gourami conditions???

[Magnum Man]

are the water conditions and temps similar for keeping the bulk of the varieties??? looking at 3-4 different varieties, and for example, and the temperature ranges vary by what seems like an insignificant amount, like 4 degrees F.

 

[GaryE]

Are you talking varieties of one of the species, or different species? Good set ups can really vary depending on which one you like, and knowing you, it'll be something weird, rare and wonderful.

 

[Colin_T]

They all pretty much come from soft acid water. A temperature variation of 4F is nothing and irrelevant.

 

[GaryE]

They come from a variety of conditions, but in the aquarium, the main concerns go around their sizes, and the sizes of their tanks. Some species can be as aggressive as some Cichlids, others less so. It really depends on which gourami.

The same is true fro temperatures. There's a Macropodus species that has its range limited by ice formation, and others that need tropical heat and humidity.

 

[Magnum Man]

I'm considering adding one to my barb tank, which has been stagnant after the issue with the torpedo, and most of the fish I want to add back again are out of season... the kisser gourami in my Hillstream tank, has been an ideal tank mate in that tank, but both the barb tank, and the Hillstream tank's temperatures are on the cool side of what most gourami's are listed at... the one I'm currently looking at for the barb tank, is a Pearl ( Trichopodus leerii )... both tanks listed here are cool water tanks, running on the low 70's F.

 

[GaryE]

With rowdy barbs - have you considered Paradise fish?

 

[Magnum Man]

that would be a good option... BTW not many rowdy barbs left after the Torpedo barb incident... lots of long fin fish left in that tank, including a dozen long fin bronze cory's a few long fin green dragon plecos, and long fin rosy barbs

 

[Magnum Man]

there appears to be many highly colorful line bred paradise fish, though I think I prefer the original wild type coloring...

 

[GaryE]

When I bred them, I must have given away 50. But I still had a dozen and they went into a 75 gallon classroom community. They were fine with each other and other fish. They have a reputation for nastiness, but I think it lingers from early in the hobby when they were kept in too small tanks. Give them space, and they gave me no trouble.
There are a few species in Macropodus, with the dull coloured chinensis being the one that survives until ice forms over their waters (they are labyrinth air breathers and ice would drown them). Macropodus opercularis are what you'd want. I haven't seen any breeder varieties. It's unlikely to get glo-fished because the gene splicer business avoids fish with darker coloured patterns....