PEARLS

[SHANTYMAID]

I have a female Pearl Gourami and a Golden male Gourami which was bought for me as a gift. The thing is i have aways wonted a male Pearl because i think they are just so beautiful , is it still possible to have the male Pearl. The tank is quite peaceful at the moment although the female will chase the golden male often especially when there is food around. Would it upset both of them to have another male in the tank or would it be best to move the golden male then introduce the male Pearl to her. Many thanks for reading the thread any input would be gratefully recieved

 

[cichlidlovr]

we have kept a group of three males and one female together with no problems of aggression, you may have to watch the gold gourami you have as they get much larger as a rule and are more aggressive then a pearl. What size tank are these fish in?

 

[SHANTYMAID]

They are in a 15g but that is only temporary home moving soon to a 55g do u think that would be adequate size?. My pearl at the moment is about 3 inches and the golden male is about 2 inches, i dont wont to crowd these fish its inportant to me of course that they will be happy and healthy.

 

[cichlidlovr]

the 15 gallon tank is not big enough, the 55 would be fine, you will still have to watch the gold one for aggression as he gets bigger, the golds can sometimes be "chasers" of other fish, just keep an eye on him. I do think that pearl gouramis like company of their own kind, the ones we had used to touch one another all of the time with their "feelers" they are very friendly sweet fish.

 

[SHANTYMAID]

Yes i agree about the size of the tank way too small for them at the moment, and yes i think the pearls are a absolutly beautiful fish i have heard that they supposed to be quite shy but believe me my MAY as she is called is very much in youe face kind of fish . Nothing gets in her way and if they do watch out, she has a go at the gold every now and again but he has started to put her in her place every so often. I just cant help thinking that she will be a lot happier with a male of her own kind . I have been told and i dont know if this is true that if i dont get her a male there is a chance that she will mate with the gold any opinion on that one.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi SHANTYMAID

You are always taking a chance when you introduce a male gourami into a tank with other gouramis. They are individuals and the more I hear about them, the less they seem to follow any predictable pattern.

There is nothing shy about pearls. I have one pearl gourami that just cannot be kept with others of his own kind. I keep him as the only top dweller in a cory tank, much as I keep bettas in some of the others.

You may also find that if the gold male matures and becomes dominant, he might bully the both the pearls. There is just no way to know without trying them out. A 55 gallon tank seems to be large enough for all three to have their own spaces, but even that might not matter. On the other hand, they might all get along fine.

 

[SHANTYMAID]

Hi Inchworm Thanks for your wise words yes you are right it does come down to the individual fish and there personality. So i will wait till i have my 55g tank then think about introducing a male Gourami and just see how it goes, i would think it might be a good idea if and when i do get the male is to get one simular size to my female. Firstly my female might think twice about having a go at a male thats her size, she may bully him a little but maybe not half as much if it was a youngster. Secondly maybe the Golden might think twice too anyway wonted to say thank you all for the advice Shanna P.S you never know they might all get along wonderfully heres hopeing

 

[Aulonochromis]

I just got a pair of pearls. I got a female first, then after learning how to sex them, I got a male. I watched the fish at the store for some time, to pick a nice looking specimen. I noticed out of the group there was one male who was a little aggressive toward the other fish. I noticed another than was pretty and seemed pretty docile, so I picked him. When I put him in the tank it was like love at first site. The female came up to him instantly, but was more inquisitive than aggressive. I've had the pair about 3 days and they are inseparable, it's so cute.

 

[SHANTYMAID]

That is so sweet Aulo i,m so glad for you that the romance is going so well i only hope that i have the same sucess as you at picking the right fish . Think my MAY as she is called is really bossy and going to need a bossy fish to put her in her place lol. Please keep me posted to tell me how the romance is going on but it defintly sounds like loveeeeee to me.

 

[Aulonochromis]

They're still doing great. I did see some aggression from the male the first time I fed them, but today they were eating side by side. The male has really gotten more colorful since I saw him in the store.

 

[phishluvr]

My pearl was such a loner in the tank for the longest time. very shy and hung out in his corner most of the time. I finally found some female pearls that were a nice color and brought one home. He immediately came out and introduced himself and they've been inseperable since. She's brought him out of hiding and in retrospect I think he was depressed.

I'd suggest too that you hold off to introduce another until the 55g is set up. They won't be so territorial.