Honey Gourami would be the best choice from among the more commonly-available gourami. In an 18g you could have a small group. You can read more in our profile, click on the shaded name.
Another suitable gourami is the pygmy
Sparkling Gourami. A group of these with some other compatible fish from the same area (SE Asia) such as one of the
Dwarf Rasbora species, the
Scarlet Badis, or a group of
Lambchop Rasbora or
Hengels Rasbora. Again, click the shaded names for the profiles with photos.
Plants are essential as all gourami come from plant-thick slow moving waters. Floating plants are very important for gourami;
Water Sprite is ideal, or one of the stem plants allowed to just float will work. Crypts would be good for the substrate.
Java Fern and
Java Moss can be attached to bits of bogwood. None of these require high light, so that also suits the gourami. Man of these plants are in our profiles too. All profiles are under the second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top.
The attached photo is my 10g that is set up along the lines of what I've suggested. It happens to have a couple of
Licorice Gourami and a group of
Scarlet Badis. A simple sponge filter will suffice.
Byron.
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