What to feed a gourami?

[verucaproduce]

Hi all.
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a centerpiece fish in a 10 gallon that currently has two platys, two guppies, and an oto.

I am looking for something colorful, peaceful and with personality. I am worried that if I try to replace the male betta that I currently lost I might get an aggressive one.

 

[Devilishturtles]

How about a dwarf gourami? These stay small at about 2-3 inches max, and are peacful, shy, and awesome looking fish.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=974

 

[verucaproduce]

You know, I was looking at those earlier...but for some reason I had it in my head that they were aggressive.

I will put them on my list as a possibility.

 

[Devilishturtles]

You know, I was looking at those earlier...but for some reason I had it in my head that they were aggressive.

I think some might be. It's in the Gourami's nature. But for the most part, no, they are peacful and shy...atleast in my knowledge and experience. I had one in a 10 gal with a betta and a few dwarf african frogs a while back, and they were all fine together. 8)

 

[verucaproduce]

I have been doing a little reading on dwarf gouramis. Seems like they have been having quite a few health issues lately. Has anyone experienced this?

 

[Umberle]

My first male dropped dead (for no obvious reason) on me within about 5 hours of getting him home but the original female and the new male are doing great and I've only had them for two weeks. I think it'll depend on where you get them and luck.

 

[smallfry]

Dwarf gouramis tend to be aggressive with their own kind...not so much toward other species of fish. He should be fine with platys/guppies.

 

[aquazen]

Have a dwarf gourami with 5 male fancy guppies, 2 otos, and one pleco. Oh, and 4 ghost shrimp and a fiddler crab. They're all pretty happy.

Be careful about having 2 though. They get territorial, which might have been why my other gourami became anorexic and died. I hear that if you have 3 or more, they become more docile, but not sure.

 

[verucaproduce]

Thanks guys. I think I will give the gourami a try. I will move my cherry barbs into my main tank so I can QT the gourami for a few weeks.

 

[verucaproduce]

Well I did it. Bought a cute little honey flame gourami. (At least that is what they called it at the pet store...)

I managed to capture two cherry barbs out of the 5.5 gallon, but one little barb decided that he wasn't moving so he is in there with his new pal. So they will be in quarantine together for a few weeks.

One other question. Are there any special dietary needs for gouramis? I heard they like blood worms and the like. Is freeze dried ok?

 

[jaysono]

I had a neon dwarf gourami for a while. He was pretty much a loaner and peacful to everyone else in tank at time.

He did like to sleep in the cave at night, and he ate flakes and pellets very common to generic fish.

He was what I think to be very healthy and I had him for quite a few months.

Then one day outta nowhere he crashed. Water specs were fine as were my other fish. He just looked like he was gasping for air one day. Nothing I did could save him. He was terminal within 48 hours.

I'd like to get another sometime soon.

 

[Billsgate]

Freeze dried bloodworms are okey, but they do prefer frozen or live. I feed my honey gouramies regular flakes and frozen bloodworms. Congrats on the new fish!

 

[Toirtis]

Freeze-dried is OK, but nowhere near as palatable and nutritious as fresh/frozen......mine get bloodworms, daphnia, chopped FW mysid shrimp, and a mix of high-end flake and micropellets.

 

[verucaproduce]

I am not sure I am up to keeping frozen treats in my freezer just yet. Of course it would be good for my diet, as I probably wouldn't eat anything out of the freezer for a good long while.

 

[Blucat]

I have two male dwarf gourami and surprisinlgy they get along just fine. The bigger one used to be a bit territorial, but now they swim mostly peacefully together. However, the smaller one does not have such a quick sense for food and always ends up eating less than he is sposed to get. My gouramis like to eat my tank algae and only the brightly coloured flakes.

 

[SwerveDriver]

I have a red honey gourami that eats just about anything. She'll eat freeze dried bloodworms and brine shrimp, flakes, pellets, algae wafers, sometimes algae off plants and driftwood, raw vegetables. She's constantly eating. I don't know how true this is of gourami's in general, but mines a pig

And I would definitely stick to just one gourami, I used to have two females.