Advice for a gourami themed tank

Rosegardener

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Hello gourami lovers. I am in the planning stage of a gourami themed tank. ALL inputs are appreciated:

Tank:
5 ft x 2ft x 2ft , about 130g
filter: thinking to use undergravel, not sure yet.
Substrate: small gravel or sand

Fishes:
Rasbora - 30
Corydora - 10
Pearl G - 6 (probably 1 male, 5 female)
Dwarf G - 6 to 10 (optional, 3 male, 6 female?)

Plants:
Need input.

So Pearl will take center stage, think I am overloading?
 
Last edited:
If you go to Aquadvisor (I still don’t know how to post a link) you can put your tank dimensions in, and list your fish and they will tell you a stocking level. It is apparently quite a good version and once you’ve found a mix that the website says will work, you could check back here for confirmation and other stuff like compatibility.
 
If you go to Aquadvisor (I still don’t know how to post a link) you can put your tank dimensions in, and list your fish and they will tell you a stocking level. It is apparently quite a good version and once you’ve found a mix that the website says will work, you could check back here for confirmation and other stuff like compatibility.
Thanks, I tried and it was great help.
 
I'm not sufficiently up to speed with the plants, but I have Salvinia natans and the roots are quite short. It looks like Frogbit are longer. Anyway, one or other might do for a floating plant for bubble nesting.
 
Pearl G - 6 (probably 1 male, 5 female)
Dwarf G - 6 to 10 (optional, 3 male, 6 female?)
Only one species of gourami should be kept in a tank. You need to choose one or other.

I would go with pearls as dwarfs have health issues. Those dwarf gouramis bred in farms in the far east are usually infected with an incurable disease by the time they reach the fish store. Locally bred dwarfs are disease free but the problem is finding them.
 
I concur with @Essjay . In a 5-foot long tank, you could have a nice group (my aim would be a group of 9, with three males) of Pearls (Trichopodus leerii) so assuming this species I will offer the following, though this would all apply to most any species of anabantid. And with this large a tank, there are a few other gourami species available, though only one species whichever it is; I can suggest these if asked.

This fish occurs in still plant-thick waters and should only be housed in well-planted aquaria with minimal water movement from the filter. Floating plants are important as the species, like all gourami, spends much time near the surface, browsing plant leaves and dangling roots for food and most importantly, having to "breathe" air regularly [more on this below]. Floating plants also provide support for the bubblenest. Subdued lighting, partly achieved with floating plants, will calm the fish. It generally remains in the upper half of the aquarium.

In common with all the species in the suborder Anabantoidei, this fish possesses an auxiliary breathing organ called the labyrinth, named because of the maze-like arrangement of passages that allow the fish to extract oxygen from air taken in at the surface. The fish must use this accessory method, because anabantids are obligate air breathers. This evolutionary development allows the fish to live in oxygen-poor muddy waters. To accommodate this, the aquarium must be kept covered to maintain warm moist air above the surface.

For the filter, I would not use an undergravel. I was "raised" on these, but have since come to recognize some serious issues, and in a tank this large, you do not want to be having to pull the substrate out or somehow get "under" it as the detritus/organics will rapidly accumulate. A good canister is your best option, as you want minimal flow but still a flow through the tank lengthwise.

Sand is your best option for substrate. Especially if cories are intended, they need this [a few others will likely disagree, but there is frankly no argument on this]. Dark is preferable to lighter, but anything other than white sand will be fine as far as colour. I use Quikrete Play Sand, their dark grey mix, which is available in Home Depot and Lowe's (I see you are in the US). And this particular brand is the softest sand you can get, so ideal for fish and plants.

As for plants, floating are mandatory, and the best is Water Sprite, Ceratopteris cornuta. Frogbit is another good floater, and then there is Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes). These three are more "substantial," in that they have good root systems, and will cover the surface in short order if conditions are to their liking. Water Sprite is native to gourami habitats, and its regular production of adventitious plants on alternate fronds (it is a true fern) allows you to cull the plants easily and always have enough. Lower plants are up to you, but Cryptocornye species, Java Fern, Java Moss and Anubias are all lower light requiring and may be suitable. Nymphaea lotus is a "lily" that is planted in the substrate and in low light will usually send up primarily surface leaves; there is a red variety that is especially lovely in this type of aquascape. A substrate fertilizer tab like Flourish Tabs is necessary. Or you could have lots of branches with fewer substrate plants.

Tankmates are not difficult to find; they must be OK with the warmth (Pearls have a range of 24-30C/75-86F and are probably better in the mid range, around 79-80F. Rasbora and tetras will provide the most options here, I'd be happy to discuss further if asked specifics. Many of the cories would find this temperature difficult, but Corydoras sterbai, C. adolfoi, C. duplicareus are three that come to mind that are fine at but not over 80F, and these seem fairly easy to get these days.
 
Might I add peacock gudgeon gobies as a potential tankmate. They don't seem to come up as a suggestion very often as they don't fit the usual groupings, but they are characterful, peaceful and use all levels of the tank. I have them with honey gouramis and they seem a good mix. They shoal loosely or can be kept singly I gather. Mine all seem pretty independent.
 
Might I add peacock gudgeon gobies as a potential tankmate. They don't seem to come up as a suggestion very often as they don't fit the usual groupings, but they are characterful, peaceful and use all levels of the tank. I have them with honey gouramis and they seem a good mix. They shoal loosely or can be kept singly I gather. Mine all seem pretty independent.
very pretty, not sure where to get them though.
 
I concur with @Essjay . In a 5-foot long tank, you could have a nice group (my aim would be a group of 9, with three males) of Pearls (Trichopodus leerii) so assuming this species I will offer the following, though this would all apply to most any species of anabantid. And with this large a tank, there are a few other gourami species available, though only one species whichever it is; I can suggest these if asked.

This fish occurs in still plant-thick waters and should only be housed in well-planted aquaria with minimal water movement from the filter. Floating plants are important as the species, like all gourami, spends much time near the surface, browsing plant leaves and dangling roots for food and most importantly, having to "breathe" air regularly [more on this below]. Floating plants also provide support for the bubblenest. Subdued lighting, partly achieved with floating plants, will calm the fish. It generally remains in the upper half of the aquarium.

In common with all the species in the suborder Anabantoidei, this fish possesses an auxiliary breathing organ called the labyrinth, named because of the maze-like arrangement of passages that allow the fish to extract oxygen from air taken in at the surface. The fish must use this accessory method, because anabantids are obligate air breathers. This evolutionary development allows the fish to live in oxygen-poor muddy waters. To accommodate this, the aquarium must be kept covered to maintain warm moist air above the surface.

For the filter, I would not use an undergravel. I was "raised" on these, but have since come to recognize some serious issues, and in a tank this large, you do not want to be having to pull the substrate out or somehow get "under" it as the detritus/organics will rapidly accumulate. A good canister is your best option, as you want minimal flow but still a flow through the tank lengthwise.

Sand is your best option for substrate. Especially if cories are intended, they need this [a few others will likely disagree, but there is frankly no argument on this]. Dark is preferable to lighter, but anything other than white sand will be fine as far as colour. I use Quikrete Play Sand, their dark grey mix, which is available in Home Depot and Lowe's (I see you are in the US). And this particular brand is the softest sand you can get, so ideal for fish and plants.

As for plants, floating are mandatory, and the best is Water Sprite, Ceratopteris cornuta. Frogbit is another good floater, and then there is Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes). These three are more "substantial," in that they have good root systems, and will cover the surface in short order if conditions are to their liking. Water Sprite is native to gourami habitats, and its regular production of adventitious plants on alternate fronds (it is a true fern) allows you to cull the plants easily and always have enough. Lower plants are up to you, but Cryptocornye species, Java Fern, Java Moss and Anubias are all lower light requiring and may be suitable. Nymphaea lotus is a "lily" that is planted in the substrate and in low light will usually send up primarily surface leaves; there is a red variety that is especially lovely in this type of aquascape. A substrate fertilizer tab like Flourish Tabs is necessary. Or you could have lots of branches with fewer substrate plants.

Tankmates are not difficult to find; they must be OK with the warmth (Pearls have a range of 24-30C/75-86F and are probably better in the mid range, around 79-80F. Rasbora and tetras will provide the most options here, I'd be happy to discuss further if asked specifics. Many of the cories would find this temperature difficult, but Corydoras sterbai, C. adolfoi, C. duplicareus are three that come to mind that are fine at but not over 80F, and these seem fairly easy to get these days.
Lots of great ideas!!!

On the subject of Pearl Gouramis, folks seems to have success keeping as single Pearl, but once they kept 2-5 aggression became a problem. On the other hand, I have seen LFS kept 20-30 in a tank and no aggression, not sure how to interpret this? Once there's numerous of them, none dared?
 
Lots of great ideas!!!

On the subject of Pearl Gouramis, folks seems to have success keeping as single Pearl, but once they kept 2-5 aggression became a problem. On the other hand, I have seen LFS kept 20-30 in a tank and no aggression, not sure how to interpret this? Once there's numerous of them, none dared?
The ratio of males to females is very important because males can be quite aggressive towards other pearls.

Most fish have different personalities from one another, you will find that some fish from a species are nicer and get along better with your other fish, whereas some are meaner and can’t live with any other fish.
 
Lots of great ideas!!!

On the subject of Pearl Gouramis, folks seems to have success keeping as single Pearl, but once they kept 2-5 aggression became a problem. On the other hand, I have seen LFS kept 20-30 in a tank and no aggression, not sure how to interpret this? Once there's numerous of them, none dared?

There is a negative and a positive aspect to this.

Stores can never be taken as examples of how any fish should be maintained at home. They hope to sell the fish as quickly as possible to maximize profits, and with often rapid turnover, providing specialist tanks is impossible. Fish. like all animals, can tolerate or manage in inappropriate environments on a temporary basis, but never long-term as in our home aquaria because the longer the stressful situation continues, the more it is impacting the physiology of the fish, and at some point the "breaking point" is reached.

With respect to the numbers, the overcrowding in the store tank obviously causes stress to the fish. Fish have two options when it comes to any stress-causing event--either fight the problem, or acquiesce. The latter response can be sufficient to actually stop normal hierarchy/interactive behaviours--the fish are too "rattled" to behave normally under the circumstances. The "fight" response involves increased aggression, beyond what is normal for the species.

The size of the aquarium impacts the above. The problem of selecting the wrong fish for the size of the aquarium is frequent unfortunately, and inevitably leads to some negatives either immediately or long-term. A simple example. Put a group of 12 angelfish in a 4-foot tank, and you can guarantee they will develop their hierarchy and begin to act it out as they mature, and in this small a space most of them will be killed in the end, leaving the alpha or dominant male and perhaps a female. Put the 12 angelfish in an 8-foot tank, and they may well live their full normal lifespan without serious incident. The difference is solely that of the "space." Scientifically-monitored studies are now showing that the tank space does impact the level of natural (for that species) aggressiveness; small spaces increase the aggression.

The number of fish of the species is also crucial to determining behaviours, and in much the same way, and obviously the tank space determining the numbers that can be maintained will be a major factor.
 
I concur with @Essjay . In a 5-foot long tank, you could have a nice group (my aim would be a group of 9, with three males) of Pearls (Trichopodus leerii) so assuming this species I will offer the following, though this would all apply to most any species of anabantid. And with this large a tank, there are a few other gourami species available, though only one species whichever it is; I can suggest these if asked.

This fish occurs in still plant-thick waters and should only be housed in well-planted aquaria with minimal water movement from the filter. Floating plants are important as the species, like all gourami, spends much time near the surface, browsing plant leaves and dangling roots for food and most importantly, having to "breathe" air regularly [more on this below]. Floating plants also provide support for the bubblenest. Subdued lighting, partly achieved with floating plants, will calm the fish. It generally remains in the upper half of the aquarium.

In common with all the species in the suborder Anabantoidei, this fish possesses an auxiliary breathing organ called the labyrinth, named because of the maze-like arrangement of passages that allow the fish to extract oxygen from air taken in at the surface. The fish must use this accessory method, because anabantids are obligate air breathers. This evolutionary development allows the fish to live in oxygen-poor muddy waters. To accommodate this, the aquarium must be kept covered to maintain warm moist air above the surface.

For the filter, I would not use an undergravel. I was "raised" on these, but have since come to recognize some serious issues, and in a tank this large, you do not want to be having to pull the substrate out or somehow get "under" it as the detritus/organics will rapidly accumulate. A good canister is your best option, as you want minimal flow but still a flow through the tank lengthwise.

Sand is your best option for substrate. Especially if cories are intended, they need this [a few others will likely disagree, but there is frankly no argument on this]. Dark is preferable to lighter, but anything other than white sand will be fine as far as colour. I use Quikrete Play Sand, their dark grey mix, which is available in Home Depot and Lowe's (I see you are in the US). And this particular brand is the softest sand you can get, so ideal for fish and plants.

As for plants, floating are mandatory, and the best is Water Sprite, Ceratopteris cornuta. Frogbit is another good floater, and then there is Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes). These three are more "substantial," in that they have good root systems, and will cover the surface in short order if conditions are to their liking. Water Sprite is native to gourami habitats, and its regular production of adventitious plants on alternate fronds (it is a true fern) allows you to cull the plants easily and always have enough. Lower plants are up to you, but Cryptocornye species, Java Fern, Java Moss and Anubias are all lower light requiring and may be suitable. Nymphaea lotus is a "lily" that is planted in the substrate and in low light will usually send up primarily surface leaves; there is a red variety that is especially lovely in this type of aquascape. A substrate fertilizer tab like Flourish Tabs is necessary. Or you could have lots of branches with fewer substrate plants.

Tankmates are not difficult to find; they must be OK with the warmth (Pearls have a range of 24-30C/75-86F and are probably better in the mid range, around 79-80F. Rasbora and tetras will provide the most options here, I'd be happy to discuss further if asked specifics. Many of the cories would find this temperature difficult, but Corydoras sterbai, C. adolfoi, C. duplicareus are three that come to mind that are fine at but not over 80F, and these seem fairly easy to get these days.
I never even thought about color of sand being an issue for a substrate choice. Out of curiosity why should white sand not be used?
 
On the subject of Pearl Gouramis, folks seems to have success keeping as single Pearl, but once they kept 2-5 aggression became a problem.
I have pearl gouramis. I bought 5 of them, 1 male and 4 females. But one of the females turned out to be an immature male and once he matured the two males started fighting. I took one of them back to the shop leaving me with 1 male and 3 females. Now that there is only one male, there is no aggression at all.

As long as there is just one male, no matter how many females there are, pearl gouramis are not aggressive.
 
I never even thought about color of sand being an issue for a substrate choice. Out of curiosity why should white sand not be used?

It annoys most fish, because it is completely unnatural. Light reflects off white which makes it even worse. Fish maintained over white sand are usually paler than those over a darker substrate. The overhead light has an impact too, obviously.

I personally find white glaring to look at in an aquarium. That in itself is suggestive.
 
I have pearl gouramis. I bought 5 of them, 1 male and 4 females. But one of the females turned out to be an immature male and once he matured the two males started fighting. I took one of them back to the shop leaving me with 1 male and 3 females. Now that there is only one male, there is no aggression at all.

As long as there is just one male, no matter how many females there are, pearl gouramis are not aggressive.
That sounded like a plan, I guess one could buy say 7 or 8 Pearls, then thin down to one male and may be 3-4 females. Have you tried all male and no female, males are more colorful ....
 

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