Dwarf Flame Gourami

[vaygirl]

I saw them at Petco today and picked up two. Both of them are male (I think). One is more yellow and the other is more orange. I don't have names yet. They're extremely active and interesting. They ate already and they don't bother anyone. I stood in the Petco for a good 20 minutes watching them to make sure they were calm and didn't pick on their tankmates. Pics:

[kathstew]

They are beautiful! I love them! I am thinking of getting a honey gourami, or dwar gourami.

What tankmates are they with?

Edit: Is the tank they are in already cycled, or did you just get them that tank today? I am wondering if gouramis are generally hardy enough to survive cycling a tank like a betta is able to.

[vaygirl]

The tank is cycled. It's been up for 2 years now. He's with 3 Enders livebearers and 4 corydoras. I've read that they're sensitive to conditions and should be in an established tank so I'd cycle first.

I just got back from returning Mr. Orange. Males can be territorial and it seems he was. He was fine at the store but once they got into my tank, he started trying to defend the whole thing as his territory. So, back he went. I knew it was a possibility. Mango, (formerly Mr Yellow) can have the whole thing to himself now. I might pick up 2 more Endler's next time I'm up at the other store. They really should be in a group of 5.

[LolaQuigs]

They're beautiful! I'm afraid all of my bettas will be too aggressive to move to the ten gallon with my cories, so I'm considering getting a dwarf gourami for that tank instead.

[vaygirl]

So far he's doing really well. He's spitting water at stuff to get it off the tank walls and he's extremely active and interested in things. I made a quick movie of him and a couple of his tankmates:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZmfac7gEwQ

[dramaqueen]

They're pretty!

[vaygirl]

Mango update!
He's doing fantastic. He's healthy, busy and eats like a horse. He's very much like a betta. I can totally see the relation in the way they act. He's a very good community tank mate. And he cleans up my dying plants by eating the ends off. At least I think that's what he's doing. He might see stuff I don't see. :)

[dramaqueen]

I'm glad he's doing well. He sounds like a happy fishie.

[smellsfishie]

Originally Posted by LolaQuigs

They're beautiful! I'm afraid all of my bettas will be too aggressive to move to the ten gallon with my cories, so I'm considering getting a dwarf gourami for that tank instead.

I would be very careful putting a dwarf gourami in with a betta. In some cases (not all) the bettas think the gouramis are other bettas, and in others, the gourami thinks the bettas fins are snacks. I have had both happen. My dwarf gourami almost killed my betta. And then my other betta would have killed my gourami had I not watched them and separated once I confirmed that it was not going to work. In the past I did house 2 dwarf gouramis with a gentle betta, without issues, but I don't know how typical that is.

[vaygirl]

No, she means to move the gourami into the tank with corys INSTEAD of moving the bettas in. :)