Tank Mates For Blue Gouramis

[podge387]

I have a 29 gallon with 3 blue gouramis in it i reently purchased 2 slightly smaller golden gouramis and they were dead the next morning, they had bite marks all over them. What are some fish options for tank mates of my blue gouramis?

 

[Devilishturtles]

Are you sure the blue gouramis killed them, or that they died and the blue gouramis made a snack of them?

You could try the pink kissing gourami, perhaps some rainbowfish (not really small), a school of tiger barbs, and I'm sure there are more you could add

Good luck.

 

[pkremer]

Whatever happened, maybe 5 gouramis in a 29 gallon might be a bit much? They are very territorial. I only have 1 in my 38 and he seems to be fine in there, but he still chases the other fish around. I have 4 green swordtails that he chases around right after feeding time, but the swordtails are all still alive and well (I don't think he could catch them even if he wanted to). I may pull the swordtails out some day, I don't think that its the best combo.

I second the tiger barbs. Those are some pretty spirited guys. I think yo-yo loaches would be a fine choice as well. My blue gourami only attempted to mess with them once, and they let him know they wouldn't take it. Now he ignores them completely. My blue gourami never bothers my pleco, but occasionally will chase an oto for a bit.

Sorry if this is incoherent, I am tired!
Paul

 

[lyquidphyre]

Thats waaaaaaaaay too many gouramis in a 29. Three gourami's would be pushing it. I would go for a community fish that can hold their own- like tiger barbs. Blue gouramis seem to be very aggressive. I wouldn't suggest kissing gouramis because they behave just the same. Keep what you have now and no more gouramis just because they are so agressive.

 

[liquidelusion]

i have 2 gouramis in a 29gal and i wouldnt put more than that in there. even with just these two they chase each other around when the other gets to close, they seem pretty aggressive

 

[liquidelusion]

i have 2 gouramis in a 29gal and i wouldnt put more than that in there. even with just these two they chase each other around when the other gets to close, they seem pretty aggressive

 

[jaysono]

My single gourami gets along fine with his fellow tanks mates: Bleeding Heart Tetras, Wag Tail Platy's, Ghost Shrimp, and Danio's. Never been an issue...ever.

Males gourami's are territorial, so maybe a female? Not sure if that would cause more or less problems. Females are generally duller in color.

 

[Netti]

I've had two blue Gourami's and one harrassed the other CONSTANTLY as soon as they were put into the tank! The one who was constantly harrassed went from silverish-blue to midnight blue and died the next morning. The other died later on. Almost 5 dollars down the drain.

 

[pkremer]

Netti, here is an interesting quote I found when doing my research when I bought my blue gourami:

They generally mix well with most other fish of a similar or even slightly smaller size. However, if you keep only two of them, one will often dominate the other, sometimes to death. Keeping 3 or 4 seems to lessen the risk of this bullying.

That would probably explain your bad experience... I chose to only have 1, and I like it this way....besides, 3 blue gouramis in a 38 is probably a bit much!

Paul

PS - It is interesting that he turned to that dark blue as a sign of stress. When I took my blue gourami from QT into the 38, the next day he was this absolutely fabulously dark blue. I thought it was wonderful! I thought maybe since he was in a well-cycled aquarium now, he was displaying his full colors, but over time, he became a lighter silvery blue. Then, when I removed a bio-wheel to help cycle a tank, a few days later he started to turn that dark blue again. Do a water test, and the ammonia had come up a bit. It's too bad that the beautiful blue color doesn't seem to be good for them? Or does anyone with more experience think I am off base in this assumption?

 

[madasafish]

Gouramis generally attack fish that look like themselves. They're most violent to other fish of their same species (conspecifics). Fish that are smaller, with a differently-shaped body will almost certainly be left alone, or seldom bothered. Neon tetras, rasboras, danios, for example, should all be fine. Bottom dwellers such as cories, plecos, loaches, should all be fine, also.