Dwarf Gourami 10 Gallon Tank

Hello! This is my first thread here.

I've been in the freshwater hobby for about a few years now and I have decided to pick up some new fish. One of my tanks (10 Gallon) housed five red wag platys, two gold mystery snails and a single dwarf gourami, they lived in peace and the tank was beautiful. However, now my red wags have sadly passed away and I must look for new tank mates for my gourami. I'm looking for some other opinions since I've been pretty stuck with him of all my other fish in community tanks.

Here are fish/invertebrates I have experience with - Guppies, Bettas, ADF, Mystery Snails, Platys, Ghost Shrimp, Cory Catfish. (Keep in mind what I have listed is from my adult hood. As a child I had other types of fish but they lived in bowls and I wasn't one to care for them so I don't count them as part of my experience even though I now know how to take care of neon tetras and goldfish Etc..)

 

Some rasbora heteromopha/ Harlequin rasboras would do well, maybe like 5-6 of them would be comfy/healthy in a ten gal with your dwarf gourami. There are also some really pretty long-finned dainos or zebra dainos that you could house in there, probably about the same quantity as rasboras. & Caring for them is really no different than caring for guppies or tetra.

 

I wouldn't do harlequin rasboras or zebra danios in a 10g, both species grow to a full 2 inches and are too active for a 20 inch tank. A 10 gallon isn't ideal for a DG either, but it's better suited than a school of medium sized, fast-moving fish. If you rehomed the DG, you could open up a lot more options for schooling type fish, and other (oddball?) species if you're interested.

 

I wouldn't do harlequin rasboras or zebra danios in a 10g, both species grow to a full 2 inches and are too active for a 20 inch tank. A 10 gallon isn't ideal for a DG either, but it's better suited than a school of medium sized, fast-moving fish. If you rehomed the DG, you could open up a lot more options for schooling type fish, and other (oddball?) species if you're interested.

I'd rather avoid rehoming my fish as much as possible, is a 20 gallon a better fit? I've started to search for tanks on the market right now. I'll have to hope I can cycle before anything goes wrong, but so far he's eating and he's pretty active.

 

Upgrading would definitely be another option! The DG won't die just because it's in the 10g, I was just stating my opinion that they really require more space than that. A 20 gallon upgrade would be fine, I could help you build a stock around your DG if you want in that tank size.

If you live in the continental U.S., maybe searching on craigslist for a used tank that hasn't been shut down yet (still retaining sufficient BB)?

 

Upgrading would definitely be another option! The DG won't die just because it's in the 10g, I was just stating my opinion that they really require more space than that. A 20 gallon upgrade would be fine, I could help you build a stock around your DG if you want.

I'm open to all suggestions of fish. After I gather up some ideas, I'll narrow it down. I'll update it soon after my final decision.

I'm open to all suggestions of fish. After I gather up some ideas, I'll narrow it down. I'll update it soon after my final decision.

I've been stalking KijijI and craigslist for a couple days beforehand. The problem I have is that the tanks for sale are either too small or currently house bettas or cichlids. My LPS has the worst of the worst products that are mostly broken or used returns that are missing things. (This is why I quarantine fish, their tanks are one tank with a few dividers.) And no, I'm not in the U.S I'm in Canada so a few sources are different.

 

I'm open to all suggestions of fish. After I gather up some ideas, I'll narrow it down. I'll update it soon after my final decision.

In a 20 gallon tank (preferably long), there's some different communities you could do with the DG as centerpiece.
Something like this:
1x Dwarf gourami
10-12x Glowlight danios or 8x zebra danios
8x Bronze cories
6x Otocinclus (maybe?)

OR

1x Dwarf gourami
8-10x Ember tetras or 8x Black neons
8x peppered cories or 8x KuhlI loaches

I've been stalking KijijI and craigslist for a couple days beforehand. The problem I have is that the tanks for sale are either too small or currently house bettas or cichlids. My LPS has the worst of the worst products that are mostly broken or used returns that are missing things. (This is why I quarantine fish, their tanks are one tank with a few dividers.) And no, I'm not in the U.S I'm in Canada so a few sources are different.

Would it be possible to purchase the tank and then rehome the fish to your LPS? Are there any reliable online stores you know of operating in Canada?

 

In a 20 gallon tank (preferably long), there's some different communities you could do with the DG as centerpiece.
Something like this:
1x Dwarf gourami
10-12x Glowlight danios or 8x zebra danios
8x Bronze cories
6x Otocinclus (maybe?)

OR

1x Dwarf gourami
8-10x Ember tetras or 8x Black neons
8x peppered cories or 8x KuhlI loaches


Would it be possible to purchase the tank and then rehome the fish to your LPS? Are there any reliable online stores you know of operating in Canada?

Thanks so much for the suggestions, and no because my store will not accept the fish back and if I rehome it online I'm much too scared of the fish going to a home in which the living conditions will be worse. So far my resort is to refresh my page until I find something decent.

 

It's no problem! Do you know of any other nearby (100-200 mile radius) fish stores? Maybe do a search for them in an online finder? Definitely a bummer that your LPS won't take fish in.

 

Thanks so much for the suggestions, and no because my store will not accept the fish back and if I rehome it online I'm much too scared of the fish going to a home in which the living conditions will be worse. So far my resort is to refresh my page until I find something decent.

Not yet, but I'm on the hunt. Even though I'm annoyed that the store won't take the fish back, I'm still sort of glad he's still with me since their tanks are 5 gallons and house six or seven males. Now that I think about it, my male was cut out of their social group and maybe even bullied. He was by the side, avoiding them while the others mingled.

It's no problem! Do you know of any other nearby (100-200 mile radius) fish stores? Maybe do a search for them in an online finder? Definitely a bummer that your LPS won't take fish in.

Thanks for being so patient with me, I have to ask would he be cool with maybe a 20 gallon high? I caught someone selling a 20 gallon high. Still scrolling. You should've seen my face when a bunch of results suddenly came up. LOL.

 

A 20 gallon high would work for the stocking suggestions I listed earlier, though a few modifications may need to be made. No problem, I just appreciate the fact that you are making an effort to do what's best for your fish. Hope you find something that'll work.

 

A 20 gallon high would work for the stocking suggestions I listed earlier, though a few modifications may need to be made. No problem, I just appreciate the fact that you are making an effort to do what's best for your fish. Hope you find something that'll work.

Well it is what I signed up for after all. I just don't have the heart to have a fish survive and not thrive.

A 20 gallon high would work for the stocking suggestions I listed earlier, though a few modifications may need to be made. No problem, I just appreciate the fact that you are making an effort to do what's best for your fish. Hope you find something that'll work.

Here's what I caught so far.. A 20 gallon tall (I'll have to find a lid separately), a 15 gallon, a 20 long, and a 22.5 gallon. I've contacted the sellers. raying to hear back.

 

Sounds promising, good luck!

 

Sounds promising, good luck!

Hey, I know it's a bit late but do you think a 15gal would do?

 

Hey, I know it's a bit late but do you think a 15gal would do?

What would be the dimensions of this 15g? No, the stocking suggestions I gave won't work in a 15g, but I may be able to come up with a different stock.

 

What would be the dimensions of this 15g? No, the stocking suggestions I gave won't work in a 15g, but I may be able to come up with a different stock.

Heh, scratch the 15 gallon though. I was a bit stuck and looking for a back up plan since none of the sellers are responding plus I found out I can fit a tank about 30 gallons. Still open to suggestions but keep it to 20 gallons for now just in case. The dimensions of the 15gal was 20"x10"x8"

 

Heh, scratch the 15 gallon though. I was a bit stuck and looking for a back up plan since none of the sellers are responding plus I found out I can fit a tank about 30 gallons. Still open to suggestions but keep it to 20 gallons for now just in case. The dimensions of the 15gal was 20"x10"x8"

Those dimensions aren't right for a 15 gallon anyways, that's even smaller than a 10g.

 

In a 20 gallon tank (preferably long), there's some different communities you could do with the DG as centerpiece.
Something like this:
1x Dwarf gourami
10-12x Glowlight danios or 8x zebra danios
8x Bronze cories
6x Otocinclus (maybe?)

OR

1x Dwarf gourami
8-10x Ember tetras or 8x Black neons
8x peppered cories or 8x KuhlI loaches


Would it be possible to purchase the tank and then rehome the fish to your LPS? Are there any reliable online stores you know of operating in Canada?

Update, I managed to get my hands on a 30 gallon breeder.

 

Update, I managed to get my hands on a 30 gallon breeder.

Great! I saw you mention it in your other threads.