Why are gourami cool fish?

[coolchinchilla]

I'd really like to get some shell dweller cichlids for 30 gallon tank but they'd be kind of expensive for me right now (about $100 for 6 fish, shells, shipping). 8O I have an empty 20 gallon that I could use for the shell dwellers in the future I suppose. Bummer.

As an alternative I thought of dwarf gouramis. I could get 4-6 honeys and a group of corys or loaches for about $40 at the LFS. I had my heart set on the shellies so I need to shift things in my head. Anyone have any links for gouramis so I can learn more about 'em? Can you tell me what is cool about your gouramis so I can start to get excited about them?

BTW, my water is liquid rock from the tap. I'm kind of an "advanced newbie" as far as fish keeping goes so I don't want delicate fish. I want the tank to be fairly easy to take care of so I don't want to overstock.



Thanks for your help.

 

[flamingonhot]

as far as i know dwarf gouramies arent really that hard to keep. What kind of loaches are you getting?

all i can think about is aqualandpetsplus.com's anabaptoid pages....they arent good on a lot of more advanced info but they provide some pretty good basic info and care.

 

[Xzap]

They are a beautiful fish for one and they will make bubble nest, which are cool

More info here

I have a blue and an orange.

Dave

 

[Zagz]

I love my gourami's. I have 3 pearl gourami's which are absolutely gorgeous! They shimmer as they swim. I also have 3 red sunset gourami's which are animated and hilarious at feeding times. They are all friendly fish that clearly recognize me when I come to the tank. They swim to the front of the tank and wiggle at me.

 

[TankGirl]

Is there any way you can get your LFS to order you in some shellies? I hate for you to miss out on them - and your tap water and tank size are so perfect for them, too.

If you like African cichlids then consider N. brichardi or N. pulcher (both in the "brichardi complex - very similar fish) for your tank, as they too will thrive and exhibit very natural colors and behaviors in your water, and they are often readily available at the LFS. A pair of A. calvus would also work in your tank, but waiting for them to mature and reach decent size is like watching paint dry, so not everyone is into that, lol.

 

[coolchinchilla]

Tankgirl... I'll give the LFS a try and see if they can special order. It might cost as much as ordering the shellies myself.

Zagz: Your gouramis recognize you? That is cool! 8) I didn't know they could be so personable.

Xzap: They are really pretty fish. Elegant and graceful.

Thanks everyone! I'm encouraged.

 

[GouramiFanatic]

The Gouramis that I have recognize me (the two older ones anyway). They both come right up to the front of the glass and stare at me. When I go to feed them, they start spitting bubbles out of the water and they ocassionally even jump out of the water! I go whale watching almost every weekend so I call them my 'bubble feeding and breaching Gouramis"! Aside from their great personalities they're also beautiful and peaceful fish.

Have you ever had Danios? I'm keeping my first school of Longfin Leopard Danios and they're a riot! You could always fit a school of these guys in there as well. Just an idea...

- Mandy

 

[Menagerie]

I second the shellies. I have 4 multies and their behavior is wonderful and they often have little ones. If I had a grow out tank, I would isolate some, but they take forever to grow and in the current tank, I let nature take its course.

 

[coolchinchilla]

Menagerie, do you keep other fish with your multies? Ones that hang out at the top of the tank?

 

[Menagerie]

The multies are in a 10 gal with a small clown pleco. There are pics of that tank in my gallery.

 

[TankGirl]

It's going to be difficult to keep shelldwelling cichlids with most schooling fish, but if your 30gal is tall you could keep 5 praecox rainbows, which can handle the similar water and are fast and keep to the top. Shellies are tough, tough fish that will defend their territory and unless you have a larger African community setup they are generally kept alone in smaller tanks.