just curious - how many dwarf gouramis can live properly in 20 gallon

let me first start by saying - BY NO MEANS AM I GOING TO EVEN CONSIDER DOING THIS - I had a friendly bet with my best friend last night who said that 5 or more dwarf gouramis aren't aggresive because of the size of the group, and then said he was considering just getting a 20 gallon and putting 5-6 in there just by themselves :;b...I told him I didnt think it could work out but after thinking about it , it would be a really pretty tank to own..

just wondering your thoughts
because the max size of dwarf gouramis is 3'', then 6 would be 18'' which is well inside the allotted 20'' rule of 1'' per gallon
also I understand they would have to be introduced not all at once as for the bio load...
maybe 3 and 3 two weeks apart

thanks again

 

IMO , 1 ...gouramis are like bettas...they DO NOT get along with others of their own kind....size doesn't matter!

 

but ive researched thuroughly and the the majority say they are okay in groups of 5+

 

I can only tell you from experience ..research can go a long way, but in a 20 gallon you are asking for disaster again IMO

 

so how many could he put in like 2-3

 

I agree with Shawnie. 5 Dwarf gouramis in a 20G would likely end up as a disaster.
EDIT: How many could he put in? One.

 

I don't think anyone here is going to tell you more than one in a 20gal, sorry.

The 1" per gallon rule is not a good way to judge. I think that five 3" fish in a 20gal would be over stocked, and I don't even know what their bioload is.

 

sweet thanks for the info
what about 1 gourami and say a school of tiger barbs?

are they compatable together?
please excuse my ignorance

 

but ive researched thuroughly and the the majority say they are okay in groups of 5+

Sparkling Gouramis seem to do well in a group unless they pair off.

Can you provide the links to your research, it sounds like an interesting read.

 

sweet thanks for the info
what about 1 gourami and say a school of tiger barbs?

are they compatable together?
please excuse my ignorance

maybe a school of tiger barbs is ok but not with a gourami....the gourami wouldnt stand a chance then...20g aren't very good for aggressive fish by nature ....and don't be sorry...asking is better than doing and then asking later

 

ok thanks very much,
he definitely wants a gourami as well as a school of something else..
what about silver dollars?
he want something descent looking not like danios or cardinal tetras

 

Silver dollars get far too big I'm afraid.

If you define what he means by 'descent' then it would be easier for us to help. Personally I find cardinals descent

 

ok thanks very much,
he definitely wants a gourami as well as a school of something else..
what about silver dollars?
he want something descent looking not like danios or cardinal tetras

nopers on the silver dollars...too big....a school of cardinal tetras and a dg would be a nice tank maybe a bristle nose plec for the bottom

 

he just doesn't want minnow looking fish more colorful and thick I guess...
the pleco sounds amazing plus the gourami just need a school what about phantom tetras

 

he just doesn't want minnow looking fish more colorful and thick I guess...
the pleco sounds amazing plus the gourami just need a school what about phantom tetras

then tell him to get a bigger tank phantoms will work also ...again, gouramis are aggressive by nature and having a back up plan, in case he doesn't play nice, is always best

 

haha gotchya man I'm gonna tell him a gourami is ok with phantoms and a pleco
can plecos be alone or do they need 2 or 3?

 

haha gotchya man I'm gonna tell him a gourami is ok with phantoms and a pleco
can plecos be alone or do they need 2 or 3?

not just ANY pleco....most are way to large for a 20g......and AGAIN, I never said it was ok....I said make sure you have a back up plan in case it isn't as gouramis don't play nice by nature...and NO on 2-3 bn plecs....1 is going to be enough...but if there is no algae in the tank, NONE are needed...

 

there won't be algae because his plants are fake so what could be god for the bottom besides corydoras- find them a little boring iv had them before- what about loaches?

 

Algea grows in any tank, reguardless if there are real plants or not. Some tanks get algae and some dont, but remember that most 'algea eaters' don't even eat algea, they eat left over food that has sank or algae wafers.

 

would dojo loaches be okay with phantom tetras and a gourami?

 

Joining in late here, but will echo the 1 DG concept (from experience of having had 2 in one 18G tank) so kudos on that idea.

My DG did well with a small school of Glowlight Tetras (7).

You could consider Rasboras (ChillI or Harlequin), Black Neon Tetras, maybe Red Cherry Shrimp

If you (he) decides on a b/n pleco, you'll need to add driftwood too. It greatly assists in their digestion and diet.

Dojo loaches really need a 30G (https://www.fishlore.com/profile-dojoloach.htm), and do well in cooler tanks.

 

I also am for one DG. I have kept 2 males okay for a while in a 50g, but then after a short time I had to remove the other male before it got minced. Like the other have said DG are a fish that has it's own personality, some but IME very few will be happy no matter what. While rest are little Hitler's.

As for BNs I have got them in groups of 4. But male female ratios, mine are 1 male 3 females. This way I never get any issue with the male getting territorial. I have seen them rip each other right apart over territory in my 100g, that was till I managed to get them out.

As mentioned BNs do need wood in the tank for them to eat to help with digestion.

With regards to the other types of fish to go with the DG , there is a few things to keep in mind. Fish that are nippy love to take the feelers of the DGs and this not only can really stress the DG but can make them kill anything that that want to.

The best fish which is large and chuncky IMO would be the phantoms and Rosy Tetras. But then a school would be needed more the better.

With regards to the Loaches the only ones would add are Kulies or the Dwarf Checker Boards, the others IME get way to large for a 20g.
Not to mention they need to be in groups of at least 5 IME.


So to sum up the list, that I think would be best for a 20g.
1DG
1BN
5-6 of some small chunky Tetra.
5 Kulies.

That IME would work, but the water changes would need to be kept up.
A side note which is the most import is the tank getting cycled? DGs IME need quite settled water. Not cycling water.

Hope this helps.

mac

P.S algae grows in any tank no matter what. It is in water anyway, unless it is UVd or nukes with some sorts of antI algae cleaner.

 

There can be algae regardless of real or fake plants. My Berta tank has worse algae than my 10 gallon that has live plants. Please advise your friend to cycle fishless. DG, khulis, and many tetras are quite sensitive to water conditions and would not do well in a cycling tank.