I just obtained a free gourami and need some advice please!

[ryorgason]

The neighbor of someone I know was giving away a 2.5 gal tank with a fish, so I offered to take it, not knowing what the fish was. It is a gourami, but I'm not sure what kind, and I don't know anything about them. I currently have a 30 gal tropical with 2 female bettas, 6 x-ray tetras, 3 khuli loaches, 1 lonely panda cory whose friends recently died, and 2 apple snails. I also have an empty 10 gal with no top or light, but I do have a heater and filter for it.

I read that gouramis may or may not get along with bettas and tetras, and that gouramis prefer other gouramis. Right now, he is floating in a baggie in my 30 gal. Fortunately, the filter to my 10 gal has been in my 30 gal for about a week as I was getting ready to set it up before getting new cories. So, I'm thinking it would be best to quickly set up my 10 gal as a QT for him, but I need a plan for after that. Any recommendations? Obviously I need to do more research.

 

[JDogg]

can you [ost a picture so we can id it, they species will help with recomendations

 

[Zagz]

Gourami's don't always prefer other gourami's at all. Quite often groups of gourami's fight between themselves. Male bettas and gouramis are a bad mix usually, not sure if the female bettas a gourami would get along. I'd certainly suggest giving it a try rather than leaving it ina 2.5 gal. A pic would help with the ID of the gourami. If the bettas and gourami don't get along you can always set up that 10 gal.

 

[ryorgason]

After further research, I did find out about gouramis not getting along with each other, so I won't worry about getting any more. Although, I do really like this one, I think he will really add to my tank. The lady I got him from had already taken down the tank, so I just set up my 10 gal instead of putting him back in the little one. I should probably quarantine him for a bit anyway, just in case.

I don't think I'll be able to put him in the 10 gal tonight, as the temperature needs to stabalize first. I don't want to put him in my 30 gal tonight either, as it is getting late and I won't be able to monitor for any problems. So he's still floating in a little ziplock baggie, as I'm not sure what else to do with him right now. Will he be okay like that all night? This isn't him, but it looks a lot like him, I'm pretty sure he's a dwarf gourami.

 

[Zagz]

That is a blue dwarf gourami, sometimes called powder blue. It looks like a male to me. I would not leave him in the bag overnight, that is just me. Do you have a breeder trap you can put him in?

What I would do is set up the 10 gal, add warm water and dechlorinator and put him in there. Have you used the heater before and are you familiar with the settings on it? If so, that is what I would definately do.

 

[ryorgason]

I used the heater once briefly in the 2.5 gal quarantine tank I had before we moved, and it has no temperature settings, just warmer and cooler. So it really needs to stabilize before I put any fish in. I have it set to the middle setting, so by morning I should have a better idea of where it needs to be set.

I don't have a breeder trap, but I cut some small holes in a plastic container and rigged it up at the top of my tank. It should be better than the plastic bag, anyway. I'll try to get some pics of my new fish after I put him in the 10 gal, so I can post one here. Thanks for your help!

 

[Sidi]

Good luck. I love the way gouramis look, but sometimes they can be as mean as the worst cichlid. He's a cute little guy who should certainly get a chance, but keep an eye on him. Often they can be absolutely peaceful though, so don't entirely write him off.

 

[ryorgason]

Well, he didn't last the night, poor guy. I think the lady had him sealed in the ziplock bag for a couple hours before I picked him up, so I'm guessing that and the added stress of a new situation did him in. Too bad, as I really liked him. I'll have to add gouramis to my list of fish to get in the future. Oh well, at least my qt tank is set up now, so I can get some more cories this week, plus I have a new small tank.