Single Gourami As A Centerpiece Fish?

augustaranger

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I'd like a somewhat larger fish as a "centerpiece" for my 20g high. Would a male dwarf gourami be a good choice or do I really need a pair (m/f)? What about a single regular size gourami? Are there any other suggestions that would go along with my current fish (please see signature for stocking)?
 
Don't get Fenjer's post- why shouldn't a territorial fish like the gourami be kept alone? Sounds an ideal arrangement to me.
 
There seems to be a wide range of opinions about this. On another forum it's been kicked around a good bit and the verdict there is a honey gourami. I guess the jury is still out here...

Has anyone here ever kept a single gourami?
 
My Pearl Gourami is currently alone and gets on fine.

She wrestles the loach for it's catfish pellets and sticks up for itself when needed.

I am going to introduce another pair when I upgrade though.
 
I'd be quite happy to keep a male gourami on it's own.

With females I'd probably try to keep a pair - but with gouramies you can't guarantee that they would get on and I'd be prepared to get another to dilute any aggression.

With both sexes the minimum I would keep (now!) would be two females to each male.
 
I had 5 Moonlight's in a 55g. Overtime I lost 4 partly through the fact the one left is a bully.

He is absolutly massive and gorgeous. He also is very happy on his own, very active and healthy.
 
I'd like a somewhat larger fish as a "centerpiece" for my 20g high. Would a male dwarf gourami be a good choice or do I really need a pair (m/f)? What about a single regular size gourami? Are there any other suggestions that would go along with my current fish (please see signature for stocking)?

I would steer clear of dwarf gouramis (colisa lalia) unless they are wild caught. A single male gourami imho should be fine on his own.

As to which species.. I would probably recommend a honey gourami, or you may want to try a Trichopsis vittatus. It will grow to about 7 cm and is quite pretty and even croaks too :)

A good article about different gouramis can be found here
 
Dwarf gouramies (Colisa lalia) are disease-prone and so should not be kept in tanks where they might be stressed by active fish such as danios. Also, keep in mind that most of the 'common' gourami species are top-dwelling and so would compete with danios for space. A single male is otherwise theoretically fine since they are territorial fish.
A pair, BTW, is not reccomended. The consequence of keeping a pair of gouramies is that one bullies the other - not only in a mixed-sex pair, BTW. Even 2 females is risky and I'd always go for 3 at least though 4 or more is best.
A single male honey would be alright in your tank but not much of a 'centerpiece' until they develop breeding coloration. The same applies to croaking gouramies (Trichopsis vittatus mentioned above) as they are generally shy and not as brightly colored.
I would go with the poster earlier who suggested an entirely different species would be a better option but might I suggest an american-flag fish? The males are very colorful and grow to about 3". They are also quite hardy and will not hide once settled in. They can also be kept in large groups with several females and one male but avoid putting several males together or keeping them in smaller groups. While they usually ignore other species, they can be pretty aggressive towards conspecifics.
Another option would be a trio of cherry barbs. The males are very brightly colored. Unlike many other barbs, these are not schooling fish so make ideal 'centerpiece' types. They are also very active which fits in well with the rest of your stock. Similarly, a swordtail or trio of platies might be a consideration. It is easy to overlook these common fish but they do make nice centerpieces in a small tank like yours.
 

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