Red finned Giant Gourami with Arowana?

[Lahan]

I have two 6-5 inch arowanas in a 600 gallon tank and they kept on fighting . A nearby aquarium is willing to offer an 8 inch red finned giant gourami with brilliant colors inexchange for my 5 inch aro. Would it be okay to house my 6 inch aro with the 8 inch gg? The tank is currently shared with a 7 inch Jade goby and a pair of Japanese orgon platinum koi.
Is the deal fair and would i be able to keep the 2 fish together?

 

[Joshuakahan]

I have two 6-5 inch arowanas in a 600 gallon tank and they kept on fighting . A nearby aquarium is willing to offer an 8 inch red finned giant gourami with brilliant colors inexchange for my 5 inch aro. Would it be okay to house my 6 inch aro with the 8 inch gg? The tank is currently shared with a 7 inch Jade goby and a pair of Japanese orgon platinum koi.
Is the deal fair and would i be able to keep the 2 fish together?

I don’t know a lot about either but my lsf has both in a 1000g tank with several other fish if this helps. They’re both around 2ft

 

[Lahan]

true ,but in my case the arowana is smaller than the gg

 

[Joshuakahan]

true ,but in my case the arowana is smaller than the gg

I still think it would be ok, the GG is 8” and the aro 6.5” , I don’t see 1.5” being an issue but maybe someone with more experience with these fish can help, but from my experience with many other fish, I think you’re ok

 

[Joshuakahan]

thebiggerthebetter

 

[esoxlucius]

I've heard horror stories about some GG. They can go both ways, some can be very unforgiving with tank mates, others are placid gentle giants.

When I first set up my 180 a few years ago I stocked it with a RTGG, 4 tinfoils, 3 balas, 3 cigar barbs, 6 clown loach and 6 dennison barbs, all fish were tiny, about 2" apiece.

There was no hassle in that tank from the get go, a great com tank. They started getting bigger so I got another 180 and transferred everything to my new 180, except the RTGG, kept him in the original 180 on his own.

Then I got a chalceus and put it in with the RTGG. He nearly killed it, he went mad on it. So I put the chalceus in my other 180, where it recovered and thrived. It was behaviour I had not seen before from my RTGG.

Fast forward even further when all my fish are now large. I got a 360 fibreglass tank to put them all in. I was very nervy at this time, I just didn't know if my RTGG was going to play nice or not. A little trick I did was put all the others in first, let them settle down for 24 hours or so, and then put my RTGG in. And you know what, he was as placid as anything. They've all been together for over a year now with no issues whatsoever.

I think my little trick was the difference between war and peace. Give a fish time to dominate their new tank, and then put strangers in, and it can get messy. The original fish looks on it's new "friends" as invaders, and treats them as such. But if you switch it round and put a potential aggressor in the tank LAST, then that can be key.

This practice is commonplace in the hobby, with lots of species, maybe it will work with you. Let your aro settle in first for a while and then add the GG.

I wish you all the luck in the world.

 

[Lahan]

I've heard horror stories about some GG. They can go both ways, some can be very unforgiving with tank mates, others are placid gentle giants.

When I first set up my 180 a few years ago I stocked it with a RTGG, 4 tinfoils, 3 balas, 3 cigar barbs, 6 clown loach and 6 dennison barbs, all fish were tiny, about 2" apiece.

There was no hassle in that tank from the get go, a great com tank. They started getting bigger so I got another 180 and transferred everything to my new 180, except the RTGG, kept him in the original 180 on his own.

Then I got a chalceus and put it in with the RTGG. He nearly killed it, he went mad on it. So I put the chalceus in my other 180, where it recovered and thrived. It was behaviour I had not seen before from my RTGG.

Fast forward even further when all my fish are now large. I got a 360 fibreglass tank to put them all in. I was very nervy at this time, I just didn't know if my RTGG was going to play nice or not. A little trick I did was put all the others in first, let them settle down for 24 hours or so, and then put my RTGG in. And you know what, he was as placid as anything. They've all been together for over a year now with no issues whatsoever.

I think my little trick was the difference between war and peace. Give a fish time to dominate their new tank, and then put strangers in, and it can get messy. The original fish looks on it's new "friends" as invaders, and treats them as such. But if you switch it round and put a potential aggressor in the tank LAST, then that can be key.

This practice is commonplace in the hobby, with lots of species, maybe it will work with you. Let your aro settle in first for a while and then add the GG.

I wish you all the luck in the world.

Thank you for sharing ur experience.I will do as u say.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

RTGG, as any GG, can be a gamble, it's true. Most problems I have had with them have been confined to relations between themselves.

Your fish are small and the tank is nice and roomy and the aro is already accustomed to it, so adding a GG should be smooth, keeping in mind our hobby is often a gamble.

Our 3x-4x RTGGs (and several others - osphronemus, 2x pink, 2x exodon) from 1'-2' have been with 4x-5x silver aros (2'-3') for years in a 4500 gal and there was no relatons noted but there have always been loads of other tank mates to keep everyone busy.

 

[Lahan]

which is the least risky? Keeping an 8 inch giant gourami with a 6 inch arowana or a pair of 4 inch albino Pacu with the 6 inch arowana ?
My priority is for the arowana to be safe as possible.

 

[Joshuakahan]

which is the least risky? Keeping an 8 inch giant gourami with a 6 inch arowana or a pair of 4 inch albino Pacu with the 6 inch arowana ?
My priority is for the arowana to be safe as possible.

The pacu would be less risky IMO, but I don’t think your tank would be big enough for 2 pacu permanently, although it would be for quite a while. I’ve seen 3 ft plus pacus in zoos and public aquariums