Help Dave choose his fish! Gourami Questions!

[David14259]

Here is what I'm thinking for my 12 Gallon Eclipse, planted tank:

2 Dwarf Gourami
1 or 2 Guppies
5 Cardinal Tetras
1 or 2 Oto Catfish (small)

What do you think? Will the Gourami get along with each other and the rest of the species? Also, if I get one Dwarf Gourami and one blue Dwarf Gourami, is that ok?

Thanks and I welcome any suggestions and comments!

David

 

[neilanh]

I thought the eclipse was a 12gallon.

Anyway, I think it might be too much. that's 11 fish in a 12 gallon tank. If you did the gouramis or the guppies (not both) and only 1 otto that might be okay since you're planted though.

I'm sure others will have better advice.

 

[WaterPond]

Dave,

Otos like to school, i wouldent recommend putting one alone in there. Get at least three

how about
2- dwarf gourami (m/f pair)
5-cardinal tetras
3-otos
1- male guppy

I think that would be nice.

 

[Mosaic]

Be careful with the dwarf gouramis though. A lot of places only sell the males so you won't be getting a pair. You certainly don't want to get two males, as they can be aggressive towards each other. I personally would forego the gouramis altogether in favor of a larger group of male guppies.

 

[David14259]

Be careful with the dwarf gouramis though. A lot of places only sell the males so you won't be getting a pair. You certainly don't want to get two males, as they can be aggressive towards each other. I personally would forego the gouramis altogether in favor of a larger group of male guppies.

I thought male guppies don't get along? And I really like the Gourami.

 

[theotheragentm]

I have four Gouarmis and the largest one is always chasing off the smaller ones. Male Guppies go much better together than other male fish.

 

[David14259]

Male/Male Dwarf Gourami pair? or Male/Female?

I'd really like 2 Dwarf Gourami, and the males are much more colorful than the females.

I've heard both opinions that you can and can't keep 2 male Gourami together. So, I'd like more opinions on this please

Thanks.

 

[MyCatsDrool]

I would do:


1 Dwarf Gourami
3 male Guppies
5 Cardinal Tetras
3 Oto Catfish (small)


=)

 

[zenkatydid]

i agree with mycatsdrool - that's a very nice tank combo.

 

[Stephen]

Two male gouramis won't work, based on my experience. I'd actually just get one, 3 otos and around 7 cardinals. If you're willing to swap the cardinals for neons, I'd get around 9 of them.

 

[David14259]

Two male gouramis won't work, based on my experience. I'd actually just get one, 3 otos and around 7 cardinals. If you're willing to swap the cardinals for neons, I'd get around 9 of them.

Thanks everyone for their suggestions.

I think I'll go for a M/F Gourami pair, if I can find a female, if not, then I'll just get 1 male.

I'll be sure to post pics as soon as I can!

David

 

[7Enigma]

MyCatsDrool has the perfect setup IMO. Stick with just 1 gourami. The Oto's are tiny and will be fun to watch and the guppy's should be fine.

 

[GouramiFanatic]

I think I'll go for a M/F Gourami pair, if I can find a female, if not, then I'll just get 1 male.

I definitely would not attempt this because the male will most likely harrass the female pretty badly. A 12 gallon tank doesn't offer much 'personal space' so the she won't really have a place where she can go to hide. It's actually recommended that you have 2 females per 1 male, but in this size tank, 3 is definitely a no go. I'd say stick with one male and then some of the other recommended fish above. Just my opinion.

 

[gu2high]

Agree with GouramiFanatic and mycatsdrool, but select either guppies or tetras, as,

1 Dwarf Gourami
3 male Guppies
3 Oto Catfish (small)

or,

1 Dwarf Gourami
5 Cardinal Tetras
3 Oto Catfish (small)

That is enough for a 12 gal tank.

 

[RoK]

It might not be a good idea to have a male dwarf gourami with male guppies. The gourami may harass the guppies because of their large tails and flashy colors. I'm not sure on this, though it is something to consider.

 

[LindsayB]

I have two male gourami's in my 37 gal aquarium with no problems. In fact, they pretty much ingore each other. But a 12 gal aquarium is a different story. Good luck!

 

[David14259]

I decided to go with just a single male Dwarf Gourami. You can see the rest of my fish in my signature or in my profile.

I haven't had any problems with the gourami being aggressive towards the fancy guppy, or any of the other fish.

 

[locorosa]

See...now I have to agree and disagree with MCD...lol. I have two males in my 46 gl bowfront and they have their own sides of the tank. They get a tad pushy when it comes to feeding but otherwise are docile. They are Dwarves, btw. I wanted Pearls but couldn't find any.
I do believe one for your 12 gl would be plenty for a tank your size. In my experience, watch out for the Guppies as those guys can be relentless with harrassment.

I have learned size does matter...when it comes to fish tanks. *Evil grin*

 

[Marconis]

Get Africans. It'd be a wise choice. Oh wait, you're small.

 

[fearlessfisch]

I strongly recommend only one male dwarf gourami for a tank that small.