New tanks ideas

[MarkSD]

I have a 38gallon tank not stocked with anything while I try to get a cycle going in there. I was first thinking about the gourami as something to stock my tank with but not real sure now. I was thinking of the normal gourmi because stay 3-4 inches and the colors on the gourami are nice. But now with my tank with the fixtures I am not sure what i want to do. Dwarfs might be the way to go also and I am considering that also because they have some nice dwarfs too. Not is it best to try to keep just 1 male gourami of any kind big or small? If so how can you tell them all apart? I was also thinking about some ram chilids instead of the gourami but haven't decided yet. Of course I will have other fish in there too like maybe tetras or some other schooling fish. I am open, any thoughts?

 

[rachaelmaire]

If you go with dwarf gourami you will be able to keep more in the smaller space. They come in amazing colors and I've noticed with mine have more personality when they are a few or more in a tank together.

 

[lauraf]

What do you mean by 'normal gourami'?

 

[bassbonediva]

If you go with dwarf gourami you will be able to keep more in the smaller space. They come in amazing colors and I've noticed with mine have more personality when they are a few or more in a tank together.

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with this. Keeping multiple dwarf gouramis in any tank (unless it is HUGE and heavily planted/decorated with lots of stuff to break up lines of sight) is equivalent to keeping multiple male bettas in the same tank without it being divided. In short, a VERY bad idea. Gouramis are related to bettas (both anabantoids) and are VERY territorial with their own kind. Multiple dwarf gouramis, especially in a small tank, is just asking for World War III. I know someone on another forum who tried to keep two dwarf gouramis (male and female that were siblings) in a 55gal tank and he ended up having to remove one of them because the other was beating it up so badly.

 

[BadRedTerror]

Do you mean a normal sized gourami? Like the Opaline,Blue,Gold,or Cinnamin species?
(Not the Banded aka giant gourami) way to big.

 

[paperdog9]

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with this. Keeping multiple dwarf gouramis in any tank (unless it is HUGE and heavily planted/decorated with lots of stuff to break up lines of sight) is equivalent to keeping multiple male bettas in the same tank without it being divided. In short, a VERY bad idea. Gouramis are related to bettas (both anabantoids) and are VERY territorial with their own kind. Multiple dwarf gouramis, especially in a small tank, is just asking for World War III. I know someone on another forum who tried to keep two dwarf gouramis (male and female that were siblings) in a 55gal tank and he ended up having to remove one of them because the other was beating it up so badly.

I agree, your best bet would be more than one female togather, but even that could be risky.