, 5-10 ppm Nitrates), and no other fish in the tank are acting stressed. His color is good, no signs of injury or illness, and he seems unstressed except for the glass surfing.

I have tried to research this, but have found no concrete or useful answers. He was not glass surfing in the fish store, but was in a much smaller tank with several other male dwarf gourami. I want to be sure he's healthy and happy, and the constant surfing is stressing me out and makes it hard to enjoy my tank.

Will this behavior go away naturally with time? Is there anything I can do to reduce the glass surfing without also compromising the rest of my tank?

I'm building up a 29 gallon community tank, and I've been looking at dwarf cichlids as a possible centerpiece fish option, but there's a lot of conflicting advice or just not fitting information so I need to ask for specifics. I'm curious if there is a species that fits my requirements/preferences and would work and be happy in my tank.

Tank Conditions: 8dGH, ~6.5PH, 78%F, typical tropical community conditions. Currently has two small schools of Neon Tetra and Lemon Tetra in. Tank is planted, roughly split into half by driftwood/rocks along the bottom, with an arch in the center, a figure 8 shape basically.

Fish Preferences: Peaceful, happy alone or in a pair without aggression or worrying about breeding being an issue. I don't want fish that will constantly fight or have to be monitored, or breed out of control. Preferably single. Would want fish to be happy, and preferably show decent color and behavior even alone. Don't want my fish to be pale and lethargic at all times becuase of lack of breeding behavior.

Interested in: All Apistogrammas, Bolivian Rams, Kribensis. Feel free to suggest any other dwarf cichlids I might be missing.

If this is not possible, that's fine, there's plenty of other options for me but I'm looking to see if there's a definite answer.