Are Different Dwarf Gouramis Different Species?

[Ianvaldius]

I went to my LFS the other day and they had a very pretty neon blue dwarf gourami and a dwarf flame gourami. I got both of them and, after the quarantine period, put them in my 55 gallon tank two days ago because I had heard that dwarf gouramis prefer to be in pairs. However, the dwarf flame gourami has been going after the blue neon whenever he gets close to his side of the tank. Perhaps I misread what I had researched about them. Since the two dwarfs are very colorful, I assume they're both males. Is it only recommended to keep them in pairs of male and female and not two males? I know you don't usually want to put two male anabantoids together normally, but I had assumed dwarf gouramis were a bit different. Also, I had been under the impression that commercially available dwarf gouramis were all the same species- they were just different color mutations developed in captivity. Am I right about this or does the pair have to be the same color variation?

 

[Crispii]

Flame and neon blue are both the same species (Trichogaster lalius) but with different color variants. Males are aggressive towards each other and it's best to keep them either by themself or a male/female pair. Even then, it is difficult to source female dwarf gourami.

 

[CassCats]

Both will be males.

Same species just different colours.

Females are plain silver, and as mentioned, depending where you are, females can be impossible to find.

This is my female to get an idea.

 

[Ianvaldius]

Flame and neon blue are both the same species (Trichogaster lalius) but with different color variants. Males are aggressive towards each other and it's best to keep them either by themself or a male/female pair. Even then, it is difficult to source female dwarf gourami.

Do you think the 55 gallon will be large enough that this likely won't pose an issue? And if I were to find female dwarf gouramis, I could add them to the tank at a ratio of 2 males: 4 females, right? I'm planning on setting up a 75 gallon in a month or so and I figured I could stock it with the dwarf gouramis, a rainbow shark, and some clown loaches.

 

[Crispii]

If you have enough places for the fish to hide in, then it should be fine.

 

[Byron]

Do you think the 55 gallon will be large enough that this likely won't pose an issue? And if I were to find female dwarf gouramis, I could add them to the tank at a ratio of 2 males: 4 females, right? I'm planning on setting up a 75 gallon in a month or so and I figured I could stock it with the dwarf gouramis, a rainbow shark, and some clown loaches.

It would be best to forget the gourami. At least, don't use these two and others. The male territorial aggression is not going to change once two fish are together. And gourami like cichlids tend to view the entire tank as their territory. If you are insistent on dwarf gourami, return both of these and start with new fish in the completed tank (55g or 75g, whichever). DG can carry the iridovirus, undetected, and there is no cure. With a 55g or 75g tank you could have a group of lovely gouramis from other species like Pearl (this is a beautiful sight), or some of the rarer species. Not Trichopodus trichopterus though, that is another feisty troublemaker in any of its several varieties (gold, blue, cosby, opaline, 3-spot, marble).

Rainbow sharks should not be housed with sedate fish like gourami, so this is proably going to cause trouble. And they sometimes have issues with loaches, that is less absolute but possible.

Clown loaches require an 8-foot length tank, and a group of five (or more). I realize they are now small in the store, but they grow--assuming they are healthy and have the space to develop properly, both physically and psychologically. If an 8-foot tank is not in the forseable future, please do not get this species. There are other Botine loaches well suited to either a 55g or 75g (assuming these are 4-foot length tanks).

 

[CassCats]

Yes if you like clowns, look into a group of yoyo loaches or zebra loaches instead