could i put gourami in an outdoor pond for the summer?

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djsaltynuts

Piranha
MFK Member
Sep 11, 2020
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i live in the high desert where in the day it gets 70-95 and at night 40-70 generally in the mid 50s-low 60s on summer nights.

id like to set up a mini pond in a 30 gallon tote so itd be changing temperature pretty easily. i was wondering if my opaline gourami could live in these conditions for the summer. i really wanted to put koi bettas in it but i had to take my opaline male betta out of my 50 gallon because he was being bullied.

if a gourami can survive these conditions could i pair it with 1or 2 females (more if beneficial) and get it to breed? i know this probably wouldnt work with bettas.
 
In my opinion mid 50s to low 60s is not high enough for most tropical fish, including online gourami and a worse factor would be the day/night time temperature swings.
Online gourami would also require much more stable conditions to breed with constant warm air above the water for the young to survive.
 
Beside just water temp, remember gouramis are anabantoids and require gulps of atmospheric air to survive.
Covering the tote every night would always be needed.
I used to keep paradise gouramis outside in Wisconsion spring thru fall in rain barrels, (Macropodus opercularis) but they are not really tropical fish, they come from Korea and China where it gets cold, so they might be a better choice.
 
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