Hatchet Fish And Gourami Coexistence

RainboWBacoN420

Fish Crazy
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Messages
392
Reaction score
61
Location
US
Hey all, been a while since I've been on here. How's everyone and their tanks?

I have a question on the compatibility of hatchet fish (looking at maybe the marble or the spotted) and my dear Pearl Gourami. I would assume they would be okay, but since they have very wide and roundish bodies, makes me wonder if the gourami would get along with them. They should right? I have a densely planted 55 gallon long. Just wondering if these guys could coexist, I've really taken an interest in them.
Thanks!
 
Generally speaking, yes, but with conditions.
 
There are three genera of hatchetfishes.  The species in Carnegiella are the smallest and most delicate, to the extreme.  These include the marble (C. strigata), but I am not sure which species "spotted" might refer to.  The species in Gasteropelecus and Thoracocharax are more robust (if that can be said of any hatchetfish) and more likely to co-habit with Pearl Gourami.
 
The problem is where in the tank the hatchetfish spend their time.  The species in Carnegiella strictly remain at the surface, and are quite quiet.  The species in the other two genera tend to stay slightly below the surface, and are much more interactive.  Even so, one has to be vigilant as any fish (like gourami) that considers the upper water column its territory can readily become annoyed at this space being invaded.
 
Byron.
 
He doesn't really hang around at the top, I was going to mention that he has his own little spot under the hang on the back where it's nice and dark, and the water is somewhat stagnate under the outlet. He's kinda cowardly, too, he doesn't bother the purple emperor tetra that linger at the top.

And I'm not sure on the spotted. That's just what we got in along with the platinum or silver hatchets and the marbles.
I'll get back on the spotted.
 
I have had 3 silver hatchetfish (who sadly died 2 years ago) and 5 gourami's in my old 75 gallon and they got along fine, but as Byron said theres different kinds so it depends
 
So... it's kind of hard to determine, but the spotted silver hatchet fish I mentioned i believe is the 'maculatus'.
 
personally I think it would be ok, they might "play tag" for a bit but they eventually (if there new) will make there territory's
 
BettaBettas said:
personally I think it would be ok, they might "play tag" for a bit but they eventually (if there new) will make there territory's
Like I said, I'm more worried about how the gourami take them. I know how schools work their thing out. Another thing im worried about is them jumping. I leave my tank open top and I know these guys are jumpers, but I do have good plant cover at the top...
Might pick up a few tonight before I leave work... I sold all the marble, unfortunately. Might go with the platinum or the spotted..
 
woah didn't know you didn't have a cover, if you don't and even if there is high foliage at the top, I highly dis-recommend these fish for you. buy a cover or something, there are VERY active jumpers, I had a tank with only hatchets in it (at one point) and though open top (planted) was an ok idea, by the end of the day they had all committed suicide. I highly do not recommend these fish without a top, a picture would help to.
 
BettaBettas said:
woah didn't know you didn't have a cover, if you don't and even if there is high foliage at the top, I highly dis-recommend these fish for you. buy a cover or something, there are VERY active jumpers, I had a tank with only hatchets in it (at one point) and though open top (planted) was an ok idea, by the end of the day they had all committed suicide. I highly do not recommend these fish without a top, a picture would help to.
Yeah, I have a co-worker that had all of his commit suicide. Thought they might not if I have a lot of foliage at the top. Maybe I'll pass on them. And I do have glass canopies I could use, but- I have plants growing out of my tank and I tend to keep it like that.
 
So... it's kind of hard to determine, but the spotted silver hatchet fish I mentioned i believe is the 'maculatus'.
 
 
That would then be Gasteropelecus maculatus.  I have never seen this species locally, and I believe it is rather rare in the hobby.  It is similar to G. sternicla which is more often encountered, and both species can attain more than 3 inches in length.  Not as delicate as the Carnegiella species.  All species need a group of course, and I have found larger groups much better to calm the fish, and with the Carnegiella species this is very essential (larger groups, 9+).  Which leads me to the comments on jumping.
 
Thought they might not if I have a lot of foliage at the top. Maybe I'll pass on them. And I do have glass canopies I could use, but- I have plants growing out of my tank and I tend to keep it like that.
 
 
Uncovered tanks are not advisable with any of the hatchetfishes, regardless of floating plants.  Carnegiella species need open surface, which can be achieved with some floating plants leaving spaces.  As for the other species, that remain under the surface rather than on it, I have observed that they will only remain under open surface, not under surface plants, when given the options.
 
Jumping is generally a fright response.  If the fish are startled by something below them--which is why tankmates must be so carefully selected--they tend to jump to escape the "danger."  And this tends to occur more during darkness.  Over the years I have lost several hatchetfish during the night; a couple of times I neglected to fully close the cover glass after feeding, and I usually find this out in the morning when I discover one or sometimes two dried hatchetfish on the floor.  The species in Carnegiella seem more prone to jumping in my experience.  I had my marbles (a group of 15) in my 115g a few years back, and three or four times found a hatchetfish caught between the glass panes of the cover in the morning.  I still can't imagine how this happened, given the miniscule opening between the panes, but it did.  I now have the group in another tank with no losses.
 
So a tank cover that leaves basically no openings is necessary, or I would not consider hatchetfish.  Most fish can jump if it comes to that, but the ability to leave the water and glide--they have been proven not to "fly" by beating the pectoral fins so the incredible thrust they can achieve propels them from the water with considerable force--for several feet must be kept in mind.
 
Byron.
 
Yeah.I have hatchets in with my betta.they get along fine during the day but at night you can occasionally here the hatchets hit the lid.I can also say it's quite hard to do water changes as they are that skittish I have had one jump out straight into my bucket.I can't remove whole lid.this is a slightly smaller tank at 70 litres.
 
Kinda figured... oh, well. Thanks anyways.
Maybe sometime in the future I'll keep a tank just for these guys. I like to leave my tank open top and i really don't wanna change things just to house these fish.
 

Most reactions

Back
Top