Gouramis in a 16 gallon

[AvaTheFish]

Hi all! I have a fully established community tank setup now and I am looking to further stock it, hoping to add gouramis. It is a 16 gallon, has been cycled, and is fully established and stable for 3 months now, no issues. Currently has 7 neon tetra, 2 otocinclus (looking to get 3 more soon) and under 10 cherry shrimps. Now that I am sure my tank has evaded 'new tank syndrome' I am looking to get gouramis, or other bigger fish. I was thinking Honey gourami, sparkiling gourami, or a dwarf gourami, but I was wonder what you all would recommend, coming from those with experience, or any suggestions. I think I do have room for 1 dwarf, or 2-3 honeys or sparkiling, but if not let me know. I do not want any larger, or more aggressive species because I have neon tetra and shrimp (soon to be babies too). They dont have to be gourami, but let me know what you all think I should add.

Thanks in advance!
Ava

 

[Freshfishguy]

Hi all! I have a fully established community tank setup now and I am looking to further stock it, hoping to add gouramis. It is a 16 gallon, has been cycled, and is fully established and stable for 3 months now, no issues. Currently has 7 neon tetra, 2 otocinclus (looking to get 3 more soon) and under 10 cherry shrimps. Now that I am sure my tank has evaded 'new tank syndrome' I am looking to get gouramis, or other bigger fish. I was thinking Honey gourami, sparkiling gourami, or a dwarf gourami, but I was wonder what you all would recommend, coming from those with experience, or any suggestions. I think I do have room for 1 dwarf, or 2-3 honeys or sparkiling, but if not let me know. I do not want any larger, or more aggressive species because I have neon tetra and shrimp (soon to be babies too). They dont have to be gourami, but let me know what you all think I should add.

Thanks in advance!
Ava

In a 15 gallon you I’m absolutely sure you should only have 1 honey. For a pair of honeys you need 20g and an additional 5-10 gallons for each additional honey (I have 4 honey gouramis in a 40 gallon. You may be able to have 2 or 3 sparkling but I’m not sure. You could also have a pair (1m 1fm) of dwarf gouramis. I would recommend either honey or sparkling, dwarf gouramis are prone to dwarf gourami disease due to overbreading which has no known cure.
If you go with a honey gourami, make sure you don’t get a thicklip gourami by mistake, a lot of stores mislabel thicklips as honey sunset gouramis.

 

[Noroomforshoe]

If you want to raise tetra fry, dont add any other fish.

 

[AvaTheFish]

Ok, thank you so much! I will look more into it.

 

[RIFishbowl]

Nice when I find a thread that answers my question. I have a single male Honey Gourami, I moved from a 12 gallon long to a 16 gallon.The dimensions are 22x12x14 I was thinking of adding another but the tank may be too small. I think I will add some Ember Tetras instead , thinking about 12 .

 

[kansas]

Gouramis are social fish and do better kept with some others. I think sparkling would be best given the size of your tank.

 

[Motherlovebetta]

I have 4 sparkling gourami in my 20g long. They have been fine together I have read about aggression issues with them, but this tank has been going with them since March and they are still fine. They all kind of have their own territory and do chase each other sometimes but I haven’t seen any fin loss or body damage. I think honeys would be happier in a larger tank with more than just one I had bad luck with a M/F pair in a 20g had to upgrade to a 30g and get more.

 

[kansas]

If you put piles of small rocks in your tank, your baby shrimp will use them as a place to hide.

 

[Noroomforshoe]

I think I miss read you, will you have baby shrimp or baby neons?
Either way, I don't think you should add anything, not even more otos. Many otos will never convert to eating processed food, and you can run out of algae fast. I guess if you can start some algae growing on river rocks in a bowl in the window, you could maintain 2-3 more of the picky eaters. But I would be absolutely sure to have plenty of all algae before getting them, those fish are often nearly starved to death when you buy them.

 

[DoubleDutch]

In a 15 gallon you I’m absolutely sure you should only have 1 honey. For a pair of honeys you need 20g and an additional 5-10 gallons for each additional honey (I have 4 honey gouramis in a 40 gallon. You may be able to have 2 or 3 sparkling but I’m not sure. You could also have a pair (1m 1fm) of dwarf gouramis. I would recommend either honey or sparkling, dwarf gouramis are prone to dwarf gourami disease due to overbreading which has no known cure.
If you go with a honey gourami, make sure you don’t get a thicklip gourami by mistake, a lot of stores mislabel thicklips as honey sunset gouramis.

Why exactly not more honeys in a 16G ?

 

[Freshfishguy]

Why exactly not more honeys in a 16G ?

That post is over a year and a half old now and I’m glad you’ve pointed it out — I’ve since changed my opinion and don’t see it as black and white. A pair or a group could work in a 16g, but it may not. Honey gouramis can get aggressive among each other and bully a weaker conspecific to death. Very peaceful with other fish though.

 

[DoubleDutch]

That post is over a year and a half old now and I’m glad you’ve pointed it out — I’ve since changed my opinion and don’t see it as black and white. A pair or a group could work in a 16g, but it may not. Honey gouramis can get aggressive among each other and bully a weaker conspecific to death. Very peaceful with other fish though.

Hahahaha didn't notice.