gourami community??

[Paul_MTS]

Just thinking of possabilities for a new tank i'm searching for.

It will be a 4ft.

Just wondering if all gouramis get along with each other and if any wouldn't be happy in a 4ft about 55UK gallon/250litres

and i would have a few L number plecs!!

 

[Doggfather]

Hi Paul, great to hear your looking into setting up a gourami tank

First off, not all gourami get along and since there are so many gourami it would be extremly helpful if you could post a list of the ones you like so we can give you some more definate answers

A 4ft tank would be ideal for pretty much all gourami, except for giants and a few other rarer ones which would grow too large (and are quite ugly )

 

[Paul_MTS]

I'm only considering it as a possibilty at the moment as I don't think i want to do cichlids!!

Well I like all the gouramis i have in my book basically which are-

thicklipped
banded
dwarf
red sunset
mosaic
moonlight
snakeskin
3 spot
kissing
croaking
and i think the Gourami will be too big right? grows up to 2ft in the wide

I especially like the brightly coloured ones so if there's any you can think off that i haven't listed that would be great!!

 

[JoKeR]

I'm only considering it as a possibilty at the moment as I don't think i want to do cichlids!!

Well I like all the gouramis i have in my book basically which are-

thicklipped
banded
dwarf
red sunset
mosaic
moonlight
snakeskin
3 spot
kissing
croaking
and i think the Gourami will be too big right? grows up to 2ft in the wide

I especially like the brightly coloured ones so if there's any you can think off that i haven't listed that would be great!!

MOONLIGHTS!

There the most graceful fish u will see

There very peaceful...Look nice

A few Neons a lot of L# plecs

But I say go with some Dwarfs(flame,Neons,Originals)

Some Moonlights

Some Opalines and Gold Gouramies

Maybe a 3 spot

Now there is a downside gouramis really defend there territory so watchout for aggresion..

 

[Paul_MTS]

I have to say in the book it isn't one of the most eye catching ones but it does look nice!!

I thught you meant neon tetras then then read the book and said the dwarf have some new strains, have you got a link to pictures of the various colourations?

I more thinking 1/2 each of all/most those ones i listed, maybe have a couple or 2 that may breed....

what kind of deco should I be looking at, rocks, caves, bogwood, well planted???

I prefer the natural look so not keen on all those ship wreck ornaments!!

I know i'll need a few rocks and the odd bit of bogwood to keep the plecs happy.

And i'ved now forgotten what else i was going to ask

 

[Doggfather]

I'll have to disagree with joker here, stick away from dwarf gourami, and all their colour morphs. Unfortunantly many fish carry TB and other nasty problems and unfortunantly, if theirs an outbreak in your tank theres a big chance they it will be transmitted to all your other fish

Obviously you couldn't keep all the fish in that list in a 4ft tank, so a few cuts would have to be made.

As i said before, i'd take Dwarf gourami out of the list, even though they're colourful fish, the risk of an oubreak of TB is too high, IMO.

As for tank decoration, lots of plants, wood, caves, rocks, whatever!

Good luck

 

[Paul_MTS]

Ah, can't say I wnt to be dealing with that!!! I was looking at the dwarfs to go in my 3ft community, I'm trying to decide on what bottom dwellers to get...so hard!!!

Righty, well won't be too hard picking out my favs from that lot i listed, will end up being best colour or pattern!

Oki dokey, basically what I'ved done in my 3ft, planted with a large bit of bogwood and few peices of slate.

My LFS dude doesn't like selling his gourami to a newly started tank, I keep asking if he thinks my 3ft is ready!! been running for about 2-3 weeks now. How long would you say to hgie a new tank to mature for them?

 

[Arashi]

Try Pearl Gouramis!!!! I just got three of them for my 29 gallon and they are very peaceful and beautiful fish. I ain't got no piccys of them, as my camera is still broken, but I'm sure you could find some pics online.

Unfortunately, I'm not too sure of your question about tank maturity and Gourami's. Mine were put in when the tank was well over 5 months old, so I don't know if they will be sensitive to a newer tank or not. I do kow that Pearls are very hardy though and that they are great for beginners because of that fact, so I would think they should be ok in a newer tank.

For bottom dwellers, I'd say go with small Loaches, Cory's, or Plecos. I've got all three of those types in with my Gouramis and they are all doing wonderfully together.

 

[gaya]

my two dwarf gourami's beat each other up. I'm setting up a 30g right now so I may separate them. They do spend a lot of time together (usually scrapping) but maybe they are unhappy in their tank. They are currently unable to build bubble nests right now because I have air stones running because I had my temp up for awhile. I would definately make sure that all your males have enough space to make thier nests. That always occuppied my little guys day and night!

 

[Paul_MTS]

Oh right, i think i saw pearls in my LFS will have a closwer look at them when i nezt go!!

I'm going with a good few plecs probable banjo catfish and khuli loaches asI will have a sand substarte which they like to bury in.

 

[tear-scar]

Best way to reduce territorial aggression is to keep lots of gouramis of the same size. Opaline, gold opaline, moonlight, and pearl have been kept together beautifully in the past; I give recs to all of them.

Loaches fit this tank best, as they are from asia like the gouramis.

As for decor; gouramis do well in dense plantation unlike larger cichlids. Feather Leaf species are the optimal choice for gourami (or at least that's what I've heard); try using plants from the cambomba family. Yellow cambomba is the most attractive to me; but it requires more care and light than green cambomba.

I also have to give props to honey gouramis . . . It's a great fish. Sparkling Gouramis are another I have to give a props to . . . but these species are significantly smaller than the others you're considering; especially the sparkling. They might not be the best idea . . .

 

[Paul_MTS]

Hmm I hate cabomba!!! i'm planning on not having it in this tank.

Will have to see what happens really, what ones my LFS can get in etc etc

still searching for that perfect tank aswell!!!