Gourami advice

[jbirdag96]

Got a quick question for ya'll. I have a 20gal fw tank with 4 Zebra Danios, 2 Cherry Barbs, and 2 Otos (which were just added today). I would like to get a Dwarf Gourami, or more if thats better, for our tank. Which ones would you recommend for our current population? That's assuming there's a difference in temperament. Also, as I just alluded to, what would be a good number to get?

Thanks!

 

[J-D]

I'm hoping to get dwarf gouramis too and the advice I've seen in various places is that you should get 2 females for each male because they can be randy little blighters! Also the males are territorial so if you were to get more than one male you'd have to make sure there's enough room for each of them to have their own space.

Sorry if i'm teaching your grandmother to suck eggs but in case you didn't know already you can tell them apart because the males are more brightly coloured and striped. If you do an image search on google you'll mostly get pictures of males. Some people think the females are plain but I think they're actually really pretty.

EDIT: I've just posted this and then looked back on what else you have in your tank. Your barbs might nip at a long finned fish such as a gourami...might not be such a good idea.

 

[Tong]

I would consider not getting the Gourami(s) but rather more Danios/Barbs/Otos. Your Danios/Barbs/Otos are all schooling fish and best kept in groups of at least six.

If you have a 20 gallon high you could get one school up to six and probably be okay. If you have 20 gallon long you could get two schools up to six and probably be okay.

I am by no means an expert at stocking or anything. Just giving my opinion.

As a side note, nothing is as cool as watching 6 or more Otos school together. Unfortunately they do this very rarely.

 

[imrandome1]

well, i have 2 male ( i think) gourami and they h8 each other really even 45gal is not enough lol, but i think perhaps getting 1 dwarf gourami is okay ( as long as they are okay by themselves and i dont now) but yeah getting 2 is not recommended really its not lol!!!

EDIT: I've just posted this and then looked back on what else you have in your tank. Your barbs might nip at a long finned fish such as a gourami...might not be such a good idea.

gd point J-D

 

[JustOneMore20]

Cherry barbs aren't very nippy. I have 3 in with my Opaline gourami in my 29g and they don't bother him. They also aren't really schoolers. They do enjoy the company of their own kind, but a pair or trio is ok. Ottos are the same. I wouldn't call them schoolers, but shoalers. They like a little group, not necessarily a school (which would mean 6+).

I would up the danio school, to atleast 6. If they are the only schooling fish you want, you could even have 8.

Dwarf gourami males don't get along very well, so if you want one, just get one. Usually males are all you can find in LFS. Another option is a honey gourami. I think they are more peaceful than the dwarves, but stay the same size. I'm not sure about keeping more than one of them though. Usually gouramis should either be kept in large groups, or alone. Dwarf gouramis are the worst about not getting along though, IMO. They are fine by themselves.

 

[hc8719]

if anything cherry barbs are only nippy to each other, when 3 males started to harass my female i put them in with my clawed frog, they were fine for 2 weeks or so then (i didnt think he was big enough to eat them, let alone 2 in the same hour)

...now i only have one male and the female, and all the fish in my tank (except for the neons) outsize them by alot

 

[bosk1]

There are many varieties of dwarf gourami, color-wise, but I believe their temperments are mostly the same. As posted above, 2 males will NOT be good, especially in a tank as small as yours. Even a male/female pair might not work in a tank that small, as the male is likely to become agressive and territorial at times. If you are dead set on having a pair, I would add them both at the same time. (I'm assuming you don't want to only go with females, since the males are generally a lot prettier) But you would be fine with just a solitary male, if you are okay going that route. That would also allow you to add a couple more danios without severely overstocking.

 

[Elmware2000]

I have 3 Tourquise Blue Dwarf Gouramis with 5 Zebra Danios and some Guppies as well as some Marigold Swordtails. They seem to be doing fine together. Some breeds can be aggressive though.

When I bought them, the lady at the store wasn't sure if it was a good idea to put them together, so I bought them anyways since I have a couple 10 gal. tanks that I could just make other arrangements with the other community fish I have if there was any problems.

 

[RoK]

Usually gouramis should either be kept in large groups, or alone. Dwarf gouramis are the worst about not getting along though, IMO. They are fine by themselves.

I agree, except for maybe the part about dwarf gouramis being the worst. I've had some opaline and gold gouramis who didn't seem like each other very much.

Honey gouramis are pretty peaceful so you could probably get a few of them. A single dwarf gourami should be fine but with no other gouramis.

 

[jbirdag96]

Thanks for the advice everybody. From what I've read the tank we have will pretty much only be ok for one DG anyhow. We aren't dead-set on having to have a pair. The fish we have now are kinda boring...small/no very colorful/etc. We were looking for something to add a little variety to the tank. I've seen shrimp, the DG's, and these eel-like fish that look pretty cool. Being a beginner I do not want to go with something that is beyond my abilities. So, we haven't gotten anything else yet. The shrimp and DG's seem to be the most likely candidates for our next addition when we're ready.

 

[Ky'smommy]

well i had four dwarf gouramis all males and there was not fighting what so ever excpet with the one was making his nest.