20 gallon 3spot gourami stocking questions

cowgirluntamed · Oct 22, 2017

Ok...so my gourami is still in his 10 gallon doing very well at the moment. And I know I was considering trying out sterbai cories for the tank but they are a bit expensive right now having to order them from online.

So....I was thinking...and obviously this would also depend on the gourami once he is in there too....would it be OK to try harlequin rasboras in that tank instead of the cories? I don't think harlequins would actively provoke him and I can get them from my local petsmart very easily.

The 20 gallon looks kind of bare at the moment as the plants are still growing in. I love the 2 mystery snails but still. Lol. Also, watching my gourami in the ten, he just seems...bored? If he's not going around looking for food, he's what I term, glass surfing. He swims up and down again and again or side to side. Just seems a bit bored? Lol. Don't know if other fish would help that or not. (And no, nothing is going in the ten with him. Anything would be added to the 20 before him to settle first).

So, what do you guys think? The only other fish I can think of is the flame tetra but I didn't really want an orange fish since I plan on doing a 55 gallon glow light tetra tank. Lol. I'm just kind of stuck with either online or petsmart. I just wondered if it was worth giving the harlequins a try or not.

Also, they can be moved out of the tank if he does show aggression towards them once he's moved in. If indeed that happens. Lol.

fish boi · Oct 22, 2017

cowgirluntamed said:
Ok...so my gourami is still in his 10 gallon doing very well at the moment. And I know I was considering trying out sterbai cories for the tank but they are a bit expensive right now having to order them from online.

So....I was thinking...and obviously this would also depend on the gourami once he is in there too....would it be OK to try harlequin rasboras in that tank instead of the cories? I don't think harlequins would actively provoke him and I can get them from my local petsmart very easily.

The 20 gallon looks kind of bare at the moment as the plants are still growing in. I love the 2 mystery snails but still. Lol. Also, watching my gourami in the ten, he just seems...bored? If he's not going around looking for food, he's what I term, glass surfing. He swims up and down again and again or side to side. Just seems a bit bored? Lol. Don't know if other fish would help that or not. (And no, nothing is going in the ten with him. Anything would be added to the 20 before him to settle first).

So, what do you guys think? The only other fish I can think of is the flame tetra but I didn't really want an orange fish since I plan on doing a 55 gallon glow light tetra tank. Lol. I'm just kind of stuck with either online or petsmart. I just wondered if it was worth giving the harlequins a try or not.

Also, they can be moved out of the tank if he does show aggression towards them once he's moved in. If indeed that happens. Lol.

what type of gourami is it?

Byron · Oct 22, 2017

Assuming this is a male, they can get nasty. I would think the Harlequin Rasbora wold be OK generally, but the tank space is the issue. A 20g is not much space for a mature gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus being this species here) nor for a shoal of the Harlequin Rasbora. If you have alternate accommodation on hand just in case, you could give it a go.

I watched two of these gourami circle a neon tetra in a store tank, and make a meal of the neon in very short order. And the gourami were not full size by any stretch. Harlequins are a bit less linear so this canhelp, depending upon their size and that of the gourami, and his temperament.

cowgirluntamed · Oct 23, 2017

Byron said:
Assuming this is a male, they can get nasty. I would think the Harlequin Rasbora wold be OK generally, but the tank space is the issue. A 20g is not much space for a mature gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus being this species here) nor for a shoal of the Harlequin Rasbora. If you have alternate accommodation on hand just in case, you could give it a go.

I watched two of these gourami circle a neon tetra in a store tank, and make a meal of the neon in very short order. And the gourami were not full size by any stretch. Harlequins are a bit less linear so this canhelp, depending upon their size and that of the gourami, and his temperament.

This is the best fin picture I have of him but I will include a 2nd one too.

Here is the 2nd. I can try to get a new one of him if it will help.

So, even the harlequins wouldn't necessarily be "good" so to speak by themselves in a 20? If I understood that right anyway? If so I probably wouldn't put them in then.

Do you think this glass surfing is just something he may be doing being in a ten? Also, the only other tank I would have is the ten he is in now. And that's probably not best for the rasbora long term either I'm assuming. I have no idea when my 55 is going to be going up as my funds are needed for new flooring in part of my house.

And just a but more about him. He was the smallest of the blue gourami in the tank at the store. A few were twice as big and chasing the rest some but he didn't seem to pick on anybody himself. I know the aggression could change with age though. But I was hoping if he was young enough putting him in with other fish he would just get along lol. At least that is my hope. But if it would be really detrimental...he may just have the tank with the mystery snails and hopefully he would leave them alone.

cowgirluntamed · Oct 23, 2017

Here is a video of him. He wouldn't hold still for a picture. Lol.

Byron · Oct 23, 2017

The dorsal and anal fins are not as pointed as I would expect for a male, but I would not argue this as my experience with the species is not great. This could be a male, or perhaps a female.

It is certainly stressed, that is not normal behaviour at all for any gourami. Floating plants might settle it, depending what is causing this and whether or not it is irreversible.

Harlequin Rasbora are OK in a 24-inch (20 g) tank minimum. I guess my doubt is more with the gourami, how it will react/respond.

cowgirluntamed · Oct 23, 2017

Byron said:
The dorsal and anal fins are not as pointed as I would expect for a male, but I would not argue this as my experience with the species is not great. This cold bee a male,or perhaps a female.

It is certainly stressed, that is not normal behaviour at all for any gourami. Floating plants might settle it, depending what is causing this and whether or not it is irreversible.

Harlequin Rasbora are OK in a 24-inch (20 g) tank minimum. I guess my doubt is more with the gourami, how it will react/respond.

In the video he's stressed because the phone is up at the tank and he doesn't know what I'm doing. He usually isn't this bad. Sometimes he does it because I'm looking and he wants fed more.

Anyway, I'll keep researching to see if he is a boy or girl. Maybe I may try it if he is really a she...I will definitely think a lot harder about it though. I half figured you would say this anyway but thought I would at least check just in case. Lol.

hobby5 · Oct 23, 2017

It's still pretty juvenile and small and to me the dorsal fin looks pointed. I would guess it is a male. And the tank is of course still way too open and bright for a gourami.

cowgirluntamed · Oct 23, 2017

hobby5 said:
It's still pretty juvenile and small and to me the dorsal fin looks pointed. I would guess it is a male. And the tank is of course still way too open and bright for a gourami.

Yeah, I'm still thinking male too. Right now he's just in a 10 gallon. He will be moved to a 20 that has tannins in the water from wood and a bunch of floating wisteria so that tank is way less bright.

cowgirluntamed · Oct 24, 2017

So..I joined another forum that has an active gourami group and got one male and 2 undecided as he's still young and small. I think I will have to go undecided until he(or she) gets bigger to know for sure. One also said 20 gallons is a bit small. I'm waiting on what they recommend just to see, which brings me to an idea.

What if...I just keep him in the 20 by himself...for now? I'm not sure how long it will take to get the 55 gallon up and running since I have other projects taking my money currently.

So, the stocking I want to do is a bunch of glowlight tetras, like 40, some sterbai cories(10-12), a bristlenose, and I was going to do some marble hatchet fish. However....could I put the gourami in there instead of the hatchet fish? I know some of it would still depend on his temperament but he'd have a lot more swimming space for sure.

So what do you guys think of that idea?

hobby5 · Oct 25, 2017

I am not sure what tank your stocking idea was meant for?

The gourami and the cories should be ok in the 20G for some time.

cowgirluntamed · Oct 25, 2017

hobby5 said:
I am not sure what tank your stocking idea was meant for?

The gourami and the cories should be ok in the 20G for some time.

For the 55. I actually made a new post for this stocking question. It may explain it better if you want to look at it there.

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20 gallon 3spot gourami stocking questions

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