Gourami And .....

I've started to look at fish in more detail for my tank. I've had idea after idea and all been shunned for one reason or another. I've settled on a Gourami for the main attraction, as it were. I've a 120L tank so the plan was 1 male Gourami and 2/3 females, hopefully they'll breed given time. I also wanted something to shoal but been advised away from Tetras. Does anyone have any ideas on what else I could have to shoal? I was put off from Tiger Barbs with their tendency to be a bit aggressive but they are looking like a strong contender.

Which gourami species did you have in mind?

I have had honey gouramis for many years and kept them with neon tetras, green neon tetras, cardinal tetras, Microdevario, ember tetras, dwarf pencilfish, golden (Beckford's) pencilfish, fire tetra (Hyphessobrycon georgettae), white clouds..... Not all at the same time 

Most small tetras are fine with honey or dwarf gouramis. They don't tend to be among the nippy or hyperactive species. With larger gouramis (pearl, the various colours of three spot) you can't keep very small tetras or they could end up on the dinner menu. But again, just avoid the obvious fin nippers and over active fish - it's the activity of my emperors that stops me having gouramis now.

If you get tiger barbs you are quite restricted as to what you can keep with them. Unless you have 12+, they can be very nippy. I wouldn't risk gouramis of any description with them.

There are two terms that get mixed up, shoaling and schooling.
Shoaling means any species that needs to live in a group of it's own kind.
Schooling is a group of fish of the same species that like to swim round in tight formation.

Shoaling fish need to be in groups as they have evolved that way. If there aren't enough of them, their instincts tell them that something has eaten the rest of the shoal so they need to be on constant look out for the predator. This stresses the fish and can lead to abnormal behaviour, sickness and death.

Schooling is a defence mechanism of shoaling fish. They do it to confuse the predator. If they feel safe, very few species will school in an aquarium. The vast majority of shoaling fish don't school in our tanks, they swim all over the place separately. They only come together as a group when they feel frightened eg the first few times you clean the tank. Then they get used to that and carry on as normal - separately.

There area few species that are said to school more readily than most, and I've seen rummy noses on that list. I once had some serpae tetras for a few days. They swam round the tank in tight V formation. I only had them a few days as by then every other fish in the tank had bits missing. I now know they are notorious fin nippers, rivalling tiger barbs for that.

When you ask if there are any species other than tiger barbs that shoal, do you mean school, ie swimming round as a group? Because as far as I'm aware, tigers don't school unless terrified.

There is a more mild mannered substitute for tigers - the similar looking five band or pentazona barb. That is in the profiles on here but for some reason it appears to be missing from Seriously Fish.
But tiger barbs are on SF

it is relatively boisterous and does not make an ideal companion for timid, slow-moving, or long-finned species such as many livebearers, cichlids, and anabantoids.

Gouramis of all species are timid, slow moving and long finned.

I have add that tiger barbs and certain other species are a special case. These species have a hierarchy within the shoal. Each fish knows its place. The fish at the top keep the lower ones in place by chasing and nipping them; the lower ones challenge the higher ones by nipping and chasing.
Provided there are enough of them in an aquarium, this nipping is kept within the shoal. When there are too few of them, they regard all the other fish in the tank as part of the shoal, and nip them too. This is when the problems start.
Six of the same species is generally regarded as the minimum number for fish to feel safe. But tiger barbs need more than that for their hierarchy. This is why at least 10, and preferably at least 12, is recommended.

As regards shoaling fish, all tetras and just about all barbs are shoaling fish. As are rasboras, pencilfish and so on.

I still wouldn't have tigers with a gouramis. The five bands should be fine with them.
If you want orange fish, how about harelquins? They do have one advantage that they are from the same area as pearl gouramis and almost the same as three spots.
And on the subject of gouramis, pearls are reputed to be less aggressive than three spots.

Even when kept in a group of 12 or more Tiger Barbs will find long trailing fins and tails irresistible,  and they will almost certainly nip them.


If you're not looking for a Tiger Barb lookalike, how about the Celestial Pearl Danio?

Exteme_One - if he wants pearl or three spot gouramis, I think cpds would end up as lunch 

Ahh sorry, must confess I'm not familiar with the Gouramis. I'll edit my post.

I've been getting the same thing, it's been really frustrating. Why can't they all just get along nice and happy lol
I must admit the more this discussion has gone on I am wavering towards Dwarf or Honey Gourami now.

See what I mean by one way or another an idea gets shunned lol
Honeys it is then. What would be an ideal male to female ratio? I'm thinking of 1 male and 2 females, or would another couple of females be better?

Not wanting to add confusion but, out of interest, what would your views be on sparkling gouramis as a possibility for Alex's tank, Sue (or indeed anyone who's ever kept sparkling gouramis)?

Oh c'mon!
I had just about settled with a few possibilities and then you tell me the Sparkling males croak!
 
lol