considering a gourami for my planted 29

[frank_zappa]

could you suggest some appropriate types?

my LFS has both gold's and opalines, and a couple other types as well.

i really liked the opalines, but i have not researched them yet, so i have no idea if they work in a planted 29. i know that some types get too large.... i read that the golds get a bit mean, but im not sure who they would be mean to in my tank. all that i have in there right now are 6 three lined corys, 2 skunk corys, an L387 pleco, and a male golden dwarf cichlid...oh and a couple trapdoor snails

[annageckos]

Gold and opaline gouramis are the same species, the three spot gourami, Trichogaster trichopterus. They do get large, up to six inches, and I wouldn't put on is a 29. Honey, dwarf, pearl or thicklip gourami(also called giant gourami,Trichogaster labiosus. NOT Osphronemus goramy which can reach 2 feet long) would do well in your tank. There are also other harder to find species like sparkling and chocolate gouramis.

[frank_zappa]

maybe my memory is bad, then because the gold and opalines looked way different and werent kept together. are they just a different color variation? they were nice looking.

i will keep the ones you suggested in mind when i go there again, perhaps tonight

[gm72]

What are your current water parameters when you do your water changes? Particularly for nitrAtes?

[frank_zappa]

i am running out the door right now. i will test a little later, but nitrates are generally low. it is planted and i do weekly water changes. why do you ask, are they particularly sensitive?

[octoxpuss]

Wow, sparkling gourami's are really nice gourami's they are really shiny. I personally would prefer the pearl since it is more common and it has a really nice pattern on it.

[frank_zappa]

What are your current water parameters when you do your water changes? Particularly for nitrAtes?

tomorrow is the day i change the water, normally

pH 7.3
nitrates 15
nitrites 0
ammonia 0
temp is 78

[gm72]

Great! Just checking to make sure that additional stocking is appropriate for your specific tank.

[rich311k]

I would do a pearl or a couple of honeys.

[VoidParadigm]

One three-spot gourami (blue, gold, opaline, or so forth color variant) would be fine in that tank, the problem is when it comes to the other fish.

Gouramis are very full of personality, and without being kept in huge tanks with proper harems can become hostile to, well, anything that moves. While on the other side of things, just as many three-spots are friendly when alone as they can be witches.

And Sparkling Gouramis can be shy eaters, so I doubt they'd be able to go up against a Cichlid for food.

I'd say a pair of Honey Gouramis would be best for your tank.

Despite that, however, I don't actually agree with mixing Gouramis and Cichlids no matter the circumstance.

[frank_zappa]

i was thinking about a pearl....a couple of honeys is ok? is it easy to find a male and female normally? i always like to have the potential for fry, but i know they say with other types normally you find only males, and that the males fight. is that not true with honeys?

[VoidParadigm]

Honeys are more mellow than some other Gourami species. Generally, mind.

As long as the Cichlid doesn't hinder them, they should be able to stick up enough territory for themselves, even if it is two males. As I said though, I think Honeys are one of the mellower species.

It's usually Dwarf Gouramis that you have a hard time finding females for, I believe, due them being drab and nearly colorless.

Make sure when looking at them that you're getting a true Honey Gourami, though. A stressed out (and therefore color-drained) male Dwarf Gourami can be quite easily mistaken for a Honey Gourami at times.

[frank_zappa]

Despite that, however, I don't actually agree with mixing Gouramis and Cichlids no matter the circumstance.

have you kept golden dwarfs? im not sure if he is like a lot of other cichlids in regards to aggression...he is very peaceful. the only aggression i see from the males is toward the female before a spawn happens...and of course the female is very aggressive with fry present but that will not happen in this tank with just the male. does anyone else think that may be a bad combo? i dont want to do it if it is a bad idea

[VoidParadigm]

My opinion on it is not a very common one. I simply feel that due to the vast personality spectrum both Cichlids and Gouramis can have, I never recommend putting the two species together. Even the most peaceful Cichlid or Gourami can freakout and become a mass-murderer, although, as I understand it, it's a bit rarer for Cichlids unless they're breeding.

Besides that, I just don't like the look of them together, honestly. Doesn't seem natural to me.

[rich311k]

I have angels, blue rams, and pearls together. They have been together for years. Never had a problem.

[mac]

Really Cichlids and Gourmais are a fish full of individual personality.

IME keeping any type of Gourami with Cichlids is a no no. Just territory issues.

Your Cichlid may be happy now, but once boundaries start being tested by new fish things can change.

The other thing is Cichlids are quite good at nipping anything with flowing fins, or in the Gouramis case it's feelers.

Just the clear up the tank size, a 29g IMO and IME is way to small for most Gouramis, bare for Dwarfs, Honeys, Chocolates, Sparkling, ect ect.

I know many people will say a 29g is fine but these fish do like their space. THe more space the better.

If you had to get a Gourami I would go for the Honeys. As for the Honeys, You would need to know nothing about fish to get them mixed up with Dwarfs. Just the whole shape body wise tells you the difference.

mac

[VoidParadigm]

Fair enough on the unlikely chance of mixing them up, but as within the past few months a thread that debated for a while on whether or not a Gourami was which was made when someone couldn't tell, and the fact that the OP doesn't appear to know a huge deal about them, that it's always best to make sure they're careful anyways.

Google "Honey Gourami" for images sometime, for example. You'll find more than a few improperly labeled Dwarfs.

[mac]

Fair enough on the unlikely chance of mixing them up,

The proper one Trichogaster (Colisa) chuna is the easiest to tell apart from the others. Even if miss labeled.

but as within the past few months a thread that debated for a while on whether or not a Gourami was which was made when someone couldn't tell,

Don't know if it is me, but ??????????????????????????????:help: :help: :help: :22:

[QUOTE}and the fact that the OP doesn't appear to know a huge deal about them, that it's always best to make sure they're careful anyways.

Google "Honey Gourami" for images sometime, for example. You'll find more than a few improperly labeled Dwarfs.[/QUOTE]

I under stand that part. But just normal logic, and sound sense can tell you the difference. Just a pic of the Dwarf is enough.

Must be logic is not around the world any more.

mac

[VoidParadigm]

Logic? Have you ever been inside a chain petstore? Oscars in ten gallons, fish won't grow larger than their aquarium, salt in EVERYTHING.

Yeah, this thing called logic isn't something you can expect to find nowadays, Mac. =P

Better to provide an un-needed warning, than to ignore the possibility.

(And yeah, as for the part about the other thread, I just completely messed up my wording and possibly mixed a few ideas there. Just ignore it. I'm sleepy. Sorry.)

[mac]

Logic? Have you ever been inside a chain petstore? Oscars in ten gallons, fish won't grow larger than their aquarium, salt in EVERYTHING.

Sounds like most good NZ pet shops to me.

Half the fish die once you bought them by the time they are home. The rest die with in a week.

As for logic that has vanished a long time ago. Just hoping it still is alive.

mac

[frank_zappa]

i appreciate everybody's opinion, even when it goes against what i was trying to do...in some ways even more then, as it saves me from making a mistake. alright, i probably will not add a gourami to this tank now....honestly, i dont want to create any problems. i just want some sort of centerpiece fish for my tank. ive now been warned against angels and gouramis. is there anything that may actually work? perhaps i should just scrap the centerpiece idea and add a school of something? back to the drawing board