Friend for my Gourami

[Nmjreads]

Hello, I recently got into keeping larger then 1 gallon fish tanks, (never kept more then 1 fish at a time) I currently have 3 tanks, a 1.5 gallon, one 10 gallon and one 30. Long story short I had to put a goldfish in the same tank as a honey Gourami. There were no other options at the time even though I know temps were off for the goldfish. However they became best friends and I was unable to separate them when the broken tanks were repaired. (Both fish seemed to fail in health and personality when I tried.)
Unfortunately a week ago my goldfish died from a freak accident (crushed by a plant) and now my Gourami is lonely. At the moment he has 2 mollies and a platy with him. He dosnt like any of them. I have tried a couple of tetras and a tigar barb, but he dosnt seem to like smaller fish. He wont hurt them, but dosnt play with them like he did with my goldfish.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to a type I can put with him. Hes very calm, just needs a new friend. I have debated getting another goldfish, but the temp is high for them, and I wouldn’t have put the first in if I had any other options at the time.

 

[Demeter32]

Gourami, much like bettas, do not get lonely. Fish in general do not have much need for companions unless they are schooling/shoaling fish. At most the gourami tolerates other tank mates, which is better than them attacking or being picked on by them.

In a 30gal you should be plenty able to keep a group of honey gourami. Unlike other species of gourami these guys can and often do get along with their own kind. I personally wouldn't have them with live bearers and I feel mollies and much are too active, plus they require different water parameters.

Perhaps a school of tetras, a bristlenose pleco, or a school of corydora/kuhli loaches would be good, depending on the substrate and cover available for them. What is your pH and water hardness like?

 

[Nmjreads]

PH is 6.6
Temp 75-78*F
Hardness around 6 dH
The mollies are being moved again soon, as well as the platy. I have only had one other gouami in the past(a pink kissing?) and i dont know about them too much in general other then the basics but this one would play with the goldfish. Literally racing each other back and forth (not chasing, side to side racing) or would help each other move the rocks around the tank. When the goldfish died, he hid in the back for two days. I don’t know what to call that other then friendship.

 

[NickAu]

PH is 6.6
The mollies are being moved again soon,

This water is not suitable for mollies, Mollies need hard water.

 

[Demeter32]

Nick is right, the ph is far too low to keep the live bearers healthy. A pH of closer to 8 is better for them as they need the higher levels of minerals.

My original fish reccomendation still stand though. Most tetra species like softer water and the gourami should be right at home.

 

[NickAu]

In a 30gal you should be plenty able to keep a group of honey gourami

Indeed,