Non-schooling suggestions

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sledge

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Feb 3, 2004
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I have a new 29 gallon setup. All is going well so far but I'm not sure what fish I should go with for my last couple. I currently have 3 swordtails, 6 zebra danios, and 4 corys. I was thinking about 1 male and 1 female dwarf gourami, but I've heard they are prone to disease etc. I was wondering if anyone had other suggestions for a few more fish I could add. I was hoping to get something maybe a bit more laid back for contrast, as all the fish I have now are very active. Also, the pH is a bit high 7.8 so I cannot consider any fish that really need acidic water.

Also, does anyone have any experience with nippy swordtails? I have two females which are constant;y nipping at the poor corys. Is this normal? The male is much more docile.
 
Well...the two pearl gouramis might fight a bit..the male could harass a lone female. Plus, they can be very hard to sex when they are younger...and you probably don't want two males.

Dwarf gouramis are not prone to disease as far as I know...they're actually pretty hardy...how come you say they are? Heard something? Also, you won't find a female dwarf gourami unless you order them...they are generally not sol dbecause they don't have the coloring of the males. They are more of a dull silver color.

I don't know...I'd say one big gourami, like a pearl or platinum or moonlight...and then maybe add some other smaller fish.

By the way, is your tank cycled? And, you'll find that a specific pH isn't that important, but a steady one is. Most fish you buy (if you get them in your town) are probably in the same water that you have (or similar at least) and are acclimated to your pH. Fish that "need' an acidic pH can do fine in most reasonable pH values, and often the "low" pH that they "need" is just what a wild caught specimen would require - not what a captive bred fish needs.
 
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Thank you for the info.

The tank is cycled and everything seems fine so far. I was worried about the pH at first but I received some good advice here, so I've left the pH as is. The water is well buffered so the the pH has been rock solid so far and the fish seem very happy, active etc.

Now I'm torn between the pearl and dwarf gouramis. I also saw a Blue Gourami at fishprofiles.com. Does anyone have any info about this guy or further words of wisdom on the dwarf vs pearl choice? Also, will one lone pearl be happy or would it be better to have two?

Again thanks for all the help.
 
Yes, pearls are of the more peaceful varieties, but that is not to say that two males will not be aggressive towards each other. Even then, that statement isn't really true - gouramis aren't aggressive, but simply territorial.

A 29g is big, but it doesn't leave a lot of space to get away from each other. That is also not to say that they absolutely will fight, but it is something to consider. In my 55g, one of my male pearls is dominant and the other is submissive. The submissive one spends its time hiding out in the hydrocotyle and its colors aren't always the best. (I am almost positive that this fish used to be a female...very odd...)

No, one pearl gourami will not get lonely. They aren't schooling fish and do not need company of their own kind...many prefer it (being alone) because of the territorial aspect.

I'd go for one pearl gourami - it will add a fish of "size" to the tank. You'll find you'll get very attached to the little bugger, too:)

I do think that my platinum gourami is very striking though. Its the fish that you can see from way across the room because it is so bright.
 
Yeah, Leopardess has it right. Pearls are the least "aggressive" of the "giant" gouramis, but two males will likely end up disputing territory with each other.

Dwarf Gouramis have a short digestive tract and are prone to digestive tract problems (constipation and the like), or at least I've heard.
 
pearls are BY FAR the least aggressive. i have 3 females, though i'd like to add a male at some point, because they're a bit more colorful. i don't anticipate any problems. i think the biggest difference i've noticed is that my female pearls are incredibly laid back compared to my female blue gouramis, which are about 1/2 as mean as their male counterparts. i would say a 1 male to 2 female mix would give you very good odds on no problems...or just add 1 male.
 
I have a single dwarf flame gourami in a 20 gallon and he is the life of the tank. He isn't super aggressive but he does have this habbit of cornering other fish and slapping them around with his feelers. Then he leaves. Odd, but funny to watch.
 
I saw some gold gouramis at the LFS yesterday. Does anyone have any experience with them? Are they any more aggressive than other gouramis?
 
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