Is this a dwarf gourami?

[GuppygirlLol]

Help. Is this a powder blue dwarf gourami?

yesterday was shopping at the local fish store and saw this fish in a tank of kuhli loaches. there was no sign on the tank but I loved his inquisitive and curious behavior, so I asked the shop worker what he was. She replied dwarf gourami. I purchased him for my 20 gallon. (tank mates, galaxy rasbora, guppies and corydoras) I have lots of plants and hiding spots so he settled in nicely and is very lively. He had little to no color at the store and immediately colored up in my tank. But as I looked online his shape seems so different from the round dwarf gouramis I see online…is that because he’s young? Thoughts? What is this fish??

(2nd pic of actually gourami for reference)

 

[emeraldking]

The first photo shows a paradise fish. Not a gourami. But both are labyrinth fish. So, the employee was wrong.

 

[GaryE]

Macropodus opercularis, the paradise fish. It was was one of the first couple of species ever kept in aquariums, because of its hardiness. When you check out the info on Seriously Fish for it, you will see it isn't a dwarf though. It should be okay with your fish. If your heater breaks and the tank freezes, it'll survive til there is surface ice! It must breathe air.

I used to breed them outdoors in summer. They are a great fish.

 

[Back in the fold]

Paradise Fish are great. They’re one of those old very common fish that you don’t see much anymore. Given my choice I would pick a Paradise Fish over a Betta any day.

 

[GuppygirlLol]

thank you guys. definitely a paradise fish wow. But will he be okay in my community tank… would really feel bad to give him up but if he hurts my guppies or rasboras and shrimp i’ll feel bad. He hasn’t seemed to bother the fish at all so far, could he just be a chiller fish? everywhere online says do not mix with other species because they’re so aggressive. afraid he will snap one day

 

[Slaphppy7]

20G High, or 20G tall?

The shrimp could very well become tasty snacks.

And, the paradise fish prefers cooler temps than your other fish, 50-70F range....mid-range is best

Macropodus opercularis – Paradise Fish (Macropodus chinensis, Labrus opercularis) — Seriously Fish

www.seriouslyfish.com

 

[Boundava]

How big is he? Depending on his size he could be just a very juvenile dwarf gourami. Paradise fish have heads the resemble a Betta more than a gourami, but it could be hard at this age to tell.

 

[GaryE]

When I had hundreds of them (I was giving them away like mad) I kept a few in a community. They were fine (but it was a 75). A lot of their rep for aggressions comes from the old days when they were kept in tiny tanks. I found them less of a problem than 3 spot gouramis would have been. The males dislike each other, but they were no problem for platys and swordtails.

 

[emeraldking]

How big is he? Depending on his size he could be just a very juvenile dwarf gourami. Paradise fish have heads the resemble a Betta more than a gourami, but it could be hard at this age to tell.

It's absolutely a paradise fish and no gourami. No doubts. But it does seems young if I look at its fins.

 

[DoubleDutch]

How big is he? Depending on his size he could be just a very juvenile dwarf gourami. Paradise fish have heads the resemble a Betta more than a gourami, but it could be hard at this age to tell.

It isn't.