So I've Bought My Pearls And I'm In Luuurve :)

[ponyperil]

I've taken the plunge and bought 4 pearl gouramis and they are just so beautiful. My other half also thinks they're lovely and having only had them two days, wants to know if we can get a few more!

The only problem is that I wanted 1 male and 3 females, and to be honest I'm not sure what I've got! They're juveniles, about 1.5 inches long, and after much scrutinising of all the pearls at my lfs, myself and the assistant (who I know, and is generally very knowledgable), decided that they were either all female or simply too young to be able to tell, so I guess I just have to keep my fingers crossed!! If I can figure out how to do it, perhaps I could post a picture and someone might be able to tell whether I have males or females??

So, in my 300 litre tank I know have: 4 pearl gouramis, 14 penguin tetras, 2 bristlenose plecs, 1 clown loach (yes I know they should be in groups, and we originally had 5 - long story - but he's happy), and 4 glass shrimps. Do you think I could get another 3ish pearls? Could I get ( as well as or instead) 1 male and 2 female dwarfs? Finally, has anyone got any suggestions for another tankmate species - I was going to get some cherry barbs but my other half thinks they're a bit boring, I want something that's a different colour though - something peaceful but bright and interesting - any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions/help, and thanks to Ruskell for his advice on my other post xx

 

[creeker]

I think you probably have some males in the mix. You can't really tell the difference when they're little. To be honest with you, if it were me, I'd bring the small ones back and find some a little older, so you can sex them. You are going to run into problems if you have multiple males. Pearls are one of the more peaceful gouramis, but the dominant male will still bully the others big time. If you keep the small ones, it's going to be harder when the time comes to rehome the excess males. You can have as many females as you want, but only one male.

 

[Ruskull]

Just keep an eye on them as they mature. You should be able to tell which ones are which soon enough.