Question

[SailfinGirl]

I currently have in my 26gallon tank, one dwarf honey gourami. (His/her mate died.)

I have two questions. The fish in his/her tank currently are faster moving than him/her, so he/she doesn't seem to get to the food quick enough. I know I could feed way over the odds, but I don't want to do that. Should I move him/her to the shrimp tank and get him/her a mate, or leave them where they are?

Neither tank is heavily planted, there is a strong filtration in the big tank, and a very unnoticable flow in the small tank. Would the fish be happier in there, or should I leave it as it is?


Also, how can I sex it?

 

[sylvia]

If it is a DWARF honey gourami as you say, describe the color - if it is honey-orange with a little sky blue, it's male. If it is silvery it is female. If it is, in fact a honey gourami (not dwarf), males are red-honey colored with dark blue-black on the underside and females are brownish-silver or pale orange. Post a picture and I can tell you for certain.

As for moving it, I think it may benefit from being moved but only if the shrimp tank is large enough (at least 10 gallons) and I would add some floating plants. Only add a mate to the tank if you have at least a 20 gallon and/or can introduce them both at the same time and make sure it is the correct sex.

 

[SailfinGirl]

Unfortunately, I don't have a digital camera that works.

He/she is a pale yellow colour, with dark orange along the belly and topfin.

So, preferably don't move it then, as the shrimp tank is only 5 US gallons.


It doesn't look like this, which is apparently a dwarf honey gourami.

http/www.strictly-fish.com/e-dwarfhoney.jpg

Its mate was the same colour, although the seller assured me one was male and one female.

 

[sylvia]

From what I've gathered, you probably have a male dwarf (colisa lalia) and most probably your old 'female' was also male. Female dwarfs are getting harder and harder to find because of their duller coloration.

Does it look anything like this? http/aquariumfish.net/images_01/gourami_dwarf_red.jpg
or this http/www.wetwebmedia.com/Anabantoids/Honey_GouramiAQ.jpg

You may also have a honey:

Or does it look anything like this:
http/www.wetwebmedia.com/Anabantoids/Col...alia_Golden.jpg - in which case it is a colisa chunae male or like this, if it's a female: http/aquariumfish.net/images_01/honey_gourami_001_w270.jpg

 

[SailfinGirl]

No, it doesn't look like any of those. It has the exact same shape and everything of the bottom one, but as I said, its a pale yellow colour.

Aargh!

Its definately not the red one.

 

[Morrgan]

It doesn't look like this, which is apparently a dwarf honey gourami.

http/www.strictly-fish.com/e-dwarfhoney.jpg

The above link shows an image of a male honey gourami. No dwarf, just honey gourami (Colisa chuna).

 

[sylvia]

The link you posted is not a dwarf gourami but just a honey. However, it is a male showing breeding color. The image you said you fish does resemble (from my links) is a female honey gourami. If your fish looks like this but is pale yellow you likely have a honey gourami female (colisa chuna).

Dwarf honey gourami is just a confusing name given to all sorts of different gouramies - look at this thread here: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=67084

 

[SailfinGirl]

Ok. Its just that she is still dwarf size. My sister has some coral blue dwarfs and hers are small, mine is about the same size. Will hers grow?

 

[sylvia]

Honeys and dwarfs both grow to 2 inches so, no, it won't grow.

 

[SailfinGirl]

Aha! Thanks Sylvia, you were very helpful!

 

[sylvia]