Lace/Pearl/Mosaic Gourami

[Gix]

Hi
I just recently got a 55 gallon (US) tank, and once I build a sturdy stand for it and cycle it I'll start to stock it. I got the tank for my clown loaches, which are still small but will surely grow. I'm going to have some room in the aquarium since all I've planned for it so far are the 3 clowns, and I think I'll probably get a bristlenose, a striped raphael, and an african brown knife. All of those fish stay under 8 inches and are really peaceful, so I'm not worried about them. The loaches, while not aggressive in the least, are sometimes rather boisterous. I don't think that they would bother a lace gourami, and I had them with a dwarf gourami before and they got along just great. Do you think the lace gourami would be OK with them? I don't want to stress out a beautiful fish like that.
Thanks!

 

[modernhamlet]

3 clowns, a bristlenose, a striped raphael, and an african brown knife is a LOT of bottom dwelling fish for a 55g, IMO. You're pushing fully stocked just in those fish alone and that doesn't take into account territorial issues.

Pearls can be a little shy. It depends on the individual fish you get. Give them lots of surface cover and hiding places. Absolutely gorgeous fish though, and hardy. It's my favorite fish of those I've kept.

[edit: spelling]

 

[Doggfather]

The attitude of trichogaster leeri depends on the fish really, some of them are extremly peaceful, but on the flip side, some of them a real terrors, so it all depends on the individual fish, but chances are the pearls and loaches won't have any problems in being kept together since they won't posses territories anywhere near each other, just be sure to have plenty of decorations, wood, and plants to give all the fish places to hide in case they get stressed

As mentioned, the bottom of thr aquarium is quite stocked, so why not consider some tetras, or similar fish which will swim at different levels of the aquarium

 

[Gix]

I'll definitely consider getting some fish for the middle strata. Do you think that, with the current plan, there will just be too many bottom dwellers? I could forget about the raphael, because I'll probably never see it anyway. If I do that, do you think the tank'll be alright?
I'll probably put some platies in there. Some big ones that the knife won't bother.

 

[northpaul]

what about some giant danios or emperor or congo tetras look great all about 3 inch and fill the upper layers

 

[sylvia]

If you're going to get any gouramies I would leave the upper layer for them.

Personaly I would also skip the knife.

Then you can go for black phantom tetras, harlequin rasboras, golden dwarf barbs, cherry barbs, spotted rasboras, rummynose tetras, danios, rosy barbs or checker barbs. One of these in a large group/shoal with the loaches, pleco and gouramies would look very nice.

 

[Gix]

Is skipping the knife just so smaller fish can be put in the aquarium? If i can, I'd really like to get the knife. I was thinking some platies, maybe tetras (maybe black skirt? I have a lone one that I really need to get schoolmates for) to fill in the middle region. I think that they wouldn't bother the gourami, wouldn't get eaten by the knife, and would still provide a nice dither effect for the loaches to feel safe.
Any ideas? I'd love to keep my knife and just add some 3-inch or so schooling fish in the middle strata.

 

[Dwarfs]

African brown knives aren't aggressive IME, but they will eat small fish, also IME My pearl gourami (although he is a big beautiful male) is a big wimp

 

[Gix]

Yeah I'm not really worried about the knife bothering the gourami. Brown knives aren't aggressive towards anything but tiny fish. I mainly wanted to check if the other tankmates (maybe platies and/or black skirt tetras) were alright with the gourami, and if they weren't, what the best options would be for replacing them.

 

[sylvia]

The black phantoms I suggested ARE black skirts Just a different name. I suggested skipping the knife because I don't know whether it would eat these fish or not. I have no experience with knives but I can deffinately say that a pearl should do fine with these fish and have kept them with both platies and various tetras without problems and also with plecos and I know they'd be fine with the loaches and it sounds like they should be fine with the knife as well.

 

[Gix]

Woohoo! Thanks!
Yeah I've done a lot of research on brown knives; there'll be no problem there. Haha I totally missed that black phantom thing! I should learn to read more carefully.