Lonely Gourami

[oliver47904]

I have a 2.5 gallon tank with one dwarf gourami.

(Stop right now!-because you are probably just gonna say, "that is too small of a tank " Then what do they make that small of a tank for?- because every advice sight on fish I have seen seems to think no one should have a tank that size-c'mon! give a lonely college student a break- fish are the only pets we are allowed and I am sure you are familiar with the normal amount of space a college student has free for a fish tank.)

I am actually looking to find out if it would be ok to get some other fish for the tank also. A friend told me maybe some snails or something to help filter the water or clean the tank like a pleco. I do have a filter on the tank (along with a heater and aerator). I was thinking of something like a guppy or two or a snail, and a pleco.

Well whatever you think-let me know-ADIOS

 

[Allivymar]

Ok. A 2.5 IS too small but I won't tell you that since you already know I will suggest you test your water for ammonia and nitrites daily, as a tank that tiny will turn bad overnite.

Forget the plec. In fact, forget any other fish. There is just no room. I promise your gourami won't get lonely. You might try snails but be careful. Pond snails are a nuisance and breed faster then bunnies, and an apple snail will get huge; like the size of an apple. MAYBE a couple of Malaysian trumpet snails; not sure if they breed fast. And keep in mind your gourami may eat the snails. Mine did.

What about a few algae eating shrimp? The gouramis might leave them alone, they don't add much to the bio-load either. Ghost shrimp are usually sold as feeder shrimp and are really cheap.

 

[oliver47904]

Ok Next question--For future reference --what kind of fish would be suitable for a 2.5 ?

 

[oliver47904]

and don't say only betas!

 

[Madame_X]

Going from the general 1 gallon per inch of fish rule, maybe one platy might be suitable? Or two guppies?

There is a breed of pygmy gourami that only gets 1" long. If you could find them, maybe you could give up the dwarf and get two of those.

Then there's the dwarf puffers--they're very small (less than an inch) but I don't think they're compatible with much of anything. You could probably keep two of those in a tank that size.

An Eclipse 5 hex doesn't take up much room! Just a thought...

Good luck!

 

[Allivymar]

I've an 8-10g hex tank. Foot space it doesn't take up any more room then a 2.5g *hint hint*

Maybe some Dwarf African Frogs? Not the clawed ones, the other teeny ones. Its tough to say what else, as most small fish are schoolers, and you don't have the room for a school. Maybe a couple of male guppies (no room for breeders in there)?

 

[SixFootDaisy]

I have a betta in my 2 gallon.

I also have to say, a gourami of any type needs a lot of swimming room. I have a 29 gallon tank with three. [One dwarf, two blue] They swim all over the place. But then again, most fish LOVE to swim, and would be fairly unhappy in a 2.5 gallon.

I've heard Eclipse tanks are very nice, but please get a bigger tank for your gourami He will love you for it!!!!

 

[oliver47904]

well I'll work on getting a new tank- thanx---

 

[tkos]

Chocolate gouramis do not mind a smaller tank, but need the water to be perfect all the time and like groups of 3.

In that 2.5 gallon I would suggest the shrimp or a rams horn snail. As long as you do not over feed the fish and clean the tank every week there shoudln't be a crazy over abundance of snails in any hurry. I have had one in my bettas 5 gallon tank and after 4 months still the one snail.

Like many anabatids most gouramis will do fine alone with good water and food. I would suggest that you get 2 kinds of food and switch every day as a variety will make for a much happier fish!!