Community Tank q's

[New Boy]

How do kribs and dwarf gouramis get on in a community tank together? I've read that they can be territorial at times so can they clash? Anyone kept them together? My water ph is 7.6 and quite hard, most books say that this is ok for both, is that everyone's experience.

Any way that I could get my upside-down-catfish to come out ever? They hide all of the time and I've only ever seen them if I walk past the tank in the middle of the night when getting up to feed our baby.

Thanks

 

[sylvia]

Gouramies and kribs are both territorial but dwarf gouramies are mostly territorial in the upper layers and to their own kind while kribs generaly stick to the lower levels. In a large tank you shouldn't have problems but in a smaller tank I would be concerned about the kribs chasing the more peaceful and smaller dwarfs, thus stressing them out and causing them to get sick. Dwarf gouramies already have weakened immune systems due to mass-production/in-breeding so deffinately don't put them together if you have kribs that are likely to breed in anything less than 30-40 gallons. Be prepaired, also, to remove the dwarfs if anything goes wrong. The pH should be fine for both provided the fish you buy came from your area (especialy important for the gouramies though they'll adapt).

 

[jflowers]

Look at my sig, think this may be the exception rather than the rule, but the kribs never look at the dwarfs. Also my kribs are breeding, though they are inexperienced so no fry yet.

Your question, yes they can clash but if your tank is big enough they should be ok. My PH is 7.5 and both are getting on fine, as sylvia says dont try to change your PH, a stable PH is better than the ideal PH.

Finally, your USDC, I dont have any, but read that they are shy, so you may not see them too much. Try a search of this site, sure there are lots of posts on them.

Jon

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Gouramis being rather slow and the kribs being very fast, if there were a scuffle between them, the gourami would most likely die.

Also, the gouramis I have go all over the tank and spend long periods of time among plants at the bottom...

 

[freddyk]

How do kribs and dwarf gouramis get on in a community tank together?

It all depends on how much space you are providing in a large enough tank they'll each be able to make a territory and co-exist.