neon gourami - experiences

[SaltwaterDreams]

Hello everyone,

Today I picked up 1 dwarf neon gourami. I was in the market for 3, However the man at the fish store advised against it saying 1 would be the happiest number seeing that they were all male and tended to be territorial and my tank seemed pretty full as is. [Which is true however when you look into the tank it seems "empty" being that all the fish are quite small.] The 1 I bought today is beautiful, however I am the type of person who thinks that just 1 in the tank is kind of "out of place". Bad me.

I have a 20gal community tank, partically planted housing:

5 White Cloud Minnows
3 Bronze Corys
2 Long-Finned Leopard Danios
2 Female Guppies
2 Ottos
1 Dwarf Neon Gourami

I'm wondering, does anyone else have more than 1 gourami in a simmiliar type of tank set up? Especially a dwarf.

What are the general experiences with gourami, behaviours etc. The neon, I was told, is the least aggressive of the types and would therfore be the only one that would be compatiable with the other fish in my tank. Which so far it has been.
~Crosses her fingers~
I have had normal Gourami before in a community tank about 6 years ago or more. There were 4 of them, almost twice the size of the one I have now, in a 10gal, so I am wondering what the differences are between some of the common varities and the dwarf neon.

 

[LittlePuff]

You should be alright if you get a female. The dwarf's I had were more aggressive than my others. I don't know if that's normal for them though.

Kim

 

[TankGirl]

I think the guy at the LFS was right, though I know Allivymar at one time had 3 DG in a 10gal, but that is not typically very doable, at least IME. Mine have always been extremely territorial and relatively aggressive, and they have done better for me with as much room as possible. I had one in a 15gal that killed all of his tankmates (small tetras) except cory cats. I have no experience with female DG's, as they are never seen in these parts!

I agree, they are extremely colorful and lovely, and it would be the coolest if they were a schooling fish.

 

[SaltwaterDreams]

Thanks.
I do think I will go safe and keep my solo neon. Perhaps at another time I can add other fish.

 

[bluedragon]

I had 1 Gourami in my tank. I just bought another plus 2 dwarf neon's. The drarf's are doing fine.... no problems with them being aggressive or being chased. However, my reg Gourami is chasing the new one all around the tank. I feel so bad. I thought they were such peaceful fish.

 

[bluedragon]

I had 1 Gourami in my tank. I just bought another plus 2 dwarf neon's. The drarf's are doing fine.... no problems with them being aggressive or being chased. However, my reg Gourami is chasing the new one all around the tank. I feel so bad. I thought they were such peaceful fish.

 

[SaltwaterDreams]

From what I was told, and previouly understood some gourami are simply more docile than others. The neon I was told was the least agressive of all of them. The regular spotted, and the orange colored etc, are more agressive and territioral. But I still never remembered having any problem with the fish I had when I was 15, and those 3 I was given when my school teacher disassembled the tank in the library for the summer.


You know of course this all makes me wonder and laugh. Everytime you go to a fish store, you see these tanks filled with 20 or more of the same fish, all males and the guy/girl will tell you how agressive and territorial they all are, or how docile and sweet and how they can really be a problem, or no problem at all; Then looking into the tank at the store you see 20 of the things go floating by one another not batting an eye. Then you the thing home and it suddenly turns into this beast. ~laughs~ I guess the trick is to have so many that they can not create territory to guard.

 

[bghouse]

I currently have a 6 gal tank with 1 adorable Neon Blue Dwarf Gourami, 1 bamboo shrimp and 1 gold banded pleco. A bit overcrowded, but I saved the pleco from a friend...

Anyway - "Blue" is the absolute star of the tank (which is at the office). He has such a wonderful personality, and it so attentive to all the various people that come to say hi. He has also taken to eating food, particularly peas, off of people's fingers.

Absolutely a wonderful fish!

 

[rubysoho]

well, my theory is that having 20 in a tank is different than having 2 or 3. In the larger numbers, fish don't get singled out. The problem is when it is only 2 or 3 and they start picking on one fish causing lots of stress which leads to sickness or death. Also, you got to think those fish are shipped in weekly and they don't have enough time to really settle in and call it home. Still this is just a theory and I'm no expert.

Maybe you could get a female? I wanted to get a dwarf gourami and a little girl to keep him company. Putting floating plants in there would help "the mood" because male gouramis like to make buble nests, just like bettas.