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stocking gourami question

1K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  Byron 
#1 ·
it has been a while since i have been on the forum,, i have been with out a tank for a bit... but am currently cycling a tank 75gal, with a few danios... my wife has recently fell in love with Gourami, she has even made me a list of the ones she wants, so research here i come,, but thought i would as on here as well... she is loving, banded,blue,honey, and pearl gourami, she wants several of all of them,, and if that is ok i was wanting to add a few clown loaches, a couple bristlenose pleco's... i have heard that gouorami are pretty territorial, do you think this will be a issue, and are they gonna be compatible with the pleco and loaches,,, like i said i have research to do.. but also value your opinions.. oh one more think, what other fish would you all add to this list personaly...
 
#2 ·
The pleco and loaches should be OK if they are peaceful (not all loaches are, some can be terrors). But you will have to be careful with the gourami.

As you mentioned, male gourami are all territorial, and with the "larger" species this can be nasty even in a tank as large as a 75g (presumably 4 feet in length). The Blue Gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus) is the same species as the Opaline, Three Spot, Cosby, Gold, Marble which are just colour variants. So combining any of these is combining the same species, and males will all be territorial. More than one male in a 4-foot tank is a risk. One male with 3-4 females would work.

The Honey Gourami is quite small by comparison. Depending upon the temperament of the larger males, and this one cannot guess, the Honey might get set upon. The Blues can reach 6 inches, though 4-5 inches is usual in aquaria.

Pearls attain 5 inches, and a male with several females (providing there are plenty of hiding areas for the females to escape the male) would work.

You can read more in our profiles.
 
#5 ·
I have a 55g tank with 4 opalines (one male and three females). I cannot see adding any more gouramis to the mix. They hang together at the top of the tank in the weeds. The male is territorial and the pack leader. Plan ahead they grow quickly. Their colors are just amazing especially when courting.
 
#6 ·
I'm glad ladayen spotted the clown loach issue, I missed that. I agree, that species is not a good one for this setup. But there are sveral species that would be fine, in the Botia genus, or perhaps one of the dwarfs. Just take careful note of the behaviour traits, noted in our profiles. Some of the Botia can be quite nasty. In all cases, a group is necessary as loaches are highly social. Five to six minimum.
 
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