Gourami advice

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Welcome to MFK!

Sounds like your tank needed to be cycled a little longer. Is there any fish in there at the moment? Pearl Gouramis are very peaceful and you can keep them in groups. Most Dwarfs seem to be more on the peaceful side as well. Honey Gouramis are nice too! Maybe give us a little more history on the tank.
 
I have seen gourami tanks, but the key is to have a few, like 5 to 10 of them, in the same tank, it will diffuse alot of the aggressiveness, or at least disperse a bit. Gourami's in general are very aggressive towards their own, more than once, I have heard that breeders will pull the female shortly after spawning, or else the male will kill her! Just imagine what they are like male to male...

As far as the nitrogen cycle, make sure the tank is established before adding more fish... Period.
 
Great advice from everyone. Thanks. The tank has had fish for about a week and a half now and I just finished a five day e-mycin treatment. I have done two partial water changes and the fish in the tank are looking good. 3 black skirt and 4 blood fin tetras. So far, it looks like angels with the black skirts are a no-go. The plan is to get one gourami and a couple of cory cats to clean up the bottom of the tank. My wife wants to grow the blood fin school to 7. I am going to start a second tank (36 gal) soon so I can keep angels in it. Cycling is a the top of the list this time! Recommendations on a water test kit anyone?
 
API's liquid master test kit is your best bet, it runs about 32 dollars at petsmart, but its well worth it for 2 reasons

1) More Accurate
2) $32 for 100s of uses compared to $15 for only 25 in the test strip packs
 
BurgosRL;4748945; said:
Great advice from everyone. Thanks. The tank has had fish for about a week and a half now and I just finished a five day e-mycin treatment. I have done two partial water changes and the fish in the tank are looking good. 3 black skirt and 4 blood fin tetras. So far, it looks like angels with the black skirts are a no-go. The plan is to get one gourami and a couple of cory cats to clean up the bottom of the tank. My wife wants to grow the blood fin school to 7. I am going to start a second tank (36 gal) soon so I can keep angels in it. Cycling is a the top of the list this time! Recommendations on a water test kit anyone?


If you choose to do a couple cories get a school and they won't really clean the bottom if your tank, although they are great substrate turners finding all leftover food
 
From what I gathered, stay away from dwarf gouramis, if getting more than one, get females, and put them in at the same time as to have them claim their corner of the tank at the same time and avoid territorial disputes. I picked up a gold and an opaline; both females (I think). Fun observation: they use their whiskers to feel each other out and to feel around the tank. My black skirt tetras already found out that nipping at their fins is not as fun, and quite more painful, than nipping on angels. Thanks to all for the advice.
 
sounds good! you next step: POST SOME PICS! we love tank pics here. It's how we steal everyone elses ideas!
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com