Dwarf Gouramis? Good idea?

[nirvanarama]

i am considering getting a dwarf gourami for my 8 gal but got some confusing research
i have a book which said that dwarf gourami are good community fish whereas Fish Profiles says that upper level fish are avoided and that they can be aggresive. so i wondered if any of you had any past experiences/advice that would help me out?

Thanks!

 

[Guppylover]

Dwarf Gourami's are not aggressive at all! They are one of the most shy fish of all. Unless it breeding season then the male get a but mean to the other fish if they get close to the bubble nest.
They so cute ^__^
Don't worry I'm pretty sure you won't have any problems of bullying. Sometimes the male does nip the female but it dosen't really get worse than that.

 

[juliethegr8t]

Actually, dwarf gouramis can be QUITE aggressive!! It really depends on the fish, but the majority of them are quite aggro. For example, mine chases every other fish in the tank he's in, and bites them if he can catch them. I tried to add a female at one time, and he would have probably killed her if I hadn't removed her. I also had two males in the same tank, which is a big no no. That should always be avoided - they were starting to injure each other.

Basically, I would say it depends on your planned tankmates. My dwarf does fine with the upper level fish, because they are fast enough to get away from him (danios), but really bothers the lower (ram and cories).

 

[appleblossom]

I have 2 male dwarf gouramis in a community tank with no females and they are no problem at all.
They are pretty shy and hide behind the rocks and plants if they see someone coming, but they come out if you sit still by the tank, and although they are the biggest fish in there, they have never chased or nipped any of my other fish.

They do fin slap each other from time to time, (Ive only seen it happen once) so maybe some females would be an idea to keep them occupied at some point, but for the most part mine seem to be shy, peaceful little guys.

 

[Tednol]

i have two males in the same tank alone and there fine. SHY. but fine. very shy and they take stages when eating.
First is too hide.
then to come out and have a look but quickly go back in hiding.
minute later come out again and go to the suface.
stop halfway and wait
and then eat.
crazy lol

 

[Inchworm]

Hi tetras_rock

Gouramis, either dwarf or regular size, need more swimming room than they will have in an 8 gallon tank. You might want to wait until you have more space before getting them.

There are so many beautiful smaller fish that it seems a shame to pass them by in favor of a fish that really needs more room.

 

[nirvanarama]

Gouramis, either dwarf or regular size, need more swimming room than they will have in an 8 gallon tank.

but the type of tank i have is taller than a standard tank so maybe they would thrive more than expected as they would have more upper swimming room?

 

[dixaisy930]

I think they would probably need a longer tank, to have more length, instead of depth.