Chocolate Gourami on the way!

[anthoeny]

Hey everyone!!


I'm excited to say that in a little while I shall be receiving a chocolate Gourami from my friend who is moving away!!
I've briefly read about them, and know they require very soft (pH~ 6ish) water

Anyone suggest a tank setup for the Choc Gourami? (Tankmates, substrate, plants, equip, water chem, everything!)
Experience tips?

 

[anthoeny]

Chocolate Gourami on the way!!

xpostHey everyone!!


I'm excited to say that in a little while I shall be receiving a chocolate Gourami from my friend who is moving away!!
I've briefly read about them, and know they require very soft (pH~ 6ish) water

Anyone suggest a tank setup for the Choc Gourami? (tank size, Tankmates, substrate, plants, equip, water chem... everything!)
...Experience tips?

 

[bumblebee]

I've never kept chocolate gourami's, but I do know that they are VERY sensitive. Make sure any new tankmates are quarentined and very docile.

JC

 

[anthoeny]

Hm, well, I shall have to say (space issues) around a 20-25 gallon (preferably tall...I can only sacrafice MAX ~25 long inches of floor space!!) would have to suffice !

Hoping that pH shall be kept low enough (6-7) with DIY CO2 and driftwood (leaching tannin...heh) with tap water...otherwise, have to add some RO water!
-Substrate....Suggest?
-DIY CO2
-150w Heater, HOB Filter, Thermom
-Lighting, gonna aim for ~2.5wpg White-Flourescent
-Stocking plan (still completely in the air...any alternate suggestions welcome!)
20 gallon planted
2 x (Pair) of Chocolate Gourami (intend to purchase about 5 more along with the one I'll be getting from a friend, until a pair forms)
4 x Cories
Additions?
-Plants
Amazon Sword
Hygrophila Polysperma
Anarchis
Hornwort (float prob.)
Anubias nana
Wendtii Crypts



With the answers to those questions, am I otherwise good to go?

 

[Mushroomman]

well for plants you need some kind of the plant substrates they sell nowadays.

your only gonna have the gouramis and the cories? i dunno if the gouramis would allow it, but wouldn't you like some more fish? tetras would prolly go with it just fine, but then again i have no clue about gourami compatability. i heard they are a little agressive, but im guessing they are community. maby go to the lfs, see what appeals to you, then come back and do research and see what will work. you can do the same for plants.

i dunno about the pair thing. that tank might be fight night at the boxing arena until they pair off. someone else will have to chime in about that.

wow your gonna have quite the number of tanks... isn't this like the 5th or 6th thread about your upcoming tanks? cool

goodluck!

 

[blueturq]

ya well DON'T get too excited about them*thumbsdow

They are very fussy about water and they aren't very appealing to the human eye.

But this is strictly IMO

 

[anthoeny]

Yep, I'm aiming for 5 tanks over the next while!

Flourite substrate

If I were to go with a school of small peaceful fish (say, cardinal tets) then how many cardinals do you suggest / how many chocolate gouramis / how many cories for the 20g ?

 

[blueturq]

i admire you lol! you got guts, Cardinal Tetras and Chocolate Gourami's are both hard fish to keep and if your up for the challenge then so be it!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!*celebrate

 

[anthoeny]

lol thanks, blueturq!!


...Can't wait to get started!!

 

[anthoeny]

-Setup plan:
20g planted
3 x Chocolate Gourami
5 x Boehlkea fredcochui
3 x Cories

Amazon Sword (back)
Asian Ambulia (mid-back)
Hygrophila polysperma (back)
Anarchis (back)
Hornwort (float)
Anubias nana (fore)
Crypts wendtii (fore)
/Driftwood
--- pH kept low - 6-7 - if not, add RO water with tap ---
Seachem Flourite Substrate
DIY CO2
150w Heater
HOB Filter
Thermometer
Lighting ~ 2.5-3wpg White-Flourescent (6700K)

?

 

[SomethingFishy]

I have kept them before. Unlike the previous post I love the way they look!

The only problem I encountered, and this was told to me by the LFS, was that they were very picky eaters and a bit on the timid side. Both were true.

They would eat smaller LIVE brine shrimp. I say smaller because their mouths are very small. They would also eat LIVE Tubifex worms. I managed to get them to eat frozen brine shrim once and a while but no other foods were accepted.

You need to be sure they are in a tank with similarly passive fish of they will not come out from hiding to feed or they will not get enough. I always had to use small turkey baster to place the worms or shrim directly in front of them when the feeding frenzy began (the tankmates were only 4 Pearl Gouramis).

IMO these arevery beautiful and hard to find fish. If you are attentive to their needs you should enjoy them.

Good Luck


*celebrate

 

[anthoeny]

Instead of the small school of tetras (5), could I put in a Pearl Gourami in this setup instead in the 20g:
3 x Chocolate Gourami
1 x Pearl Gourami
3 x Cories

?

 

[anthoeny]

..... Or would the Pearl be too *luminous* for the Chocolates?? heh
And would it be advisable instead of going with Cories, to go with Botia loaches? Anyone suggest a species (zebra, yoyo etc) and how many?