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just got a 20 high from my friend who went away to italy. dont know if he wants it back, but anyway what about this stocking.

6 harli,
7 ottos,
2 croaking gourami,
2 chocolate gourami,
1 sparkling gourami,
1 ADF.

a couple of anubias nana, and one large twin holed rock for structure.

filter- 3 internal whishpers 20i

You are a braver one than I am, I would not try chocolate gouramis in a million years. Thats alot of gouramis though how about removing one of the pairs and going with something a bit diffrent. Killie fish come to mind, maybe Nothobranchius sp. of some kind. Just a thought.

As for the plants use the tanks height try some vals(Vallisneria spiralis,Vallisneria americana), or sagitaria of some kind, water onion. Maybe a dwarf lily(Nuphar stellata,Nymphoides aquatica) for some shade for the gouramis. Maybe some Riccia or duckweed if you feel daring.

i was thinking of getting some jungle val(plastic) in the corners of the tank, i like duckweed, but how can you keep it from getting pushed by the filters and getting sucked up.

as far with the gouramies- there doesn't seem to be any aggression now.

There are Chocolate Gouramis in there?

Goodness knows how they've survived - they're usually considered to be worse than Discus for being sensitive to water conditions ... most keepers of this fish I've encountered have kept them in species aquaria, with very tightly controlled parameters. A Chocolate Gourami aquarium is a whisker away from being a fish intensive care unit ... at least the ones I've seen. Oh, it's a lovely fish, but its reputation as a delicate and difficult species is all too well earned ... even veteran aquarists of many years' standing hesitate to take this fish on.

Is peat filtration part of the aquarium setup? Only the Chocolate Gourami is a serious soft and acid water lover. Even more so than breeding Discus. Typical setup for these fishes involves heavy planting of live plants, floating plants in abundance, carefully controlled lighting including a well-defined photoperiod, RO water conditioned with Blackwater Tonic and peat filtered, with pH around 6.0 and hardness no higher than 1 degree DH. Temperature usually nailed rigidly to 80 degrees F, with measures taken to ensure that it stays nailed to 80 degrees for maintenance, with breeding temperatures as high as 86 degrees F. Plus, the air above the water surface needs to be kept warm too, as these fishes can catch a bad chill if they take in cold air when breathing atmospheric air.

If you're going to keep these long term, you're in for a roller coaster ride. Oh, and live foods are considered a must. I've never known this fish take anything but. If you want a challenge of your skills as an aquarist, they generally don't come much tougher in the world of freshwater fishkeeping than the Chocolate Gourami.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

o wow, i never knew they would be sensitive. one is alittle on the weak side, but the other is doing fine. i have nothing special for these fish so far. where i got them from.......these fish must be super fish....

i will look into how to care for these fishes more.

i think i got a steal with these gouramies. 3.99 each.

anyway, i will get some peat for the filter and lower the ph.