Is this Gourami NORMAL???

[Miss Marigold]

I have a twenty gallon aquarium with 4 high-quality cobra guppies, 2 gorgeous swordtails 2 upside-down catfish, 2 Kuhli Loaches, a small plecostomus, and the two most stupid goldfish I have ever seen in my whole entire life and that is SAYING SOMETHING!!! Oh, yeah, and just to keep the other fish in check I bought myself a beautiful Opaline Gourami (pretty much just a blue Gourami) But anyway, she's one of the most peaceful fish in the aquarium. Which is probably a good thing. But still not the reason I got her. Anyway, I'm wondering if she's going to get any more aggressive than she already is, as she is fairly new. Once upon a time, my mom had a blue Gourami, and that thing was so overly semi-aggressive that my mom was constantly forced to separate it from the other fish.

Just wondering.

Thanks.

P.S. My tank is a twenty-gallon with heating, filtration, plenty of hiding places, and bubbler. The fish are fed high-quality food supplemented with a couple algae tablets twice a day. Just in case you were wondering.

 

[Angelfish]

Being a three spot gourami variation she does have the potential to be semi agressive.

Your tank sounds a little over stocked IMHO. Have you thought about making a separate tank for the goldfish? They would probably appreciate a lower temperature. Or if you think they are stupid (why do you think that?) you could just take them back to the LFS.

Anyway, the reason I mention that is that if the tank is crowded the gourami is more likely to build up her agression.

Good luck =)

 

[bumblebee]

I keep my opaline gourami with tiger barbs. That should tell you something about the agression level. We'll just say that nobody bothers my opaline at all
JC

 

[Fruitbat]

I have Blue Gouramis, Trichogaster trichopterus , in a tank with Tiger Barbs, Rasboras and a number of different loaches. The male gourami chases both of the females and the larger female chases the smaller one. No harm is ever done. They leave the Tiger Barbs and loaches completely alone and they are left alone in return. One big happy family!

 

[Miss Marigold]

Fruitbat:

Yeah, but I have GUPPIES!!!!

 

[Miss Marigold]

Dear Angelfish:

No, actually, my tank is not overstocked. I know it sounds like I have a lot, but there really aren't that many considering the size of them. Besides, the majority of fish are bottom feeders that just help to keep the tank cleaner while staying out of sight in the mean time. Plus, I have a very good filtration system that has yet to let me down, and quite a sizeable bubble wand to help keep the water aereated.

As for the goldfish, well, if it were me, I might even be tempted to flush them down the "porclein express" (seeing as they only cost 15 cents each) except that they're my mom's fish, not mine. I just agreed to take care of them for her until spring when she can put them into her fish pond. And when I say that they are stupid, I only say it because they are stupid, idiotic, paranoidal maniacs. They zip around my aquarium in frenzied circles constantly trying to hide behind eachother, despite the fact that I do indeed have plenty of hiding places for them, if they were just smart enough to find them. I tried to put them in my 20 gallon half-n-half frog aquarium because that is cooler in temp, but they kept on annoying me by literally trying to jump out of the water and up INTO the filter! (kinda like in "Finding Nemo.") So I just got sick of them splashing around and put them back in their old aquarium where they can act like idiots QUIETLY.

 

[Miss Marigold]

Oh yeah, and as for my Gourami, I know that this is probably stupid, but I'm hoping that she'll eventually come to her own and keep the rest of the tank in check; maybe even give dumb and dumber something at least SLIGHTLY rational to worry about.

Still, knowing my swordtails, I should be able to trust them to not let her get TOO overly aggressive. They have attitudes of their own, ya know.

 

[Angelfish]

Originally posted by Angelfish
Your tank sounds a little over stocked IMHO.

Well like I said, its down to oppinion, and with your tanks current residents it still sounds over stocked to me.
... but, seen as though I cant see it, cant see the current size of your fish or do water tests on it - and you can, Ill believe that everything is going fine in your tank right now.

 

[GoldieGirl]

I would agree that it sounds overstocked. As a general rule for Goldies, they need at least 10 gallons per fish. They are very nasty as far as waste is concerned and really don't go well with tropical fish. They should be in a tank to themselves and maybe that won't act so "stupid".

 

[Iggy]

Hi, I find goldes are fine at small sizes for a while, its that Pl*co I would would worry about, especially if its the common variety. They push an easy 14" to 16" long in no time. Is it your moms plan to include the Pl*co with the goldfish in the pond?

Sound like you enjoy fishkeeping, why not get your hands on a new or used 50+ gallon tank and really have some space to play?

 

[Fruitbat]

Miss Marigold...

I agree that the guppies will be a temptation for the gourami. My Rasboras are just over guppy-sized but have the advantage of being FAST!!! Still...unless you actually start to see problems I wouldn't worry about it a whole lot.

 

[Miss Marigold]

I do have another twenty gallon with filtration, lighting, etc. that I will use to put some of my fish in come spring (right now, that tank is the residence of my killer frog)if my tank does, indeed, become overcrowded. As for the goldfish, well, they really aren't very big as of yet...as it is, I may have some extra tank space soon anyway, since it appears that mollies (which are kept in a five-gallon hex) are dying off of internal parasites unless I can get help FAST!!! Their water is treated for both internal and external parasites, but it may already be too late. So, if you have any ideas on what to do about that, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Miss Marigold]

Yep. Goldies in a different aquarium, along with their buddy the pleco...still acting incredibly stupid, though...

Oh, yeah--one of my little balloon-bellied mollies made it, so he's in the big aquarium now instead of the goldfish. (almost all of my other mollies died )