Gourami Questions. Need Suggestions!

Silli_Millivanilli

I currently have a 29 Gallon tank with 6 cherry barbs, 7 harlequin. There were 8 but 1 died today. i'll be adding another harlequin the next time I add more fish. I also have a pleco. What specy of gouramies would be the best to add to the tank? I am looking to add either 2 or 4. I was told Sparklings would be good, but I cant find them anywhere. How about Pearls? Honeys? Flames? And would it be best to get 1 male and 3 females or 2 of each gender?

jeaninel

I'm partial to the Pearl Gourami. They are my favorite gourami. In that size tank I would just get 1 male and 1 female.

What species is your pleco? If it's a common it will get too large for your tank.

catfishtabbi

i have 2 male powder blue theyre beautiful. not shy timid or mean. because they have no female to fight over.the honey stays smallest but kinda plain, my neon blue got big as well did the flame turns out i got a gold striped that reached 4.5in. shes the only female and theres no one for her. youd be best off to get the powder blue dwarfs.if you get only one pair m&f there should be no problem.

Lupin

Pearls get my vote. They're the most elegant in my opinion. There are a few other species but they're not to be kept in a community for the most part due to their timid nature and finicky eating habits.

Kim

I'm doing pearls in my 29 gallon. I'm also getting a pair of sparkling gouramis for my 15 gallon. I think either would work, although I can't tell you from experience until I actually get them ;) Honeys are also supposed to be docile.

Lupin

Pearls are elegant and docile. Sparkling gouramis are timid.

Silli_Millivanilli

i bought two Blue Gouramies instead. One female and I think the other is a male. The male every now and again will start chasing the female. Is this something I should worry about. I haven't spotted any injuries as of yet. Also what are those antennae things on the bottom? Are they receptors? I realized one of the male's antannaes is shorter than the other. I suspect this may be the reason he becomes aggressive at times? He's not all there. LOL. It's not like it is a size thing because the female is bigger.

jeaninel

The "antenna" are actually a ventral fin (I call them feeler fins) I love how my gouramis will use their "feeler" fins to greet each other. My male and female Pearl will give each other a quick pat as they pass each other. When I first put my female in the tank she went around to each tank mate and "greeted" them. I don't think the other fish liked it though. lol They also use them to investigate items in the tank. The other day I put a new thermometer in the tank and right away the female was over there checking it out.