Freshwater loners

[Try-na]

I was wondering, will gourami cross breed ? I have 2 sunset gouramis and a male dwarf.

I know Thick Lipped & Giant Banded gouramis will crossbreed but not sure about the other types. That being said, I don't have any issues with my wild caught female dwarfs & my male dwarfs trying to breed. They need pretty specific conditions before they get "in the mood" & if you don't drop water levels, raise temp, & leave them in there together they shouldn't try. I also have male & female honeys together & same thing.

 

[Try-na]

I have kept dwarf, pink kissers, honey, and sunset. They all seemed ok with each other. The dwarfs were prob the most aggressive. I never had a bigger kind of gourami before. R they more aggressive than the smaller ones?

My honeys are the tough guys in my tank. They even think they own the Knight Gobies! It's quite funny to watch really. Kinda reminds me of a Chihuahua little big syndrome! My dwarfs & neon dwarfs generally steer clear of their corners.

 

[FishCr8zy]

My honeys are the tough guys in my tank. They even think they own the Knight Gobies! It's quite funny to watch really. Kinda reminds me of a Chihuahua little big syndrome! My dwarfs & neon dwarfs generally steer clear of their corners.

Wow
Looks like everybody has a different type of "bully" gourami
Lol

 

[Try-na]

The tank decor has a big part in it I've heard. But I think it's also personality. For the most part tho I don't have any issues except the odd game of tag in there. It's really easy for them to hide in my tank which helps

 

[Andy Sager]

Wow
Looks like everybody has a different type of "bully" gourami
Lol

Sounds to me like too many people are putting the wrong numbers of Gouramis in the wrong sized tank to be having so many troubles. Males usually fight against males when females are present so if you take the right number of genders of a group, put them in an appropriate sized tanks for the specie, there shouldn't be any bullying. That's been my experience with Gouramis.

That's my take on it

 

[Dirtautoguy]

Well more like fantasizing right now lol I think I'm becoming obsessed with this! But I don't have the means right now to do it but in the future yes!

 

[NYgiantsRP]

Gouramis like it better in groups. However, male dwarf gouramis can be kept single. Male dwarfs r semi-aggressive to each other. I agree with the botias. Botias r schooling.

I'm sorry, but you are wrong, they do not do "better" in groups. That is not good information to give. I have had gold, opaline, three spot, flame dwarf, powder blue dwarf, honey, kissing, pearl, moonlight, snakeskins, sparkling, and giant gourami. I have kept all these species over the last 6 years. They do the best when kept with one of each species per tank, and they usually will pick on each other. They do not kill each other, but there will be a definite hierarchy. Gourami are a great loner fish. But also can be kept in communities with hardy fish that won't easy die from stress, because gourami can be stressful sometimes.

 

[Andy Sager]

I'm sorry, but you are wrong, they do not do "better" in groups. That is not good information to give. I have had gold, opaline, three spot, flame dwarf, powder blue dwarf, honey, kissing, pearl, moonlight, snakeskins, sparkling, and giant gourami. I have kept all these species over the last 6 years. They do the best when kept with one of each species per tank, and they usually will pick on each other. They do not kill each other, but there will be a definite hierarchy. Gourami are a great loner fish. But also can be kept in communities with hardy fish that won't easy die from stress, because gourami can be stressful sometimes.

I think you have some mixed info. You see the Gold, Opaline and Three Spot (a.k.a. Blue Gourami) are the same fish just different color morphs so the gender ratio needs to be in place for them to live peacefully. Same applies to the Flame Dwarf and Powder Blue Dwarf. They are derived from the same fish as well. As for trying to keep all these varieties together, that's when it could become a problem because if the gender ratios are wrong, there will be "arguments" for breeding rights. I'd be willing to bet that if you put say, all males or all females of these different varieties in a large enough tank with proper decor, that they would coexist. The right size tank is the key in this situation

 

[NYgiantsRP]

Well the problem with that is most gourami in pet stores are males, the females have weak coring, and usually don't make it to the stores. In my experience with well over 20 gourami over 6 years is all I can give you. If that is not sufficient then I apologize haha.

 

[Andy Sager]

Well the problem with that is most gourami in pet stores are males, the females have weak coring, and usually don't make it to the stores. In my experience with well over 20 gourami over 6 years is all I can give you. If that is not sufficient then I apologize haha.

Not to beat a dead horse, lol but the color issue really only applies to the dwarfs and from what I have seen, only in the chain stores. Finnage shape is the only difference in Blues ( and their color morphs), Non Breeding Pearls, Moonlights, Snakeskins, etc.

As a retailer, I always brought in pairs. As a wholesaler, I only sold pairs to the stores. It's only been in the chain stores that I rarely see female dwarf varieties. HOWEVER, that just means you put all males in the tank A new form of "men's club"

 

[NYgiantsRP]

Dead horse has been beaten, and then sent through a meat grinder haha. Well agree to disagree. My personal experience has always been that as long as there is only 1 of each species they are decently peaceful. They still have a hierarchy, but nothing dangerous to them. As soon as another like species was added it was not welcomed by the other of the same species.

 

[Andy Sager]

Dead horse has been beaten, and then sent through a meat grinder haha. Well agree to disagree. My personal experience has always been that as long as there is only 1 of each species they are decently peaceful. They still have a hierarchy, but nothing dangerous to them. As soon as another like species was added it was not welcomed by the other of the same species.

Stop the grinding!!! lol Point taken.

 

[Mudfrog]

I had to keep this guy solitary. Hoplias malabaricus.. he was just shy of 13".

 

[Try-na]

Hmmm. Well I guess I'm just lucky then. I have multiple types of gouramis & both sexes in my tank & only ever had issues with my pearl which I rehomed. He didn't just pick on my other gouramis but everyone in the tank. And from what I've read in a lot of places online as long as your tank is large enough gouramis do better in pairs.

 

[FishCr8zy]

I had to keep this guy solitary. Hoplias malabaricus.. he was just shy of 13".

http://s213.photobucket.com/user/muds_fish/media/Hoplias Mala/Wolf2.jpg.html

This looks like a marbled/sleeper goby. Though I could be wrong. They r supposed to be full aggressive.

 

[Mudfrog]

This looks like a marbled/sleeper goby. Though I could be wrong. They r supposed to be full aggressive.

Nah, it's a wolf fish. I used to keep Marbled Gobies as well. They do look close though. Marbled Gobies aren't real aggressive, they just eat everything.

 

[FishCr8zy]

Nah, it's a wolf fish. I used to keep Marbled Gobies as well. They do look close though. Marbled Gobies aren't real aggressive, they just eat everything.

Yup
Wolf fish look very similar to marbled goby.
Wow. Where did u get a wolf fish?! I have never seen someone actually own one before.
"Marbled Gobies aren't real aggressive, they just eat everything." Lol

 

[Mudfrog]

I bought him from an importer.. he was wild caught from Ecuador. Had him over 5 years then lost him with all of my other fish during an 8 day power outage.

 

[FishCr8zy]

I bought him from an importer.. he was wild caught from Ecuador. Had him over 5 years then lost him with all of my other fish during an 8 day power outage.

Wow. That must have cost a fortune for the fish and the shipping/import!

 

[Mudfrog]

It wasn't too bad.. Around $80 to my door when he was 4". Just shy of 13" when I lost it.