Honey Gouramis

[TallTree01]

after I rehomed my pearl gourami from my biorb 105, ( 105 liters/ 28 gallon ) I began the hunt for a new centerpiece type fish. My pearl gourami was a stunner so I was looking for another gourami type fish. Many people suggested honey gouramis. I googled and didn't find much info. I have several questions regarding honey gouramis:

Are they compatible with neon tetras?
Do they need to be kept in groups?
What should I feed them?
Will males fight?
If you have pics fire away!
Talltree

 

[DreamertK]

Honeys are the smaller and more passive gouramis.
The neons would probably ok.
They don't need to be in groups (but if you did 1M2F).
Flakes, worms, they'll probably eat most things.
I've heard that they wont fight and sometimes shoal, probably varies on personality since they're still fighters by genus.

 

[Essjay]

I have a trio (1m 2f) of honies in my 125 litre rectangular tank. Their tank mates include green neon tetras, a slightly smaller cousin of neons. The two species don't seem to even notice each others' existence.
Mine eat everything that goes in the tank - flake, small pellets, frozen live food, peas etc.
I would avoid having 2 males, get either 1 male or 1 male plus females. These gouramis aren't nearly so bad for males harassing females, so it is possible to keep 1m 1f.
My male spends most of his time hanging round behind the filter (the only bit of still water in the tank) coming out to feed and display to the females. He hasn't actually built a bubble nest but that doesn't stop him displaying. The females are all over the tank, usually searching for tiny bits of food. They only interact with each other and ignore all the other species in there.
 
What colours are available in Australia? In the UK we have (sometimes) the wild coloured form (golden tan male, beige female), yellow (mine are yellow) and red. Wild cloured are easy to sex, yellows a bit more difficult and red more difficult still.

 

[TallTree01]

Thanks guys
Here's a link to my future honey gourami supplier ( victorian shops seem to be barren of honies )
Livefish.com.au

Thanks guys. these are my future honey gourami suppliers
http/www.livefish.com.au/

Do you have pics of yours essjay ( and others )? Love to see them.

 

[Essjay]

I've had a quick look at that site I see they call them honey dwarf gouramis. The one labelled Trichogaster chuna is the one you want as they don't give a latin name for the other so they could be Colisa lalia. I do wish shops wouldn't use the words dwarf and honey for the same fish, it makes things so confusing. As far as I'm concerned, they are either dwarf or honey.
The only thing I'd be concerned about with mail order is what sexes will you get. Does this shop try to sex them? You don't want 2 males.
 
 
I'll have to try and take some pics of my fish.

 

[TallTree01]

Thanks. Bare that in mind. Will they do alright in ph 6.5?

Is it possible that honey dwarves are in fact hybrids?

 

[Essjay]

They should be fine in pH 6.5.
 
I my experience of fish shops, it's just that they label them that way, I don't know why. That's why it's safer to go by the latin name, at least that way you know what fish you are getting.

 

[Colonel Dibble]

my honeys love pleco tablets.

 

[Ruskull]

My Honey Sunset Gouramis:
 

 

 

 

[TallTree01]

Wow! those are so pretty. Hope mine looks like that.

 

[Atsy]

Pardon my newbie-stupidity but what is the difference between a "Honey gourami" and a "Sunset honey gourami"?  The LFS has them listed with the same scientific name "Trichogaster chuna".

 

[Ruskull]

Wow! those are so pretty. Hope mine looks like that.

 
Thank you, I had a male and 2 females but sadly they all died within a week and a half of getting them.  I'd blame myself but they all died so suddenly, just got lethargic for a day & then dead the next.  All other fish in the tank were fine.  The male shown in all 3 of those pictures was the last to die.  

Pardon my newbie-stupidity but what is the difference between a "Honey gourami" and a "Sunset honey gourami"?  The LFS has them listed with the same scientific name "Trichogaster chuna".

 
 
It's just a color variation.  The pictures I posted were of the red variety which is selectively bred but there's also a yellow/gold version.  To be honest I think the natural coloration is much better, especially on the males.

 

[Shelster]

My male is my profile pic.
I have one male, four females.
Will just have a look for another pic to show you

 

[Shelster]

These are a few pics of mine, sorry not best pics but beautiful fish!

 

[Ruskull]

Great looking fish for sure.  Future Fish of the Month winners maybe?