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I just got 5 of these little guys and they are in 10 gallon till some medicine passes over. but all they do is sit on the button moving just a little is this normal or will they tank awhile to get use to it the kinda sit in a upward positiong with their head upno disease or ich they were moving fine in bag just wondering and what will these guys eat will the 10 just be enough for them or do they need a bigger tank?

Keep a close eye on them. They are a very delicate and sensitive fish. They need pristine water conditions which may be a little more difficult to keep in a 10gal. Also they need live food they more then likely won't touch flake food. All in all they quite difficult to keep.

Are you putting them in another tank ? And what will be the occupants ? They are very shy and with their needs probably best kept in a species tank.

Hope it works out as they are a beautiful little fish. Always wanted some but impossible to find around here.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Aww I love these guys!!! One of the smaller gouramis, we get them in occasionally at work. They are very sensitive though, and we always keep ours in RO water. As stated, keep a very close eye on them, they are sensitive little buggers.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

You know, its strange....all my chocolates do just fine in a couple of well-stocked, well-planted tanks....and I have them thrive on dechlorinated tapwater. Everyone (even locally) has always said how sensitive that they are, but mine seem quite hardy, and they eat all sorts of frozen foods as well as SeraGran and earthworm flakes.

so its ok if they swim just when food comes and they eat the mosquito larvae and bloodworms all frozen but they lounge aroung on the leafs they are almost an inch and this can be their baby like thing to do but I donno I hope they arnt dieing they are so cool they have their dark colors one kinda light dark but thats how I got it and its the best swimmer out of the five water is fine

If they aren't moving except to eat, I'd be worried. I have heard a lot about the sensitivity of the chocolate gourami, and yours are all likely freaked out right now. Their darkened colors might be an indication of stress. Just keep observing them, and make sure that nothing stresses them unnecessarily. Too much stress is often fatal with this fish species.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Dark is good, light is stressed.....to be fair, they don't do a lot of moving about, but if they appear to be hiding overmuch, you may have a problem.

I always heared & read that they are very hard to keep & really sensitive to water conditions. Keep an eye on them & post some pictures, if possible.



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switchbladeclownloach,

Do we have an update??

Keep a close eye on the water params in this tank, I'm assuming it's cycled and everything, because these gouramis will need near perfect water conditions to thrive.

They are timid fish, do your best to keep them as un-stressed as possible.

Have they been eating properly?

If you can't get them to take flake or pellet or whatever you feed, I'd switch to live ASAP or else you may lose them.

I'd love to ask for pictures, but the flash would do them more harm than good, and if they're still getting used to their new home, less light is prolly better while they adjust.

I'd add a couple more plants and caves or something similar for more safety.

G/L, and please keep us posted.



-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

I would also love to hear how your little guys are doing because I'm thinking of getting a trio for my empty 20 gallon. They are so lovely but I'm concerned about their mortality rate.

Choclate goruamis arent very interesting.

There is about 30 in my LFS's discus tank, and they dont really move.

well they have all been living great colors to they eat frozen bloodworms. they like to hang in the plants and swim sometimes they are really cute! Id recomend them to people that would likes to care for gouramies

Here's what the Braz Walker pocket book in my library says about them:

Care: rather delicate. Well-planted aquarium receiving moderate light, soft, acid water. Temperature 75°F to 85°F, 29°C to 29°C.

Feeding: live food primarily. Mosquito larvae, bloodworms, live brine shrimp.

Among one or two aquarists of my acquaintance who have successfully kept (and bred!) this species, the received wisdom is that they like conditions warm. They will go as high as a whopping 92°F before things become too hot for them, and many specimens seem to like their aquaria set at a minimum of 82°F. Check your temperature, because if it's too cold, they die off like flies.

As for water quality, if the water is clean, and comes out of the tap relatively soft and slightly acidic, then dechlorinated tapwater may suffice. If you live in an area whose tapwater is more suited to Rift Lake Cichlids, then you might have to run to the expense of an RO unit to make the water acceptable to them, though there may be less expensive ways of achieving the same aim. But Chocolate Gouramis are definitely an expert's fish, they are very susceptible to water chemistry parameter changes, have absolutely NO tolerance of chlorine, chloramines or heavy metals, and in some respects are even more delicate than Discus.

Also, if your specimens are moping around looking dejected, check your lighting. They do NOT like it too bright. If you have fairly bright lighting, then acquire some floating plants to provide shade. This will also provide them with more psychological security, as they live in reedy pools shaded by rainforest canopy in the wild, usually with a healthy complement of floating plants.

However, when it comes to breeding, they're oddballs among the Labyrinth Fishes. They're mouthbrooders.

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002