What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?
What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).
Depending on what the GH of your water is, will determine what fish you should keep.
Tetras, barbs, gouramis, rasbora, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm).
Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies) occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm.
If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH and keep fishes from softer water.
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Dwarf gouramis (Colisa lalius) and all their colour forms are riddled with diseases and regularly carry the Gourami Iridovirus and or Fish Tuberculosis (TB). They should be avoided until the Asian suppliers can guarantee their fish are not infected.
There are plenty of other small gouramis that are usually free of these diseases.
If the pH and GH are suitable for gouramis, get a pr (1 male and 1 female) os small gouramis.
