Gold Gourami, Pearl Gourami

[fishsafari]

I am getting ready to set up a tank for a Gold Gourami and a Pearl Gourami. I have an empty 20 I thought about putting them in. The Pearl Gourami gets aggressive in small quarters.

Any suggestions on companion fish, especially those that might settle the aggression?

[Brhino]

firstly, you have it backwards. Gold gouramis are known as being some of the most aggressive gouramis, whereas pearl gouramis are one of the most mellow. Personally I would not keep the two of them together in a 20 gallon tank, I think the gold would pick on the pearl too much.

[fishsafari]

I will read your reply to this Pearl Gourami, who is the meanest of the 40 or so fish I keep, including my Florida Gar. Once he knows that the peaceful and passive Gold Gourami he has been sharing a tank with is supposed to be the aggressive one, he will no doubt start doing yoga and meditating and I can plop him right in tank with my Neons, before he gets beat up.

[Brhino]

well, individual fish certainly do have their own personalities, so you may have the meanest pearl gourami in the tri-state area. I misread your first post as a general statement rather than a comment on your specific fish.

They're together in a tank now? What size? Do they get along or does the pearl pick the gold?

[fishsafari]

My daughter brought them home from college, and of course thinks they would be happier here with me. She had them in a ten, and they are stable but ornery. I have ten tanks going, but no good empty options except a 20. I also have a 55 thats newly free, but I hate to 'waste' it on these two fish unless I could build a nice tank around them.

[fishsafari]

Of course, since Gold was so passive, I tried him in my 55 with my Severum and others, and he went on a rampage.

These are some mean fish.

[fishsafari]

And, yes, the Pearl beats on the Gold a little every now and then, just to keep things in order.

[Brhino]

Wow. My guess is their time crammed together in the 10 gallon put them in a permanently bad mood. I guess deck the 20g out as best you can with plants and hiding places, so they can each have territories. I'm not sure if adding any other fish will help or just give them something else to go after.

[fishsafari]

Any thoughts on a 55 set up?

Tempted just to get them an Oscar to beat on. Ha.

[Brhino]

maybe something really fast like zebra danios that are used to a bit of nipping and probably too fast for the gouramis to catch? Could even do giant danios in a 55...

[Gisela]

Wow, can't believe that there is such a difference in Pearl Gouramis! My two female Pearl Gouramis are the perfect community fish in my 55 g. They don't bother anybody.

[VoidParadigm]

My Gold Three-Spot bit two of my Zebra Danios hard enough to cause actual injury, which led to infection and the rest of the Zebras tearing it apart.

Still a possible option though, and Danios do come in a variety of possibilities. (Glofish, larger species of related minnow, et cetera.) If you can get them cheap where you are just throw a decent school in, and what odds if one or two kick the bucket. (Wow, that doesn`t sound nice at all. Hm.)

Or you could get some livebearers. The Gouramis chasing newborn fry every now and then could lead to some mellowing out.

Hm. Both my suggestions above are so morbid... lol.

Catfish are another possibility though. Smaller plecos, larger corydoras, or maybe a Raphael Cat. though I'm not sure of their tank size requirements. Since most of those are semi-nocturnal or more, the Gouramis wouldn't be able to bother them as much, while at the same time you're given the opportunity to set up a moon light tank.

Tetras and cichlids are the only things I can think of that I'd say to probably stay away from. Cichlids use the same territory space, and tetras are always either too slow or too nippy.

And yeah, that Pearl definitely has some small-tank-caused problems. Pearls and Honeys are almost always tied for first when it comes to laid back Gouramis. Many even keep them with Cichlids, which I would never dare to suggest for Three-spot.

[AquaticLove]

From personal experience I would not. I kept my pearl with my gold and blue and all he did was sit in the corner. Died soon afterwards. However depends on the personality of the fish, gourami's all have pretty unique personalitys.