Kissing Gourami Tankmates

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
🐶 POTM Poll is Open! 🦎 Click here to Vote! 🐰

cupofjoel

Fish Crazy
Joined
Jun 17, 2019
Messages
299
Reaction score
115
I've recently have been really interested in kissing gouramis and congo tetras. Would a single kissing gourami and a school of congo tetras be okay (around 12-15 of them)? This would be a in a 75g tank.

The tank is also a planted tank with adequate flow and good water parameters.
 
No, that would not work. Here's why (on the Kissing Gourami, taken from my profile of this species).

Helostoma temminkii

Family:
Helostomatidae

Common Names: Kissing Gourami

Origin and Habitat: From Thailand through Cambodia, Malaysia and into Indonesia. Inhabits lakes and rivers, preferring slow-moving water with thick vegetation.

Compatibility/Temperament: Not a good general community fish. It may be kept in large aquaria with some of the larger barbs, non-aggressive cichlids, catfish such are the loricariids, etc. It should be kept in small groups to confine the aggression to conspecifics. As it grows it will eat fish smaller than itself, and consume the softer aquarium plants.

Diet

In its habit it feeds on a variety of plants and animals including zooplankton, insects, green algae. Accepts most prepared foods; frozen and live foods and vegetable matter (blanched spinach, cucumber, peas) should be offered for variety.

Size Attains 12 inches (30 cm).

Minimum Tank Suggestion: Certainly no less than 48 inches in length, and at least 90 gallons, but preferably larger so the fish can be properly kept in a small group.

Water parameters Soft to moderately hard (< 30 dGH), acidic to basic (pH 6 to 8) water, temperature 22-28C/72-82F. This fish is hardy and not particular respecting water parameters though extremes should be avoided.

Discussion

Although it is commonly available, it is in fact not a good home aquarium fish unless it has a spacious tank. It interestingly shares features with some of the larger cichlids: the jaw-locking (the inappropriately-named "kissing") aggressive behaviour, and the extendable mouthparts with teeth designed to rasp algae from rocks. The jaw-locking between fish may often lead to jaw damage, and fish with jaw damage may be unable to eat; if persistent, one of the fish usually dies after a few weeks. This aggressive behaviour is not only related to breeding and male territory, but also occurs to defend feeding areas. The fish may also decide to take out this aggression on other species in the aquarium.

Females are rounder than males, but otherwise there are no discernible external indicators of sex. Breeding is not easy, and requires a very large tank. The fish keeps to the middle and upper levels in the aquarium. It will grow large within three years, and has a five-year lifespan.

The pinkish-white fish seen in the hobby is actually a selectively-bred leucistic [reduced pigmentation] form; the natural fish is a dark greenish colour, and is a popular food fish in SE Asia. The first photo below is the green original.

The species was described in 1829 by G. Cuvier and named H. temminkii in honour of a Dutch doctor, Temminck. From 1831 the species name was often (and still is today) spelled as temminckii, but following the rules of the ICZN the name is valid as temminkii. In 1931, B. Machan described the species Helostoma rudolfi which some texts use for the aquarium pink form, but this name is a synonym (invalid) for the species.

This fish is scientifically a loner; it is the only species in the genus, and the only genus in the family.
 
I've never seen one larger than 6 inches or so.

That is typically what I've seen on site that sell the fish, no more than 6 inches.

I also read an article that tiger barbs, congo tetras, and rosy barbs make good tankmates, but nothing is ever so black and white in this hobby since all fish have different personalities. @Byron looks like I can't keep both fish. I just wanted a nice centerpiece fish I liked and congo tetras as a schooling fish.
 
Seriously Fish has the maximum size as 10 inches (250 mm). I cannot remember all the sources I would have used writing that profile, it was back in 2011. But this is not a fish for the home aquarium.

EDIT. Checked my notes, and Fishbase has max length at 30 cm (12 inches):

The reference for this data is:
Kottelat, M., A.J. Whitten, S.N. Kartikasari and S. Wirjoatmodjo, 1993. Freshwater fishes of Western Indonesia and Sulawesi.

Animal Diversity Web, run by the University of Michigan, Zoological Department, has 17-30 cm/6.69-11.81 inches as the length range, with 20cm/7.87 inches the average.

The US Fish and Wildlife Serive also has 30 cm (12 inches). This species has been introduced in some areas.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the input @Byron any suggestions for a nice centerpiece fish that would be good with congo tetras?
 
What about a pair of Angels and a school of congo tetras? That could work right?
 
Thanks for the input @Byron any suggestions for a nice centerpiece fish that would be good with congo tetras?

Congo Tetras are centerpiece fish. I had a group of ten (five males/five females) in my 90g and they were incredible; at their maturity they were 3-4 inches in length. Given their size, they should be the "large" fish in the tank. The photo attached was my 90g in 2013. My photo skills are dismal, but you can make out the other fish...Nannostomus beckfordi (10-12 I think), Emperor Tetras (9-10), Black Ruby Barbs (9), Botia kubotai (5).
 

Attachments

  • 90g Aug 23-13.JPG
    90g Aug 23-13.JPG
    633.3 KB · Views: 95
I think there are a few reasons why we do not often see this fish reach it's full potential.

First off, I think this fish is appealing to new fish keepers that do not have the proper tank size or means to care for it.

The fish is hard to keep because tankmates are hard to come by. It is not a community fish, and also will be bullied by many similar sized fish.

And lastly, I do not think kissing gouramis are appealing to experienced fish keepers with large enough tanks. A high percentage of people that have large tanks keep cichlids..... and I'd put money on it that a kissing gourami is not on their list of fish to keep.

So with that being said, I think this is one fish where their max size may be in question because in reality they rarely reach it in captivity. They are also known to live VERY long and I'd only assume that they would continue to grow at a slow rate for years.
 
How about a Red Severum?

They are very peaceful for their size, active, and beautiful.

They have small mouths so they won't be able to eat the congo tetras and shouldn't pick on them.

Red Severum are one of my favorite fish.
 
Thanks @Byron and @Metalhead88 First off, wow your congo tetras look amazing. I guess when I say centerpiece fish I mean a single larger fish 6+ inches that stand out among the community fish, higher in number.

I'll look up the Red Severum, never heard of those fish.
 

Most reactions

trending

Staff online

Back
Top