turtleblues

[/size] I just bought a flame gourami and i notice his cheeks are bigger that the other two...a blue and a spotted one ... just wondering if thats how he is supposed to look or if he has a problem.... he is swimming rather cheerfully and is eating everything he can get...I have a clean and well kept 55 gal tank with swordtails a platy ..cory cats ..pleco and two small catfish and small bala shark which will be leaving the tank upon my purchase of a bigger tank...please respond quickly because i dont want my other fish at any risk!

chickadee

There are more than one family of Gourami and some of them do look fuller in the face than others. I did go through my books and can find no fish by the name of Spotted Gourami or Flame Gourami and since I do not have gouramis myself (except for bettas), I do not have a reference to what these fish are supposed to look like. I do not suppose that you happened to see the scientific names for either of these fish. I do know that the Blue Gourami is one of the thinner faced Gourami. Could the Spotted Gourami possibly be the Pearl Gourami instead?

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_leeri.php


I would not take the fish out of the tank on the strength of the information you have given me as I know of no fish disease that would account for it. If the fish is eating and swimming normally then it is not in all likelihood ill.

I would caution you though that it is always a good idea not to add several fish together and to quarantine each fish you buy for a two week period before adding it to the community tank as that is how the types of illnesses that are brought in from the stores are spread and can easily wipe out whole tanks. I realize it is hard not to put your "pretties" into the tank immediately to admire, but the cost of haste is sometimes not worth it.

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Rose

vin

The blue gourami (full size) is also known as the 'three spot' gourami...(trichogaster trichopterus) whereas the pearl gourami (trichogaser leeri) is known as the "lace" gourami. This is the only 'spotted' gourami I've found.....