# Possible to mix gourami species in community tank?



## luananeko (Aug 27, 2010)

I originally was thinking of sticking to schooling fish and livebearers with one pearl gourami in my 75 gallon planted tank (still in planning stages for stocking, just filled with water this morning after a month long dry start), but after seeing a group of opaline gourami at my LFS I'm impressed by their personality and color. Online pictures really don't do them justice. Now I think I'd like a group of gourami instead of the swordtails I was thinking of. 

I've never kept gourami before, so I was wondering if it was okay to keep a mixed group of opaline and pearl gourami along with the schooling fish. The schooling fish would be added before the gourami since I've heard they can be territorial to new fish. Has anyone had much experience with mixing gourami types? Does it work, or do I need to stick to one type? Would I need to have them in trios to avoid territorial issues, or would singles work? Any tips/suggestions about the best way to keep gouramis in general are appreciated too!


----------



## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Gouramiis vary quite a bit in their agressivness. The Sunset and Blue Gouramiis are some of the most agrssive ones. The Pearl Gouramii is one of the most laid back of the larger Gouramis. I don't like the Dwarfs because they only import Males. Gouramiis don't really school and only get close when mating. The Blue is one of the toughest, while the Dwarf is one of the most delticate of the comonly imported Gouramiis. Gouramiis spend most of their life in the top 1/3 of their tank so they need bottom feeders, like Corys, to take care of extra food.


----------



## luananeko (Aug 27, 2010)

Yep, I've got a bristlenose pleco, 3 otos, 3 dwarf chain loaches, and 2 ADFs already, plus an army of snails, so between all of them any extra food that reaches the bottom shouldn't be around too long. 

So if pearls are pretty laid back it's really just the opalines I should have to worry about being agressive if I mix them? I'm not too interested in the other gourami varieties, just these two. I was thinking maybe 2 pearls and 2 opalines, or I could go 3 of each if I made my schooling fish groups smaller. Would that work, or is that too many gourami to live together peacefully?


----------



## lovebettas (Feb 7, 2012)

personally i would stick to one type,never had luck with mixing types they fight over territory until one gets hurt,they even do that within same species. Groups of 3,5,7 are best and you might lose some do to bullying. mix sexes if you can,i can't find females in my area so i just do singles.


----------



## lovebettas (Feb 7, 2012)

In the fish store they are just temporary,they don't care if a few die.


----------



## luananeko (Aug 27, 2010)

Hmmm, good to know... My LFS has lots of males and females, so that helps a lot. Since the males seem to be the most aggressive I might try 3 female opalines and 1 male pearl with the intent to take the pearl back to replace with a male opaline if the girls don't tolerate him... I really love both kinds so I'd rather try it and be ready to intervene than not try it and constantly wonder...


----------

