Choosing a Gourami Species for my 55 Gallon Tank

Hi, everyone! I'm planning the stocking for a new 55 gallon tank. I recently fell in love with gouramis when I added a sunset thicklipped and three honeys to my 29 gallon tank, and I ended up loving my female thicklipped's endearing and social personality so, so much. SO! For my 55, I want to try a larger species.

Initially I was thinking pearl gourami since they are known to be relatively peaceful. My husband, though, likes those least of the larger gourami, and prefers opalines (or any variation of the three-spot/blue gourami) or moonlights. I'm a little nervous about managing possible aggression and making sure I build a happy tank for my gouramis to enjoy, but I'm also in love with the good-natured trust that gouramis seem to show their keepers. And I want more of that!

If I were to choose Opaline or Moonlight gouramis, how many should I purchase for the tank, and what would be 'safest' for tankmates? I was hoping for some sort of very peaceful medium-to-small cichlid for the bottom (to try out a different species altogether), but I don't want to invite potential difficulties with the gouramis, either. I was considering a school of rasboras or celebes rainbowfish, but again, nervous about the activity of the rainbowfish with my gourami and/or cichlids. We also want to get a small pleco or two!

Thanks for the help.

 

Idk much about the other fish you like, but I have pearls, harlequin rasboras and Cories in my 50 gallon. They all get along great. It’s planted and have lots of water lettuce floating. Going to get a pleco soon just deciding which kind I want.

 

I'm also a big fan of pearl gouramis, and you could do quite a few in a 55 gallon tank, especially if there are a good number of live plants to provide hiding places and sight line breaks (I have 9 in a 40 gallon breeder). You could add a school of mid-water fish like tetras (serpae tetras, lemon tetras, and black neon tetras are some of my favorites) and a school of corys, along with the small pleco.

Tell your husband to get his own tank if he wants to deal with the aggression from 3-spot gouramis.

 

All right, everyone, we're settled between either 4 pearl gouramis or a pair of moonlight gouramis. We can't wait, but we'll be adding them to the tank last, since they'll be the biggest fish Thanks for the help!

 

All right, everyone, we're settled between either 4 pearl gouramis or a pair of moonlight gouramis. We can't wait, but we'll be adding them to the tank last, since they'll be the biggest fish Thanks for the help!

Sounds good, though I would suggest a group of either, I'm not a fan of keeping pairs as it's not a large enough group to establish a hierarchy. Tends to lead to a fish getting "bullied".

 

Sounds good, though I would suggest a group of either, I'm not a fan of keeping pairs as it's not a large enough group to establish a hierarchy. Tends to lead to a fish getting "bullied".

I know they're social fish. Would you recommend a group of 4 over a single moonlight or a group of 3?

 

4 for me has been the best number as a minimum.