Pearl Gouramis in 29 gallon

**clownfish1124** · 07-21-2010, 10:00 PM

Ok I just placed my order (finally)! Now I just need to buy some fertilizer tabs.

**fishycat** · 07-21-2010, 10:15 PM

Do you already have some wood to anchor your anubias? If you pre-soak the wood in a bucket you help draw out tannins which turn the water a tea color. Doesn't hurt the fish, but may not be cosmetically appealing to you. Just refresh the water once a week or so. Soaking also helps the wood sink if it's bouyant.

Petrified wood aka pagoda stone is another nice option - no soaking needed.

**Chrisinator** · 07-21-2010, 10:16 PM

Due to this thread, I've been contemplating with getting a pearl gourami.

**fishycat** · 07-21-2010, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by Chrisinator

Due to this thread, I've been contemplating with getting a pearl gourami.

me too! I was just imagining how I'd want the tank to look with lush vals/stems to make the pearl's colors pop! I think their spots would look neat with CPD as a reverse/foil against them...

**clownfish1124** · 07-22-2010, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by fishycat

Do you already have some wood to anchor your anubias? If you pre-soak the wood in a bucket you help draw out tannins which turn the water a tea color. Doesn't hurt the fish, but may not be cosmetically appealing to you. Just refresh the water once a week or so. Soaking also helps the wood sink if it's bouyant.

Petrified wood aka pagoda stone is another nice option - no soaking needed.

I have a big piece of a resin-cast driftwood piece. I also have some smaller pieces of driftwood at home that I just have to find. Another thing I was thinking of doing was buying some largeish gray river rocks and attaching the anubias and java fern to those.

Originally Posted by Chrisinator

Due to this thread, I've been contemplating with getting a pearl gourami.

That's great! I'm glad I could inspire you

Originally Posted by fishycat

me too! I was just imagining how I'd want the tank to look with lush vals/stems to make the pearl's colors pop! I think their spots would look neat with CPD as a reverse/foil against them...

I was actually considering getting a small group of 5 CPDs. I have always liked them ever since I saw them in a planted nano tank book

**clownfish1124** · 07-23-2010, 9:20 PM

I have been thinking, and to avoid aggression, would it be better to just get female pearls?
Thanks

**fishycat** · 07-23-2010, 10:25 PM

You could, I don't think females show aggression to each other... (just googled, couldn't find any mention of females attacking females) but I'm honestly not sure how aggressive Pearl Gourami really get. What was the stock plan again? If you just get one male, I don't think you'll have problems.

Anyway, to avoid aggression for sure your choices would be:

1 male pearl gourami
12 neon tetras
OR
2 female pearl gourami
12 neon tetras

And then for bottom feeders - were you going with corydoras?

If you go with a dwarf species (habrosus is my favorite and the best bottom-hugging) you could have 12 just fine in there.

If you go with standard corydoras (julii, sterbai, trilineatus, panda), you could do 6.

**clownfish1124** · 07-24-2010, 3:25 PM

I really like pygmy cories, but I read that gouramis will eat them sometimes. Is that true?
Also, I also want to get and SAE or two and some zebra nerites.

**clownfish1124** · 07-24-2010, 3:48 PM

What about these cories?
https://www.azgardens.com/p-824-cory...-cory-cat.aspx

**clownfish1124** · 07-24-2010, 5:02 PM

actually, I'm gonna get six of these. So this will be my stocking:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/my...ticulatus.html
1-2 pearl gouramis
12-15 neons
6 leopard cories (false julii)
2 SAEs
A few zebra nerites

I actually really like those cories. Thanks fishycat for getting me to look at them again!