Considering Gourami's

[redtailblackshark]

I have a 50 gallon tank with the following fish:

3 danios
5 neon tetras
3 white cloud mountain minnows

as you can see i am majorly understocked. I am probabally going to get gouramis at wal-mart, (the title just says gourami, they are blue and purple) would they be suitable for my tank?

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

I don't know a lot about gouramis as I only have a pair of pearl gouramis. Based on what I've read about the dwarfs (blue and red) they are fine with the white clouds and danios. I'm not sure about the neons. If they are young and super small, they may be viewed as a snack for the gouramis!

 

[emma12321]

Hi,

The gourami's you have seen are most likely Three - Spot Gourami

Quote from doggfathers pinned topic at the top of main page

"The hardiest of all gourami, trichogaster trichopterus, originates in the temperate water of South Eastern asia and the Indo - Australian Archipelago. This fish can practically live in an water, although extremes of Ph and hardness are to be avoided.

Sexing is straighforward, the make has a pointed dorsal fin and the females dorsal is rounded. Breeds in typical gourami fashion, outlined above.

Today, many colour morphs of this fish exist due to extensive breeding in both the home aquarium and commercial fish farms of the world. It is a peaceful fish, but no more than one male should be kept in the same tank in order to avoid fighting. It prefers the top and middle layers of the aquarium and a water temperature of between 22 - 28C and 72 - 82F. The fish reaches a total length of 10 cm's (4") and need a tank larger than 20 gallon."

Emma

 

[Tempestuousfury]

IMO, you should consider getting more of the fish you have now so you have decent shoals. As for Walmart fish, usually you would not want to buy fish from Walmart. However, if you really want to, quarantining the fish would be in order. Usually the only anabantoids at Walmart, at least around here, are kissing gouramis, three spot gouramis, paradise fish, dwarf gouramis, and bettas. Petsmart has a somewhat larger selection. I'd suggest the smaller gouramis, esp. the dwarves.

 

[sylvia]

Don't get any fish you don't know the scientific name of.

The ones you are describing are probably three-spots (as was already said) but, depsite being a very hardy species, you'd do well to avoid them in a tank with small peaceful fish like neons and white clouds. Three-spots are highly aggressive -especialy the males - and very territorial.

Also, all the fish you have right now are schooling fish that should be in groups of 6 minnimum. Get some more of them before you consider other species.

Once you've done that, perhaps take a look at the banded gourami (colisa fasciata) and the pearl gourami (trichogaster leeri). Both these species work nciely kept as trios (1 male, 2 females). You can also mix the two in your size tank. They are generaly peaceful fish and should get along - both with each otehr and with your existing fish.

 

[Squirrelbuddies]

Sylvia, you are the goddess of the gouramis! (I mean that in all sincerity.) If not for you, I wouldn't have the lovely pearl gouramis that I have today!

 

[tracer448]

IMO, you should consider getting more of the fish you have now so you have decent shoals. As for Walmart fish, usually you would not want to buy fish from Walmart. However, if you really want to, quarantining the fish would be in order. Usually the only anabantoids at Walmart, at least around here, are kissing gouramis, three spot gouramis, paradise fish, dwarf gouramis, and bettas. Petsmart has a somewhat larger selection. I'd suggest the smaller gouramis, esp. the dwarves.

We have a Walmart Superstore in town that sells tropical fish. They have the cleanest tanks of all the fish stores in town. They don't offer a lot of fish, But the ones I have seen look very healthly. As far as Petsmart, and Petco. I have purchased a number of fish from them, Quite a few have died. I saw dead angel fish in there tanks. And at Petsmart the tanks were filthy. I talked to a store employee at Walmart and he said they spent a lot of money on a filter system for the fish they have. I will be watching there new arrivals and adding more fish in the future from Walmart. Also I bought a 5gal tank at Petco for my betta and paid 49.00 dollars. Saw the same tank at Walmart last week for 28 dollars.