Dwarf Gourami tankmates?

[jstsouthofsanit]

I have one red flame dwarf gourami in a 5 gal hex tank. If the one inch per gal rule is true then I should have 2.5 in of fish left, correct? Right now I'm thinking barb (black ruby or tiger) or another small gourami (dwarf or honey). I've also heard they do well with loaches and mollies. I know gourami are carnivores so I'm also wondering how they handle snails. If anyone has experience with this species or advice it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[tnoutlaw36]

welcome to ac. nice fish. the one inch per gallon rule is not always true, not sure but there is not many fish that will work in a 5g. maybe abetta or some shrimp

 

[Lupin]

No more fish other than a gourami but those species are overrated. I said it before sparkling gouramis need more publicity.

:welcome: to AC!

 

[chefrossco]

hi and welcom to AC i have kept these g'mai befor and also the blue version . i find them great fish but to answer your question id honestly try to get a larger tank and then get him a friend. they are carnivores and a snail is probably not a good idea .. he wouldnt eat the snail whole but would nip at it. as far as tank mates go mine live with all sorts - honey g'mai, kissing g'mais betta's parrot's plattys and sailfin plec and have never had any trouble with any of them. i personally would not add any crustacians - just incase.

but thats a fantastic looking fish and take care of him.

 

[irishspy]

That's a pretty gourami. I think one in a 5g is all you can have, and I don't know if I'd trust him with shrimp.

 

[krytan]

:welcome: IMO a 5g is to small for him, he would much do better in a 15g and then you can think about adding more fish.

 

[jm1212]

5 gallon is fine for a dwarf gourami, when kept singly.

 

[oscaremmy]

I like the DG - and yours is a really nice looking fish - he looks to be in great condition. I'd only keep one fish in there though, because waste can build up pretty fast in a small tank and if there are just 2 fish in a small space, bullying can happen, with nowhere for the bullied fish to escape. In a tank with a lot more fish, there is a kind of safety in numbers - not always - but I think weak fish can stand a better chance in a crowd sometimes -they're not always the center of the bully's attention. Some Gouramis can be quite aggressive.

 

[tnoutlaw36]

after reading my post i think some people thought i meant plus a betta and shrimp. what i meant was a betta or shrimp only in a 5g. thanks.

 

[H3D]

5 gallon is fine for a dwarf gourami, when kept singly.

I couldn't disagree more. I keep mine in a 29 gallon aquarium and even that seems small at times. Just because a fish is smaller doesn't mean it doesn't need room to swim around.