2 Questions: Gourami and books

[erollin]

Hello everybody,

I have 2 questions for you:

1- I intend to add some gouramis to my tank and I was browsing through internet to find more information.  I found that many website say the opposite.  So how many gouramis should I include in my 38 gal tank?  Some people say one male maximum, others more than 3 with at least twice the number of female (which seems a lot for my aquarium).

2- Anyone has any suggestion for a book on fresh water fishes?
Of course cheap is better, but I would prefer a more complete book than cheap one

Thanks!

[DARKPHREAK]

From my experience, I would not add 2 males of any kind of gouramis to your tank. The males are extremely aggressive to the point of killing each other. My small 1.5 inch honey terrorized both 3 inch blue gouramis to the point that I had to put them down.

[Eagle_Eye]

i currently have like 8 neons wit 4 gouramis in a 29 gallon tank
1 male 3 females
no fighting thank gawd lol

Yup only 1 male! Carfull they can be nippi fish.. (kida like puffers) yet not as bad.

[Rick]

I have two male pearl gouramys along with three female pearl gouramys in a 55 gallon tank. They were bought in 2001 before they were mature from the same tank and at the same time. I have had no problems except a few squrmishes by the males wnen they were adult but once the pecking order was established there has been no problems.
Hope this helps

[yellowtang]

I read your thread on Gouramis.....
  I will be straight with you on this topic.
  Presently I have a 55g tank.and this is what I have for
  guramis in my tank.......with NO problems at all.
  3 Opaline gouramis.
  2 very large golden gouramis
  4 moonlight gouramis
  2 blue gouramis
  4 pearl Gouramis
  and also large 2 paradise gouramis.
  You see ..gouramis are a very aggresive kind of fish..but
  among each other they tend to get used to one another.
  yes.they like to chase each other around the tank..But all I can
  tell you is that there is no harm in that. Don't worry.....they are
  not killer fish. either.  I also have other kind of fish as well..
  same tank.....

[fishycanuck]

Hi there - I had one male dwarf blue Gourami (sadly succumbed to fin rot last weekend  ) and was strongly advised not to have more than one male in the tank.
I bought "Freshwater Aquariums for Dummies" and enjoy it - I like the format - but find most of my information on the internet from groups like this.  Do a search on fish that interest you - I spend a fair bit of time on http://groups.msn.com/AquariumTropicalFishKeepingHobbyists/

Fishycanuck  :roll: