Honey Gourami Feeding Question

[september_blue]

A few weeks ago I got a pair of 'red robin gouramis' from my lfs. (Everything I read before getting these said they were a colour variant of Colisa chuna, but I've read since that they're actually Colisa lalia, which worried me a bit - any ideas?) Anyway, they're getting on fine in the tank they share with five neon tetra and an apple snail, and they're great little fish. I've been feeding them flake food and occasionally some freezedried daphnia, but recently they've got way more interested in the algae wafers that the snail gets as a treat - they don't attack the snail, but they'll dance around him trying to get any bit of the wafer he's not sitting on.

I'm still quite a newbie to the world of tropical fish, and I've never kept any species of gourami before. Does this seem like normal behaviour for them or might it be a sign they're missing something from their diet? They don't seem interested in any of the snail's veggies, just the algae wafers.

 

[fishncan]

It is quite normal. My gourami does the same thing. In fact, many of my fish are interested in the algae wafers...except the otocinclus !!! The Irony

 

[tenke56]

Mine will eat the wafer on the way down and then keep eating it until my pleco comes by and sits on it. It's normal. They just like the change of food. Try broadening their food types. I give mine flakes, blood worms, veggies, and other types of food.

 

[september_blue]

Oh good! Long as they're not starving for anything. I'll try them with some bloodworm tomorrow (and maybe they'll let the snail eat in peace, lol!)

 

[Biulu]

Colisa lalia means you have the red variant of the dwarf gourami. They are normally a bit more agressive than honey gouramis, but mostly among themselves.

Mine love veggies, so an occasional chunk of bland zucchini or a pea alternated with some brineshrimp as snack on their menu will do wonders for your fish.

 

[rmanpf]

my algie wafers are eaten by every fish in the tank, untill my rubbernose pleco decides its his and sucks on it.