Can I Fit A Gourami In My Tank?

[PA_fishlover]

I have a 20 gal high tank with the current stocking:

8 bloodfin tetras
3 red wag platies
4 albino cories
1 clown pleco

I do 30% water changes weekly, plus have a Penguin 200 filter on the tank. Nitrate level is rarely ever more than 10. Ammonia and Nitrite levels are zero.

I love the look of gouramies and would love to get one. Do I have room in my tank or will I have to hold off on getting one until I can get a bigger tank? Any stocking suggestions?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

You could go for a couple of honey, croaking or dwarf gourami's, but most other gourami's will grow too large for your tank and current stocking;
Honey gourami;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=34959

Dwarf gourami;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=35308

Croaking gourami;

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=35158

Pretty much all gourami's prefer a heavily planted tank, so bulking out your planting (particularly with plants that grow all the way to the top of the tanks surface) will be good before you get any gourami's .

 

[sylvia]

I agree except I would reccomend you avoid dwarfs as your tank's surface area isn't that great and they occupy quite large territories and also because they are particularly prone to disease so are best left for very lightly stocked tanks.

I'd also change the suggested number to a trio (1 male, 2 females) in both the croaking gourami and honey gourami cases as pairs won't usualy get along - the male will chase the female unremittingly and thus stress her. The same happens if you keep two of the same sex (in which case the larger bullies the smaller) except with male croakers where they may fight to the death.

A smaller alternative to the croaking gourami is the sparkling gourami which is similar in behaviour and still croaks. The advantage is that they count for less in terms of biological filtration so you are not treading on thin ice (vis-a-vis overstocking) when adding a trio.

If you are happy with the option of adding just a solitary male, a single male thick-lipped gourami (Colisa labiosa - I suggest you learn this name as they are often labelled with the wrong common name). These grow to 3" and are beautiful fish. There are a handful of color morphs to choose from.