Hey guys,
So i'm in the process of stocking my new 40 gallon breeder. My big plan is a large school of Espei Rasboras and a school of Dainty Corys.
The question I pose to you guys today is who has experience with either Honey or Sparkling Gourami?
I like the look of both and was hoping to put in a small group maybe 3 or 5 of one but am looking for a good fit with the other schools I plan to put in.
Any advice will be welcomed.
Cheers,
Matt
I've been keeping Sparkling/Croaking Gouramis for over a year now. Very pretty (especially when they flare out their fins), they stay really small(1"), but they aren't very active and have a tendency to hang out in the bushes most of the time so you only really notice them if your looking for them (they don't hide, but they don't use open water much). They do make very cool noises if you have a good mix of M and F.
If you want something a little more showy, then the Honey's are probably better, but if you want some really nice looking side attractions the sparkling are nice. The bio load for sparkling is almost negligible so you could do both...
That's good to know, I think either would work nicely as a contrast to a big school of nano fish.
Honey gouramis stay pretty small too right?
Honey's get a lot more substantial than Sparkling - 3" compared to 1". In your 40 if you look at the tank from a distance away you'll see the Honey's. You won't see the Sparkling unless you get close and look for them. I expect the Sparkling will become more "Where's Waldo" once you add a large school of Espei's and lots of plants.
FYI, gourami's don't school or shoal. They just kind of all do their own thing which lends them well to showcase fish if big enough for the tank. If you do get a group of them, make sure you have lots more females than males otherwise the males will pester the females to death. This is true for Sparkling too (although not sure about Honey's).
Ummmm will have too see which one. Most of the fish im looking at will be 1- 1.5 inches so. Both will be good for the scale. I quite like the idea that they will do there own thing as there will be a large school of rasboras hopefully filling the main space.
Maybe the honeys might be better as if they are a group of 3 (2 females,1 male) the slightly larger scale will make a balance with the big school of tiny fish.
The sparkling a may seem lost if they are the same size as the schooling fish. Although they are on special at big Al's this week😀
Does anyone know if they can be kept together, I had read that the two gouramis may not get along
There seems to be two varieties of Honey Gourami. The regular brownish type which can grow to about two inches, and the dwarf gold honey gourami which grow to one inch, and which I have never seen described in a book for some reason. The latter are ideal, but a bit seclusive and are best kept as single pairs. I have spawned both types easily.
*Big Als had the Sparkling Gouramis listed under "Giant Sparkling Gourami," which I guess is someone's idea of a joke.
Haha yes I saw the 'giant' tag at Big Al's too.
I think I will end up going for the honeys over the sparkling. The yellow will be a good alternative to the silver of my pygmy Cory's and white clouds :) thanks guys