Another Gourami

[Twinklecaz]

I know this is primarily about Gouramis but coz it's also quite a general stocking question I posted it here.

Before I start, my tank is 60L (officially - more like 57ish), moderately planted, long rather than wide (taller than it is wide too) and currently stocked as follows:

3 x male Platys
2 x Golden Honey Gouramis (1 male, 1 female)
3 x Pygmy Corys

Just recently my male Honey has started chasing my female a lot more. No idea why, I'm wondering if it's coz they've reached sexual maturity or something. Anyway, I think he might be bothering her a bit.

Today I went to one of my LFS and saw some lovely Red Honeys. I actually originally wanted 1 red and 1 golden so I had to basically put my hands over my eyes and run out coz I have plans for my complete stocking already.

Obviously I intend to get 3 more Pygmys to up my stocking to 6. My other LFS will have some in soon. I only bought 3 at the time coz that's all there was, they'd been there for WEEKS and were in a tank with some clown loaches and Harlequins so I figured they'd be better off in my tank anyway even it they were a small group.

Other than this, if my water stats remain good I hope to get a shoal of 6 neon tetras around Christmas time once I hit the the 6 months mature mark.

I'm aware that if I do all this my tank will be technically fully stocked (I'm sure some will say overstocked) but my quesion is (finally I hear you say)......do you think I'd have room for 1 female red honey? Do they have a particularly big bio-load? I just figure it'll ease the strain on my other female honey. Plus - I want one!

Or am I pushing it with my final stocking plans anyway and should just forget it?

 

[Twinklecaz]

It's kinda depressing when you see 13 people have read your post yet no-one has any thoughts

 

[Liverbird36]

It's kinda depressing when you see 13 people have read your post yet no-one has any thoughts

Ahhhhh, I know how you feel hun...really I do.

 

[Twinklecaz]

LOl! Thanks

I just need to know what their bioload's like. I can decide the rest for myself really

Lol tho prob all the people that have read this are guests that know less than me.





HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP experienced peeps!

 

[Liverbird36]

LOl! Thanks

I just need to know what their bioload's like. I can decide the rest for myself really

Lol tho prob all the people that have read this are guests that know less than me.





HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP experienced peeps!

Sorry I couldn't be of any help to you

 

[Twinklecaz]

LOl no, you're as green as me..........you cycled yet?

 

[Liverbird36]

LOl no, you're as green as me..........you cycled yet?

lol NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!! nitrites have come down from off the chart to 2.0ppm this morning. Hopefully it's getting there 'cause i'm getting fed up now

 

[Twinklecaz]

Yeah I reckon it is. It's deffo the more flow thing!

 

[Liverbird36]

Yeah I reckon it is. It's deffo the more flow thing!

I hope so, I'd better get looking into choosing some fish that are gonna make up for all the stress this cycling puts us through. Saw some red gouramis in my lfs and they are stunning fish really pretty. They had Lace one's too which were stunning. Don't really want to get them from P@H though.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Red Honeys? I love them! Though the trouble with personality fish is just get very attached and get annoyed with them when they pick on each other......like they understand bullying, compassion and friendliness LOL!

 

[LondonguyJ]

Hey Twinklecaz

I have 3 honey gouramis (yellow/gold variant)and can confirm that they are not that heavy on the bio load. The breeder I got them from kept the red honey's separate from yellow/gold variants though at the time I didn't ask why.

But now that you've mentioned it I might steal the idea and get one red female later today and give you the results first hand.

 

[BethK]

if you're at your stocking limit (stocking calcu. aren't really spot on, all fish have diff needs). If you think you are at full capacity, ensure you keep up more regular water changes, for yours, i would say 40% every 2 days.

others may advise diff but if you're going to be 100% full, it's the water quality you need to look after but if they look crammed, then the re-homing of fish is essential, unless you upgrade

You should add at least 1 more cory, min. of 4 rule.

if you want another gourami, rethink the tetras IMO

 

[Twinklecaz]

Hiya

Yeah that's what I was worried about. I might just leave it for now. I may not end up getting the Neons in which case I would have space for another Honey but I think I'll leave it till I'm sure. and that's a good point London guy, you do never see them together in shops....I wonder why?

 

[BethK]

i think you should get a bigger tank

i only say no to the neons, as they are fast and darty, if you have around 55ltrs of space, they will eventually get picked on by gouramis, i'd treat them like i would my bettas, after all, same family and can get narky with territory as they are older.

But if you had a bigger space, i doubt they'd be much of an issue.

Get the female G

 

[Twinklecaz]

Oh that's a point. Though they're very docile my Gouramis, they totally ignore all the other fish.

Lol it's funny you should say that. I've been thinking about a bigger tank today. I'm wondering if I have space for a 100 litre (and wondering if it would be too heavy for upstairs).