Choosing the right tankmates for dwarf gouramis

[annieTay]

I've got two male dwarf gouramis in a 20-gallon community tank, and they're doing alright. The slightly bigger one gets a bit testy at feeding time, which isn't a surprise. I've also got another 20-gallon tank that's currently empty, but I'm planning to stock it with some algae eaters and a couple of feeder goldfish. I might add some female guppies to this tank temporarily, until the goldfish get big enough to, well, you know.

I'm looking for some opinions on whether I should keep the gouramis together in their current tank or move one to the new setup. I know they're social fish, but I'm not sure if they need to be with their own kind. I'd appreciate some different perspectives on this.

Tank A's got the other gourami, some danios, harlequins, and catfish. Tank B will have the feeder goldfish, algae eaters, and possibly those guppies.

Thanks in advance for your input. I'd appreciate it if you're not familiar with dwarf gouramis or their needs, to just refrain from offering advice. I get enough uninformed opinions already. Thanks, and have a great day.

[FishQueen]

I'd advise against keeping two feeder goldfish in a 20-gallon tank, they can grow much larger than people often expect. If you're determined to keep them in the smaller tank, one might be manageable, but keep in mind they're social fish and prefer to have companions. As for the gouramis, I don't have extensive knowledge, but I think guppies would be a great fit for a 20-gallon tank - just be sure to only keep males or females, as mixing the two will lead to breeding and potential overcrowding.

[annieTay]

I'd advise against keeping two feeder goldfish in a 20-gallon tank, they can grow much larger than people often expect. If you're determined to keep them in the smaller tank, one might be manageable, but keep in mind they're social fish and prefer to have companions. As for the gouramis, I don't have extensive knowledge, but I think guppies would be a great fit for a 20-gallon tank - just be sure to only keep males or females, as mixing the two will lead to breeding and potential overcrowding.

I completely get where you're coming from about goldfish, trust me, I've been there - we had one that hit almost 7 inches, it was crazy. I'm aware of their growth, but this setup is just temporary until they outgrow the tank - we've got a 50-gallon on standby for when that happens. I'm just trying to downsize for now since space is a bit of an issue at the moment.

As for the guppies, I've learned my lesson the hard way - I used to have a massive molly population and couldn't control the breeding, it was a nightmare. That's why I'm keeping the males separate this time, I'm not looking to repeat that mistake. I've got one pregnant guppy so far, so I'm trying to stay on top of it.

Thanks for the concern, I appreciate it.

[coltin]

I've got some experience with gouramis, and I've got to advise you that most of them aren't exactly social butterflies. In fact, they're highly territorial, and males will fight to the death if they're not kept separate. Dwarf gouramis, like the ones you've got, are especially notorious for this - they're a pretty territorial species, and you really shouldn't keep more than one male per tank.

If you do want to keep multiple gouramis together, you can try keeping a male with some females, but you should only have one male in the tank. The males are the ones with all the colour - red, blue, or those really nice red and blue stripes. Females, on the other hand, are pretty plain - they're silvery or grey, and they don't have much in the way of colour.

Ideally, each male gourami should have its own tank - that way, you can avoid any fights or territorial behaviour. By the way, if you're still deciding on algae eaters, feel free to post some pictures and we can try to ID them for you.

[floatie]

I can vouch for this. My 29g tank was a disaster with a single dwarf gourami. It started with just him, 6 cories, and a dozen neons. But within a week, everyone was running for cover. The gourami would patrol the entire tank, bullying everyone for food and territory. I thought plants and decorations would help, but nope. It was a nightmare. I ended up setting up a separate 10g tank for him and a snail. And let me tell you, he's still a handful. He's always poking and trying to bite that snail. I've come to realize that male gouramis being "peaceful community fish" is just a myth.

[annieTay]

I only mentioned that because I'm still deciding. No ID is needed, but if you're curious, I'm thinking of maybe a few Otos or a pleco. There's also this tiny yellow thing I saw at the LFS - not sure what it is, might just be a baby. Since it won't be my tank to care for, the final choice isn't entirely up to me.

[annieTay]

I can vouch for this. My 29g tank was a disaster with a single dwarf gourami. It started with just him, 6 cories, and a dozen neons. But within a week, everyone was running for cover. The gourami would patrol the entire tank, bullying everyone for food and territory. I thought plants and decorations would help, but nope. It was a nightmare. I ended up setting up a separate 10g tank for him and a snail. And let me tell you, he's still a handful. He's always poking and trying to bite that snail. I've come to realize that male gouramis being "peaceful community fish" is just a myth.

I don't think dwarf gouramis are entirely anti-social, and I'm not sure about keeping them alone in a tank. Maybe some fast-swimming tankmates would be a better fit - or even another female gourami. I'm curious, though, was your gourami a regular one, not a dwarf? I've heard those can be super aggressive. And I'm wondering if maybe your gourami was just trying to clean the snail, since they do that with pretty much everything.

I've got a slightly different experience with mine, coltin - you said they're highly territorial, but I wouldn't say that's entirely true for my guys. They only get a bit feisty at feeding time, and it's really not that bad. So, do you think a single dwarf gourami would be okay with some regular feeder goldfish? I'm thinking maybe it'd be fine, and I could always move them out if the goldfish get too big for the gourami.

[floatie]

I've got two male dwarf gouramis in a 20-gallon community tank, and they're doing alright. The slightly bigger one gets a bit testy at feeding time, which isn't a surprise. I've also got another 20-gallon tank that's currently empty, but I'm planning to stock it with some algae eaters and a couple of feeder goldfish. I might add some female guppies to this tank temporarily, until the goldfish get big enough to, well, you know.

I'm looking for some opinions on whether I should keep the gouramis together in their current tank or move one to the new setup. I know they're social fish, but I'm not sure if they need to be with their own kind. I'd appreciate some different perspectives on this.

Tank A's got the other gourami, some danios, harlequins, and catfish. Tank B will have the feeder goldfish, algae eaters, and possibly those guppies.

Thanks in advance for your input. I'd appreciate it if you're not familiar with dwarf gouramis or their needs, to just refrain from offering advice. I get enough uninformed opinions already. Thanks, and have a great day.

Yeah, I can see why you'd think that, but honestly, this little guy's got some serious attitude. I'm not saying he's the meanest fish I've ever met, but he definitely likes being the boss. I'm starting to think that maybe, just maybe, he's one of those special cases that just prefers to be alone.

As for your question about the feeder goldfish, I think you'll be okay. They're big enough that I think the dwarf gourami will leave them alone, but who knows, right?

[annieTay]

I can vouch for this. My 29g tank was a disaster with a single dwarf gourami. It started with just him, 6 cories, and a dozen neons. But within a week, everyone was running for cover. The gourami would patrol the entire tank, bullying everyone for food and territory. I thought plants and decorations would help, but nope. It was a nightmare. I ended up setting up a separate 10g tank for him and a snail. And let me tell you, he's still a handful. He's always poking and trying to bite that snail. I've come to realize that male gouramis being "peaceful community fish" is just a myth.

No worries at all, I appreciate the input. I'm still weighing my options, just wanted to gather different perspectives. Thing is, it's not my tank to care for, so fingers crossed she'll welcome him to her new community.

[Corona]

Keeping goldfish with a dwarf gourami means finding a temperature that works for both, since goldfish prefer cooler water. I've had experience with regular gouramis, and they don't get along with each other. My current three spot gourami is an exception, it's not aggressive and leaves my shy keyhole cichlids alone in a 40 gallon breeder. I think it really depends on the individual fish, since I've had normal gouramis that were super aggressive. If the gourami does get aggressive in that tank, I've got a 55 gallon semi-aggressive tank as a backup.