Gourami tank mates

Silli_Millivanilli

also... is it possible to do it with artificial plants?

tophat665

Sorry, no. Absolutely no. Kissing Gouramis can get nearly a foot long. They probably won't, but you're still looking at something over an 8 inch fish if it survives to adulthood. And they are semi-aggressive, so they need to be kept either solo or in a group of 5 or more. Further, the smaller the tank, the more aggressive they will be.

A 29 gallon is probably too small for one. They really ought to have a 4' tank, 55 gallons being for a good minimum size. I'd say about no less than 15 gallons per fish.

I hate to throw a spanner in the works, but better you know up front.

With the kissing gourami, no. With the smaller gouramis, yes, but you have to remember that live plants function almost like a filter in their own right, removing some or all of the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. So if you don't have a heavily planted tank, be conservative with your bioload.

Silli_Millivanilli

I know they are aggressive. I have watch this fish eliminate two other kissing gouramis. one was 4 times bigger than him. So I should just leave this fish by himself?

Falina

My opinion: no. Move him and the other KG to a tank of at least 50g, or return him to the lfs. Otherwise you risk killing them or stunting their growth and therefore enentually killing them.

tophat665

What she said. Get a 4'+ tank and plant it up (If you can only go low light, no worries, there're lots of good low light plants) or take the Kissers back and get some smaller gouramis.

Silli_Millivanilli

Dang! I'm definitely not buying a new tank. Maybe i can give it to someone with a bigger tank, and start all over. If I take him back to Petco, he'll probably die.

Falina

You can take him to any lfs. They won't give you any credit (we,, probably not) but most will take a fish as long as it's visably free from any disease.

Silli_Millivanilli

hey!

i finally took your advice today, and took my gourami to Petco.

I bought 3 cherry barbs and 3 harlequins.

i could find any botia striatas.

my next step will be to add 2 flame dwarf gouramis, and more harlequins.

maybe some tetras as well.