2 Male Dwarf Gouramis??

[AceCreamSoda]

Hi all, I recently got a male dwarf gourami, which looks stunning, but I wanted to see if I could get another one. Some forums say no, some say ok, so I'm not sure.
Also, he had about half of his feeling fin cut off or something when he was bought - will it grow back? And if so, how long would it take?

Here he is!

 

[Julian]

They do grow back, a few months or so.

I had 2 of these, not sure what sex they were, but one bulled the other so bad, I came home one day and he had no fins left. He was resting on top of my spray bar with his head out of the water - that's how badly he wanted to get away.

I think you need to get more than 2, at least 6.

 

[scootamum]

Keeping multiple male anabantoids together in the same aquarium is usually risky. However, a lot depends on the size of the tank, the species and how it has been set up.

The ideal male to female ration for any type of gourami is one male to at least two females. Three females per male is even better still.

I've looked at your photo, and where it's lost its fin isn't too close to the body, so I would say that there is a good chance that the fin will grow back. It most probably won't look as 'perfect' as the other one, but it should grow back. Ensure that you keep the water quality good to prevent any secondary infections that could cause it to lose more of the fin.

 

[AceCreamSoda]

Thank you both for the light speed replies. Mine is with a Rio 180 litre with guppies, Cardinal tetras, minnows and adult cherry shrimp.

Would about 3 or 4 do? If not, then I'll stick with 1 gourami, will it stress the smaller fish? I've seen it chasing but nothing too bad.

 

[scootamum]

If he's already chasing the other fish in the tank, then it may well be a good idea to get another two or three females. The numbers to buy will very much depend on how heavily stocked your tank is already. The reason why I recommend getting more is that if he stays in the tank on his own, then he will pick on the other smaller fish. If you add more DGs then any aggression that he will display will (usually) be kept within the gouramis, meaning less stress on your other fish.

I definitely wouldn't suggest getting any more males. The general rule with gouramis is that unless you've got a really large tank, then follow the 1:2 male to female ratio or stock all girls. You'll find that the girls will most probably keep him calmer.

Keep an eye on the shrimp. I'll be surprised if you'll get very many babies from them even if you hadn't stocked the gourami. The adults should be okay, but all of your chosen species won't think twice about taking a shrimplet.

I've noticed you've got minnows. What type are they? The reason that I ask is that if they are WCMM, then they generally do better at sub-tropical temperatures. Higher than this seems to decrease their lifespan.

 

[AceCreamSoda]

I do have some wcmm's for now, but only because they are my brothers and I'm holding them for him while he gets his tank replaced/fixed.

I think I'll just stick with my first gourami with 2 females as 'centrepieces' just to be on the safe side, so thanks for your help. He wasn't really bothering them - now that I notice, it's just when he's getting fed.