Opaline Gouramis Female

[normunds]

Hi, a lonely Opaline Gouramis female (I think, have a look) in my 96 litre (25 US gallons) with
6 neons and 1 Common plec. I am looking to add some more gouramis and neons.

• 1 male and 1 female Opaline Gouramis
• 1 male and 2 female Pearl Gouramis
• 4-6 neon tetras


To avoid any possible aggression what is the best way/order to add them? Any advice will be most appreciated.

Many thanks,
Normi

 

[sylvia]

That is, indeed, a female. However, adding more gouramies is not an option.

Another couple of FEMALE opalines, perhaps, is possible - but adding pearls or a male to this size tank is going to result in carniage.

You also don't realy have room for those fish - you'd be over-stocked. That includes the addition of neons. Common plecs get to 18" (sometimes more) and produce a HUGE amount of waste. You cannot add more fish, you need to remove some instead (the plec - replace it with a bristlenose if you like - your LFS should take this one back).

If you insist on adding more FEMALE opalines, you need to add two that are about the same size as the one you already have and you need to re-arange the tank so that your current fish feels she is in a different environment. Things like changing the water flow or reducing light levels also help. Similarly, taking the current female out temporarily and adding her back at the same time as introducing the new ones, would help matters.

Personaly, I'd suggest you simply buy the 6 extra neons (re-arange tank etc first anyway) and replace the common plec with a smaller species such as a bristlenose. Adding more gouramies is best avoided and is more likely to result in problems than not.

edit: For future refference, allow about 10 gallons per gourami.

 

[normunds]

Thanks a lot Sylvia, a very useful advice.

Will take my Pleco back to the LFS so I can add some more Neons and Gouramis. Wanted to get at least one male but I can see that you’re strictly advising me on female Gouramis only. Would a Pearl male be too aggressive as well? If so, will get couple of females. If Three-Spot Gold Gouramis are OK with the Opalines I might get one or two of them? Seems like they are of the same type? Or the only option is two more Opalines?

Well, you can see that I’m a beginner in this.

Many thanks,
Normi

 

[diademhill]

Thanks a lot Sylvia, a very useful advice.

Will take my Pleco back to the LFS so I can add some more Neons and Gouramis. Wanted to get at least one male but I can see that you’re strictly advising me on female Gouramis only. Would a Pearl male be too aggressive as well? If so, will get couple of females. If Three-Spot Gold Gouramis are OK with the Opalines I might get one or two of them? Seems like they are of the same type? Or the only option is two more Opalines?

Well, you can see that I’m a beginner in this.

Many thanks,
Normi

You can't add any more gouramis - a lido is only four gourami lengths long so not suitable for more than one gourami - they will squabble. Take the plec back & swap for a bristlenose and IIWY look at a small group of harlequin rasboras.
If you don't want a replacement algae eater, a trio of cories are fun.

 

[STEVIE]

I've got an Opaline as they are a fav with that gorgeous blue colour.Are you aware how big they grow because mine has eaten my neons as snacks.

 

[sylvia]

Opalines are a color morph of the three-spot gourami. They are both the same species - trichogaster trichopterus. Large males get to 6", females are generaly a little smaller. The can somtimes eat neons but it's never been an issue with mine - unless the neons are particularly young ones. Actualy, that brings up a good point - if you're looking to add to your neons, get some that are either the same size as those you already have or larger.

Pearl gouramies aren't nearly as aggressive as three-spots. the problem with adding a pearl is that it'll get bullied - not that it'll be aggressive.

Like I said initialy, I don't reccomend adding more gouramies but, if you realy want some, a couple of female three-spots could work if you take all the necessary precautions I listed before. Appreciate, please, that I'm not guaranteeing it'll work. You may well find you need to return the new additions or risk their deaths. Having said that, it also just might work. Besides the 'opaline' color morph of the three-spot gourami, there are several others: blue, gold, lavender, cosby and platinum (to name a few). Any of these (females only though) would be plausible. In fact, I've found different color morphs to be less aggressive towards each other - perhaps because they look less alike.

 

[normunds]

I had my Three Spot Opaline for over a year and she’s about 8-9cm (about 3-4 inches) long. I guess this is how big she'll get. Luckily she is not eating my Neons.
Two more Three Spots it is then, will give it a try. No Pearls. Don’t want any bullying in my tank. If I get different colours they might be less aggressive towards each other. That’s good but how do they know what colour they are themselves?

Thanks a lot guys,
Normi

 

[sylvia]

Lol - that's a good question. However, I think you're looking at it the wrong way. As is the case with many animals, they may establish an idea of what they look like based on the fish they grew up with - ie: siblings. As the siblings of an opaline are likely to have been predominantly opaline, this is the image they establish. In the wild, you wouldn't get this - but then, in the wild, you don't get lots and lots of color morphs in the same area anyway. There are several species (not just fish) that show a prefference, when it comes to the opposite sex that is, for individuals that are the same color as their parents for example. There is another explenation that, perhaps, is more likely - all three-spots ultimately descend from their wild counter-type. As there are two trichogaster trichopterus varieties in the wild (the wild blue and a gold sub-species), it's likely that fish descended from either will have an in-built (genetic) prefference for their own color - simply because they would not have mixed with the other in the wild (this is demonstrated by other fish with sub-species or closely related species as well - for example, swordtails and platies, while they inter-breed readily, seem to preffer their own kind when given the choice). As the 'domestic' strains all come either from one 'wild' three-spot or the other (mixing doesn't appear to produce particularly desirable results as far as commercial breeding goes), there will only be a few that are actualy a mixture. There are plenty of explanations and, while I can't say why or how they distinguish between their own color and others with certainty, I can say that this change in behaviour according to color does exist (to whatever extent) and could possibly be utilised to your advantage under the circumstances.

 

[normunds]

Thanks a lot Sylvia, a very comprehensive reply.
Normi