What fish would be best for this tank?

[thekoimaiden]

Dwarf gourami are prone to the dwarf gourami iridovirus. It's a silent killer, and there is no cure. It can be passed to other fish, too. Honey gourami are a much better choice for small gourami. They stay a little smaller (7cm as opposed to 8.8cm for dwarfs).

The problem I have with the tank is water parameters. Livebearers like platys and guppies need hard, alkaline water to survive long-term and gourami need soft, acidic water for long-term health. Those fish are hardy enough that you can have them together, but you will be putting more stress on them. I would go with either livebearers or gourami.

[betta fish crazy]

Would the gourami need to be kept on their own then or are there other fish they could live with with no extra strain on either fish?

[Olympia]

If you have soft water, go with the gourami.. And maybe some cories on the bottom? Gourami almost never go down to the bottom so that'd be an option.
Also loaches could be an option. Of course they neeeed sand.. I think as long as there was enough cover you shouldn't have problems. I'd add the other fish before the gourami also.

[thekoimaiden]

Gourami can live with other fish (they can be aggressive with brightly-colored fish tho). I plan to have one in my 29 gal with tetra and loaches. But in the small space of a 10 gal the gourami might get a bit nippy with other column-swimming fish. If you do go with a gourami, I would get the honey gourami and some substrate fish (as they are less likely to bother them). Or if you have hard water, you could stock the tank with just guppies. But I don't think the two will mix well. TFK profile on honey gourami and TFK profile on guppies.

[betta fish crazy]

Could I keep a honey gourami with some rasboras and some tetras? My water is fairly soft and acidic if that helps.

[thekoimaiden]

That's a bit crowded for a 10 gal as both rasbora and tetra do best in 6 or more; some places even recommend 10 or more. In a 10 gal I would just go with a gourami and some substrate fish (like corydoras or loaches) or a single large school of tetra or rasbora. Soft water is perfect for those species.