Gouramis

[Jswift254]

What Gourami can I keep in a 20 gallon long?I have 1 molly and 2 platies currently in the tank.

 

[masterfishes]

i would say the dwarves and 3 spot,opaline, and gold ones.....if u chose one of the the last three try to get a female...i have a female gold and she is calmer than my bettas(but then she is alone so idont know how she is with other fish yet) but its usaully the males who r more aggressive...like bettas

 

[Morrgan]

No 3-spot, opaline or gold (all Trichogaster trichopterus)! They grow much too big and are too aggressive for such a small tank. Something smaller, like dwarves or honey gouramis would go better as far as size is concerned.

 

[Ethos]

I agree. Although you could have a pearl. You could also have an opaline. But only one. You could get both, but that might be pushing it.

 

[KeddyPie]

I was about to ask what Gourami's I could put in a 20 gallon, but I'll just hijack this post and watch it instead ^___^

 

[fishwatcher]

It depends on how many/what other fish you have in there. You can see my sig to see what I have. They all are doing great together. I think a big thing is that you usually can't mix different gouramis as they'll fight. There may be 1 or 2 that can go together, but someone else will have to answer that. You also need to keep the number of males very low (1 or 2) or they'll be a lot of fighting too.
Hope this helps!
If not, Sylvia knows more than anyone else I know about them. She can help you a great deal.

 

[Ethos]

Actully, you could keep any kind of gouramis, but it depends on their size of how many you could keep.

 

[sylvia]

Actully, you could keep any kind of gouramis, but it depends on their size of how many you could keep.

Well not ANY... Try fitting an osphronemus in there Still, there are endless options.

In a 20 gallon, I'd go for just 2 of any of the top-dwelling species or possibly a trio if it's one of the smaller ones.
Alternatively, you could get a trio or 5 or so of any of the small, peaceful, more mid-dwelling species.

But first:
Mollies don't usualy like gouramies much. Getting a couple more would solve this problem by providing a distraction. What sex is your molly? If it's female, get 2 more - either both female or one male, 1 female if you don't mind having fry. If it's male, 2 females is best but you'll get fry.

Also, with the platies, if you have a pair, get one more female. Otherwise it should be ok.

Also, are there any other fish you are particularly interested in? That would narrow down the gourami possibilities because at the moment there are a lot!

Is there any one in particular you would like to have?

Firstly, dwarf gouramies (colisa lalia) were mentioned. However beautiful these are, keep in mind that they are prone to disease. They only get to 2" but the males are still aggressive and territorial towards others of their own kind. If you do go for dwarfs, get 2 males OR 1 male and 2 females. The latter being the better option. Females are sometimes difficult to come by because they don't sell as well as the males as they lack the bright colors.

Also mentioned were three-spot gouramies (trichogaster trichopterus). This is the most aggressive of the gouramies you could comfortably keep in a 20 gallon and not realy reccomended (this is entirely my opinion though) despite their extreme hardiness. A single one might work out. They get to 6". You'll see them under several names - blue, gold, opaline, cosby, platinum, lavender and probably several more. These are just color morphs and are otherwise the exact same fish. They are rather aggressive towards all other gouramies or related fish. Females will mix with other species but are still likely to be bullies.

Also mentioned were pearl gouramies. These are my favourite fish and I would highly reccomend a pair or trio for your tank. However, they are generaly very peaceful towards tankmates and prone to being nipped if kept with the wrong fish. I'd be a little worried about the molly. If you find it some friends to occupy it, the molly might be less of an issue though. They get to 5". Both sexes are absolutely beautiful but it's the males that are completely stunning with their bright orange underside and long fins.

Examples of gouramies you should not get (or are best left avoided) are: Paradisefish (macropodus opercularis that is - and not actualy technicaly a gourami but often called that), chocolate gouramies, licorice gouramies, kissing gouramies, moonlight gouramies, snakeskin gouramies and osphronemus gouramies. These are just the realy common unsuitable species.

Some other common gouramies to consider are:
A trio of thick-lipped gouramies (colisa labiosa - 3.5"). Like the dwarf in many ways but hardier.
A tri0o of banded/indian/striped/giant gouramies (colisa fasciata - 4") Again, very simialr to the dwarf but hardier and also the largest of it's genus - hence the 'giant' name. Don't confuse it with the 'true' giant (osphronemus) gouramies or you'll have major issues later.
A trio of honey gouramies (colisa chuna/sota - 1.5"). Lovely little fish that are often confused with dwarfs. Usualy look dull in LFS but brighten up. Males develop a lovely blue-black underside.
Croaking gouramies (trichopsis vittatus - to 2.5" max. but usualy slightly less). A trio would be nice. These are more a mid-dwelling species and realy do appreciate plants in the aquarium. Have lovely blue eyes and can 'croak'.
Sparkling gouramies (trichopsis pumilus - just barely to over 1"). Great, sparkling, little fish. A group of 3-5 with more females than males is best Can also 'croak'. Downside is that their small size may make them targets for bullies - particularly if you end up with quite large fish int eh tank (eg large adult molly).

Also, some of these species do fine mixed but I think you are best off deciding which, if any, you'd b interested in and then finding out if they would work together (or I'd be sat here all day coming up with every possible combination ).

I hope that's of some help but it would help to give some more specific details concerning your tank and what you're after. Is your tank heavily planted? What else have you considered adding? Do you want something particularly hardy? etc...

And thanks fishwatcher for the compliment though I'm sure there are plenty of other people here who know more and your advice is just as good .

 

[Jswift254]

My molly is a male and he has been a little nippy in the past .I do have 1 female molly(only other adult molly)but she recently had 27 fry so im trying to keep her away from the male so she can get some rest .Also,would having more gouramis than the molly help against nipping or more mollies than gouramis?As to specifics,I would just like a gourami thats not known to get into many fights,gouramis that dont't get to big,and gouramis that would enjoy the company of other gouramis.



PS:my tank has good amount of plants with rocks and ornamants to serve as hiding places.

 

[sylvia]

To reduce stress on the female molly, you should have 2. With most livebearers, it is reccomended to keep them at a ratio of 2 females for every male. In this way his attentions are divided and no single fish becomes stressed. At the same time, this interaction with their own species means they are occupied somewhat and won't bother other fish more (ie the gouramies).

Having several gouramies would also mean no single fish gets nipped but this isn't actualy going to stop the nipping at all like adding another molly would. Just think about it and see if you'd like to get another female. Otherwise, maybe you can move the mollies out altogether?

Anyway, back to the original purpose - the gourami that truly enjoys and appreciates the company of other gouramies is the pearl. If you keep many pearls in a big tank, they can even be seen to 'school' in a way, swimming around together in a big group. If what you want is a social, peaceful gourami, a trio of pearls is ideal. They are not the smallest, however, as they grow to 4-5" with males slightly larger than females. They are also quite hardy, not picky and beautiful. Like I said before though, I'm a little worried about the molly (it may still work though). I personaly think you should try this species but be aware that you'll be pretty much fully stocked in a 20 with the 3 pearls, the platies and the molly/ies.

Another fish that mroe or less meets your criteria is the croaking gourami. They stay small, don't get into fights and, though not to the same extent, do better when in a group. Again, a trio would be best. They aren't quite as striking as pearls and they don't spend their time in the upper layers as much as pearls do. They are still a rewarding species to keep though.

Besides these, most any of the small to medium-sized gouramies suitable for your tank have solitary males but peaceful, social females. If you don't mind the fact that many females are duller than their male counterparts, a group of 3-4 of almost any female gourami (of those I mentioned in my previous post prefferably though), except usualy three-spot, would work.

 

[Jswift254]

I guess I can get another female molly.Would I be bothered by a croaking gourami or are they normally quiet?

 

[sylvia]

Only the males croak around breeding time. It's an occasional treat to here them. They deffinately won't bother you.