Dwarf gouramis q's

[Turin Turambar]

I was thinking about buying a pair of Colisa lalia. How much space one pair need, in litres (are they territorial)? Do they have some species-only diseases (like neon tetra disease)? Any info will be welcomed. Thanks. :)

[OrionGirl]

They are territorial, and I wouldn't go with more than 1 males in less than 5 gallons, though a male and female may share that space if there's lots of hiding places. Bigger is always better, though, and more stable. The line bred fish are often not as hardy during initial introduction as the native fish, but once established they are pretty hardy.

[Turin Turambar]

I've read on one place that Dwarf gouramis bought in the shops usually are inbreed and have internal organ problems, even tuberculosis. This worries me...

[yashinfan]

Well, I don't know about Serbia, but in Canada we don't like getting tuberculosis. And fish TB can be trasmitted to humans so we don't let our fish get TB and sell 'em. I really hope your LFS does take proper precautions. If the people at the store don't have TB, your chances are good. :)

[Turin Turambar]

I don't even know what are they selling at local stores. :) I remember seeing some good colisa lalia pairs. I read about tuberculosis/problems on this site http://aquaworld.netfirms.com/Labyrinthfish/Colisa/colisa_lalia.htm and this is what it says:

Additional:It's very rare nowadays to find good healthy fish in shops. Most fish suffer from inbreeding, and since the fry are raised as fast as possible by commercial breeders, the internal organs in the fish are often underdeveloped. Frequently the fish are infected with tuberculosis.

[OrionGirl]

I've had one fish with marine TB--a large SW lion. He quit eating, and began to lose fins (yes, they actually would fall off). That's about 1 infected fish for about 100+ purchases. I don't think fish TB is very prevalent, and it would not be enough to prevent me from buying a fish.

IMO, while it is true that some LFS fish are not as robust, this statement is being made without any proof to back it up. All three books being cited are 20+ years old, so I doubt this statement, or the one about TB is coming from them. I have owned 5 dwarf gouramie--1 neon, 1 flame, and 3 sunsets. They've all been healthy, aggressive fish with active appetites and healthy behavior. The fish I lost were due to my error in tank mates and care, not any defect of the fish.

[AQUA magazin]

two years ago, I bought 3 pairs of Colisa Lalia (wild), here in Serbia. Second day, after I put them in my tank, males starts making buble nests!!! So, Turin Turambar, fell free to call:
Veleprodaja "Legera"
021-402-138