Do Platies And Gouramis Get Along In The Same Tank?

[Lord Zogat]

Do Platies and Gouramis get along int he same tank?

I just want to make sure as I am trying to pick what fish I am putting in my 20 gallon tank. Maybe I am thinking too much on what will work and should just go with what the info sheets at the store say are tank mates.

But if you have suggestions before I get started it would be appreciated. I am hoping to have the tank ready for water in a weeks time (waiting on ornaments to arrive), then I'll get the water in, run it for 24 - 48 hours and start with my first few fish to cycle the tank.

I was first thinking cichlids then was told not enough room for more than 2. Then I though Barbs, but they appear to be mean and aggressive to even their own kind. Next I saw some very colorful Platies and Gouramis, which its really color I am looking for.

I will have lots of hiding places, a bubbler, black gravel and a few plastic plants. Most of the caves will be composed of a few colored boiled beach stones and very thin shale rock that was also boiled. Here is what the shale looks like.

It comes from a spot about 90 min away, the only location in Canada where this rock type reaches the surface. Its shale from the devonian age.

So any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[GoldfishAttentionSpan]

Might want to watch out with the shale- sharp edges can sometimes hurt a fish. I have shale in my ten-gallon and have yet to have a problem, but its a pretty new tank. Just something to think about when setting up the tank. Maybe you could file down sharp edges somehow? (Though that might loose the effect of the shale in the first place...)

Also, sometimes gouramis can be aggressive towards each other, so be sure to research that part well.

 

[starrynightxxi]

I can't advise you on the shale, but i kept a male dwarf gourami with platies and never had any troubles.

 

[mark.w.jones]

If you want to go for a gourami I would go for maybe a honey gourami. This article on Practical Fish Keeping website has advice on others:

http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...?article_id=388

You need to pick their tank mates carefully though. Anything too nippy or aggressive will cause problems. Gouramis make a great centre piece fish though as long as you pick carefully.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Platies and gouramis shouldn't be a problem. It's more the ratios within the species that you need to think of: gouramis are territorial so you only want one male in the same tank. But you can have more females. Platies are little sex machines, so you want either more females than males, or females only, or males only if you have space for at least 5.

 

[Lord Zogat]

Platies and gouramis shouldn't be a problem. It's more the ratios within the species that you need to think of: gouramis are territorial so you only want one male in the same tank. But you can have more females. Platies are little sex machines, so you want either more females than males, or females only, or males only if you have space for at least 5.

I'll keep all that in mind. I am not real fussy on having to deal with the whole mating and spawing thing, just wanted fish to watch, so maybe all female or males (which ever are more colorful for the species) is what I will go with.

What would you reccomend for numbers for a 20 gallon tank with lots of hiding places? How many Platies and gouramis would you suggest if they are either all male or all female.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Platies and gouramis shouldn't be a problem. It's more the ratios within the species that you need to think of: gouramis are territorial so you only want one male in the same tank. But you can have more females. Platies are little sex machines, so you want either more females than males, or females only, or males only if you have space for at least 5.

I'll keep all that in mind. I am not real fussy on having to deal with the whole mating and spawing thing, just wanted fish to watch, so maybe all female or males (which ever are more colorful for the species) is what I will go with.

What would you reccomend for numbers for a 20 gallon tank with lots of hiding places? How many Platies and gouramis would you suggest if they are either all male or all female.

With platies, both sexes are equally colourful, so you might as well go for all females (less likely to be aggression problems- they tend to be quite laidback. Only snag is, they may be pregnant from the shop- but then the gouramis will help eat the fry, so shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Honey gouramis, again both sexes are fairly colourful.

If you get a trio of honey gouramis (1 m, 2 f) and 3-4 female platies, that will still leave room for some bottom dwellers: 3 corydoras or khuulie loaches, or 1 clown plec. Don't add them all in one go, though.

 

[Lord Zogat]

If you get a trio of honey gouramis (1 m, 2 f) and 3-4 female platies, that will still leave room for some bottom dwellers: 3 corydoras or khuulie loaches, or 1 clown plec. Don't add them all in one go, though.

If I have pre-cycled the tank with the fishless system, would I not be able to add them all at one go? Or did you mean just don't add the bottom dwellers all in one go?

 

[corey01]

if youve cycled the tank then you could add them all at once....but its best to do it platies wait a few days then the honey gouramies and so on.. doing it like this will settle the fish in.

 

[dwarfgourami]

if youve cycled the tank then you could add them all at once....but its best to do it platies wait a few days then the honey gouramies and so on.. doing it like this will settle the fish in.

I don't suppose the OP has been sitting around for a whole year waiting for an answer to this one.

 

[piratedninja]

from my experience blue gouramis and platys dont mix well

i had 2 blue gouramis and 3 platys and the gouramis always chased the new platys around, making my male platy jump out of the tank
gouramis are very playful, and platys are generally calm im sure they can mix well if the tank is big enough but definately not in a 10G tank