How many honey gourami?

[Abs 1]

Hi so I'm planning to buy some honey gourami tomorrow and was just wondering how many to get.
I have a 180 ltr rio jewel tank, already stocked with 12 harlequin rasboras, 5 neon tetras ( left from an old tank, won't be adding more and trying to rehome) 1 bristlenose plec, 6 juilli corrydoras. I was hoping to add 4 honey gourami and at some point 6 panda corrydoras. It is well planted and amonia nitrates and nitrites all zero with weekly water changes. Thoughts please.

 

[Naughts]

Sounds good to me

 

[DragonScales+Doubletails]

if possible get 1 male and 3 females but my male honeys don't fight so don't stress it

 

[Colin_T]

I would just add 1pr and let them breed. Then everyone will have plenty of space when daddy fish goes nuts and takes over half the tank

 

[Abs 1]

There were only 4 left in the shop and couldn't really tell what sex so hopefully they will be ok! Think my tank is bug enough and we'll planted with plenty of hiding spots.

 

[Naughts]

Pics when you can!

 

[Abs 1]

Will try tomorrow when the light is on, 1 has a definite black stripe right down to her eye.

 

[Fray]

Hi, was wondering how you went with this combination? I'm thinking of doing much the same except with pygmy corys. Spoke to lfs and he had horror stories about honey gouramis munching on anything smaller, as in the rasboras. So much conflicting opinions around!

 

[Abs 1]

Hi so I have a bit of a disaster with the honeys, I brought the 4 bit I lost 3 within 48 hours, I don't think it was anything to do with my tank set up at all, they literally came into the shop the day before and were in a bare tank I'm the shop so I think the double move was just too stressful, the shop said they would replace them but they havnt had any in since. I ended up getting 2 red honey gourami instead but now I'm regretting it as having looked into it more they are definitely not a honey but another type. The 1 honey I have left is a female and a lovely fish, I'm going to look into some other fish shops that are a bit further away now and see if I can get some more honeys and return the reds!! Which I think also are 2 males as seem to be getting territorial. We live at the very far end of Cornwall so it's always a struggle sourcing anything. With regards to them eating stuff they havnt eaten anything apart from hopefully the baby snail influx that I must have got from the plant I brought from the same shop!! I have also lost a few Julli corrys I brought from there but I reckon that may have been the water set up?? The 2 I have left seem to be looking pretty fit and healthy atm so fingers crossed. But I think the honey is a lovely peaceful little fish and I love watching her.

 

[Fray]

Oh, you've had a run of bad luck!
I'd love a dollar for all the hours I've spent researching this addictive and sometimes very frustrating hobby! But I love it, and it's also very good for getting rid of any excess money I have....
Thanks for your answer, think I'll try the honeys, yours sounds lovely.
Good luck!

 

[Beastije]

Yeah I have been looking for honey gouramis myself, they are crazy susceptible to changes between water temp and air temp, since they breathe air and if it is too cold, they die. So have a closed lid and not too much difference between room temp and tank temp or lower the surface level to have more space under the lid, to create more stable temp air pocket.
Also the bacteria that has been ravaging the populations is still out there

Secondary, the reports about aggressivity, eating shrimp, snails, bothering fins, are all over the scale, from "this is a peaceful fish" to "super aggressive", apparently all depends on the fish and the other tankmates. Rasboras are no pushovers, they would not let themselves be bullied

Regarding the corydoras, you know it is always better to have a group of one, rather than few of more species? They like each other better if one species and they can crossbreed

 

[DragonScales+Doubletails]

since they breathe air and if it is too cold, they die

they don't die, the labyrinth organ could be damaged