8 Yr Old Lonely Gourami...

[PaulEbs]

hey,

I've had a blue pearl gourami for about 8 years now, he lives in a 30UK gallon tank with 3 bala sharks, a couple of angel fish, a common plec, 2 penguin tetra, 7 neons, 5 phantoms and a couple of crossbanded loaches.

The gourami has been on his own [without other gourami's] for almost his whole life, but reading around a bit i have discovered a lot of people keep them in groups, or just a few together.

Do you think I could introduce a young gourami into this mature tank? How would the gourami be expected to react?

any help would be top notch, cheers.

 

[vancouver]

Definitely not.. you've already got too many fish in there.. They're probably all stunted too.. definitely don't add anything.

 

[PaulEbs]

i beg your pardon?

 

[TammyLiz]

The tank is already overstocked and not the ideal situation for the fish. However, I appologize you weren't given a more respectful and helpful bit of advice!

Bala sharks grow to 12 inches and a 30 gallon tank is not large enough for them. A common pleco also needs a larger tank as they also grow to 12 inches fairly quickly if they healthy and well fed, and often they will grow to 18 inches, depending on whether they have been mixed with sailfins somewhere in their lineage or not. I have heard stories of plecs growing into an L shape, unable to straigten out even once they were moved to a larger tank because they grew up in a tank that was too small for them. This is an extreme case, though. It is important to make sure your fish have enough space to stretch out and have a good fast swim accross the tank.

As far as gouramis go, they are territorial and males do not appreciate companions. I would be willing to say that yours, even if it is a female, would likely injure or kill any gourami you add to the tank as a "friend", after being kept without any others for that 4 year stretch, it is probably feeling pretty smug. I'm not sure what you mean by a blue pearl gourami, though. Blue is one variety of Trichogaster trichopterus and pearl is a completely different species. Maybe you should try to post a picture to get an ID. Or do a search for pictures of blue gouramis and another one for pearl gouramis to find images so you can determine for yourself which you have.

 

[PaulEbs]

Thank you very much [for your more detailed response]!

i completely understand that bala's grow huge... [I wasn't aware of this a yr ago when i bought them]

i have arrangements with a local waterlife studio that will take my bala sharks when they are 18cm.

Also.. the plec was a freebie [came in on a plant].. i had one before in an even smaller tank a yr ago that grew the same height as the tank in length, he was given to me by a friend, so i did the best thing and sold him.. infact the buyer uses this forum. And as soon as this plec gets a little over 18cm i will find him a new home.

Sorry i couldn't give an exact description of which gourami I have... here's a pic...

okay... so new question.. once the bala's have left home, the catfish has been sold, and the tanks a lot emptier, would you still not recommend finding the current gourami a friend?

Cheers for your help,

Definitely not.. you've already got too many fish in there.. They're probably all stunted too.. definitely don't add anything.

By stunted.. you mean growth right? Because last time i checked they're still growing

 

[PaulEbs]

i am sorry once again... i got the size of the tank wrong.

I've been trying to work out how big it was all week, and have just realised that the old tank all the above fish were in was a 30Gallon.

however, the new tank, which they are currently in, is a 40 UK Gallon tank [pretty sure of it]. Which explains why i was shocked when you said i was over stocked.

here's a pic...

It's 18 inches Wide, and 18 inches tall (not including the light fixture bit).

 

[TammyLiz]

Pretty tank.

The gourami is a Trichogaster trichopterus. It is the same species as a blue gourami, but the common name for this color variety is "Opaline Gourami", or "Cosby Gourami". I have two of them myself, as well as a couple others that are different colors. Yours is a female. In my opinion, she is most likely fine without others of her own kind, and adding another may end in disaster. I wouldn't risk it.

 

[PaulEbs]

Pretty tank.

The gourami is a Trichogaster trichopterus. It is the same species as a blue gourami, but the common name for this color variety is "Opaline Gourami", or "Cosby Gourami". I have two of them myself, as well as a couple others that are different colors. Yours is a female. In my opinion, she is most likely fine without others of her own kind, and adding another may end in disaster. I wouldn't risk it.

much appreciated!
thank you very much for clearing that up for me.. what kind of community do your cosby gourami's live in?

 

[TammyLiz]

Mine live in a 55 US gallon tank with a school of odessa barbs, a rubbernose pleco, some yoyo loaches, rostrata, and a zebra loach. I have two Opalines, one male and one female, a platinum female, and a lavender female, or brown depending on who you talk to. All four gouramis are the same species, just different colors. I had a gold gourami with them until recently, but I had to euthanize her. If you scroll down a bit in the gourami forum, you'll see my thread on TB. Wish me luck with them. I hope I don't lose any more.

 

[PaulEbs]

Sounds like a funky community you got yourself there.

I am so sorry to hear about the tb outbreak. Hope all goes well

 

[TammyLiz]

Thanks.

 

[vancouver]

They will grow to a point.. then just stop.. you might get another inch or 2 out of your balas, but I'd be surprised if they grew any more then that.

 

[PaulEbs]

ok, cheers for the info.

Your quite blunt, vancouver. Fair enough you get to the point straight away, but what people need on this forum is help and advice, rather than one sentance that disagrees. but thank u anyway.

 

[severina]

Someone needs to learn some freaking manners.

Anyway..I just wanted to say that you have a beautiful tank, Paul. A lovely fish too. I'm getting one myself in a few weeks.

 

[vancouver]

So in telling you that you cant add fish, and that they will be stunted... I'm being rude how???