Pygmy Gouramis

[Harveyman]

I am thinking of setting up a 10 gallon planted tank for some pygmy gouramis and have a few questions.
Are they really as hard to keep as I've heard from some places?
What pH should I have, I've heard everything from neutral to crazy low.
How many can safely be kept in a 10 gallon tank, the average number I've read is 6 but I'm not too certain.
Will they accept flake and frozen food or will I have to start with live?
Could I keep them with a few kuhli loaches, or should I think of something else to put with them?

Thanks in advance.

 

[JustOneMore20]

I don't have experience with these fish but I've done some reading on them in the past and consider them for like every tank I setup...just haven't kept them yet.

Anywho, I don't think they are too hard to keep. 6 should be fine for a 10g. I've read they are shy fish so be sure to have some hiding spots or plants. I would just keep the ph stable..whatever your tap is unless it's crazy high. Not sure about the food but surely they will take frozen if not prepared foods. I haven't read that they are super picky like some fish. I'd try some small pellets but have some frozen on hand.

Kuhli loaches should be fine with them. Both are peaceful fish.

 

[Frognugget]

i assume you are talking about Trichopsis pumila.

Ive kept mine for going on four months. Got them from the lfs rather young. They were voracious eaters at first, but have really cut back on their eating habits lately. probably a function of being fully grown.

Their favorite so far is frozen tubifex. they also like live/frozen brine shrimp and live daphnia, they wouldn't touch frozen daphnia. I haven't really tried to get them to take prepared foods, they have only pecked at the flakes the few times they were offered. Also they tend to only eat food as it is floating down, they rarely eat off of the substrate or off of the surface.

The males have made some bubble nests but either the females aren't interested or the water isnt right for the eggs to hatch.

I just use my tap water which has a neutral ph, gh and kh off the charts. stable water parameters are much more important than a preferred ph for most species.

as far a Kuhli loaches go. I wouldn't recommend them for a 10 gal, they get 3-4 inches long and prefer to be kept in groups, at least 3. while it would certainly survive in a 10 gal, you dont really have space for more than 1.

 

[Harveyman]

How many do you have?
What about a small group of pygmy cories? Say 3? And maybe a few ottos?.

 

[DragonFish71]

We have 6 sparkling gouramis, pygmy blue fin glass fish and 6 pygmy corys in a 20 long.

They are pretty easy to care for. They have small mouths so make sure the food is small enough for them. I feed ours hikari mini-pellets, frozen daphnia, frozen baby brine shrimp and betta flakes. Keep their water clean. That's really all there is to them.

 

[Jason7894561230]

Are pygmy also known as the sparkling gourami because that is the only fish that i know that is a small gourami. If so then they are shy if kept alone

 

[Harveyman]

Yes, those are the ones im asking about.

 

[JustOneMore20]

Pygmy Cories are a better choice (than the Kuhlis). I would get more like 6-8 instead of 3. They are tiny and are more shy the less you have...atleast that has been my experience with them.