Should We Get A Male & Female Gourami, or 2 Males?

[mikedj]

We're ready to stock our newly cycled 20 Gal long aquarium. This is our first aquarium. The plan is:

2 dwarf gourami
6 lemon tetra
6 celestial pearl danio (if we can find them)
1 albino long fin bristlenose pleco

We want to go slowly, so we're starting with the gourami. Should we get a male and female or two males?

Thanks for your opinion.

Mike

 

[Fishperson]

I think 2 males, but I don't know very much about that. During mating, the male will get VERY aggressive, so with 2 males they (hopefully) won't mate, and therefore won't get aggressive.

 

[calfishguy]

We're ready to stock our newly cycled 20 Gal long aquarium. This is our first aquarium. The plan is:

2 dwarf gourami
6 lemon tetra
6 celestial pearl danio (if we can find them)
1 albino long fin bristlenose pleco

We want to go slowly, so we're starting with the gourami. Should we get a male and female or two males?

Thanks for your opinion.

Mike

IMO a 20 gallon is not being enough for two they will most likely fight.

 

[Scottyhorse]

Just one would be best.

 

[mikedj]

I've read mixed opinions on having two in a this size tank. I appreciate your comments and based on them, we will likely get only one. In the coming weeks we'll be adding other fish - is it OK to add the gourami first?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[calfishguy]

I've read mixed opinions on having two in a this size tank. I appreciate your comments and based on them, we will likely get only one. In the coming weeks we'll be adding other fish - is it OK to add the gourami first?

Thanks,
Mike

I'd do tetras, pleco, gourami, and cpds.

 

[Scottyhorse]

I'd add him last, think of him sort of as a betta. You want him to be the new guy on the block, so he has the last pickings or territory.

 

[mikedj]

That makes sense. We'll adjust our plan.


Thanks,
Mike

 

[azmodan]

I'd increase the number of CPDs too, as they're very shy. You could easily do 10.

 

[Coursair]

Add plenty of plants for the CPDs. Live is best. Java Ferns are super easy.

 

[mikedj]

Great info. Thanks.

Mike

 

[mikedj]

I took all of your advice and started with tetras. Tuesday is a bad day to find stock around here, but I promised my daughter that was the day, so we had to go. I could only find 3 lemon tetras, and we decided while we were at the store to get bloodfin tetras as well. We started with three of each, but I'm going to try and add three more of each today (if store gets new stock as planned). Then we'll give it some time and think about the rest.

Thanks for all of your advice.

Mike

 

[daviceroy]

I love tetras and they were my first fish tank. Neons to be more precise. They started in a small 10 gallon, but now live in my 55 gallon with some black skirts.