Stocking for a Beginner

**loggerhead** · 01-12-2012, 11:22 AM

I want Sparkling Gouramis but are they suitable for a beginner? if so what other fish would they go with?if not what other fish could I get?

thanks in advance

**Aeonflame** · 01-12-2012, 12:00 PM

I don't see why not with the proper tank and maintenance. As with all fish, everything becomes much easier with good water quality. Try to include floating plants and low water current in the tank. The males can be aggressive to other males so more females will be best. You can add a school of fish that are not known for fin nipping. Maybe some smaller peaceful tetras.

**Botch09** · 01-12-2012, 01:17 PM

I have 2 blue gouramis in my tank. I put some amazon frogbit on top. both are males, but my tank is 75 gallon so there's room for both to have their own kingdoms. I have black skirt tetras, mollies and rams. They all get along and there hasn't been any nipping. They really help balance out the upper layer of the tank.

**pjaldave** · 01-13-2012, 05:49 PM

what size is your tank? or what size would it be (if you don't have it yet)

sparkling gouramis are small yet a little territorial hence their nature. i think 1 male and 3 females would work in a 20G setup, but i ain't sure if it will work for smaller tanks.

**loggerhead** · 01-17-2012, 08:05 AM

not sure 30 or 60 litres

thanks

**Lady Hobbs** · 01-17-2012, 02:16 PM

I would say no to that size tank or perhaps one. Gourami's are too aggressive to be together in tanks of that size.

30 liters is only 7 gallons and 60 liters only 15 gallons but either way, nope.

**Mountainlion63** · 01-17-2012, 11:30 PM

In a 15 gallon you should be able to fit 1 sparkaling gourami aslong as you have plenty of plants. Try putting floating plants in there too.It made my gourami alot happirer. If you aren't using live plants then cut up fake ones and float them on the top. As for tank mates I belive sparkeling gouramis grow to adout 1 inch so make shore there tank mates are small. I would suggest exclamation point rasboras and dwarf or pygmy cory cat fish for the bottom. Good luck with your tank!

**loggerhead** · 01-18-2012, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by Mountainlion63

I would suggest exclamation point rasboras and dwarf or pygmy cory cat fish for the bottom. Good luck with your tank!

how many pygmy corys ?

thanks

**Mountainlion63** · 01-18-2012, 09:19 PM

Corys like to school so you should probubly have 4 at the least, but if you can fit more you should. Try entering your stock into AqAdvisor. Its a great wedsite were you enter in you fish stock and it tells you the problems with it, but don't realy on it to much. Still do your reaserch! By the way you could fit this stuff in a 60 liter tank, but you could only fit one sparkeling gourami in a 30 liter, but nothing else.