slightly stupid dwarf gourami?

I have three dwarf gouramis (one male, two female) in a 32 inch
community tank; the two girls are relatively recent additions to this
tank (last month or so, I think). When I first got them they were the
most neurotic, timid fish I have ever seen but an extended period in
the Q tank - due to being quarantined with a batch of tiny striatas who
*all* died of ich :-( - turned them into well-fed, much happier and
more confident fish. These two are fine, fine, fine - very happy in the
tank, pretty out and about, and pretty friendly with eacj other.

since I them the male has been building increasingly enormous and
elaborate nests, but weirdly the only interest he seems to take in the
females is to dart fiercely at them if they go too near the nest; as
soon as they scram he loses interest. Is this normal? The two females
do a lot of nose-to-tail circling with each other, too. For a while
they both looked like they had swallowed marbles, bu this has gine down
a fair bit.

any ideas??

--
sophie