# Dwarf Gouramies keep dying



## Lars (Jul 22, 2012)

I revitalized our office aquarium. After years of neglect and only two blackskirt Tetras remaining, I implemented a maintenance routine and am confident that the tank is now stable and safe.
PH 7.2, nitrates <40 nitrite and ammonia 0.
We have some mineral neutral rocks and I added live plants from my home aquarium to provide shelter and hiding spaces.

We decided to add some new fish and got 4 Panda Cory's, 6 Glowlight Tetras and 2 Fire red Dwarf Gouramies. One of the Gouramies died after a day so we replaced him, but both remaining ones died within a week. Thinking it was a bad batch at the LFS, we got two Powder Blue Dwarf Gouramies. They did well for two weeks. We found both of them dead on Monday morning. One seemed to have just died, the other one already started to decompose.
I feel really bad as I thought I did my research and got fish that are easy to care for and not very demanding.

Am I missing something about Dwarf Gouramies or were they just a bad batch?

Thanks,


----------



## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

Lars, gouramies are known to carry worm. I would try not to get them and keep an eye on your remaining fish.


----------



## Bunny (Oct 13, 2013)

I had 3 die over the course of about... 3-4 months. Mine developed sores on their body that simply would not heal no matter what treatment I used. I've heard that they are just really susceptible to disease as they are farmed in poor conditions. Additionally, there is always the chance with them of Dwarf Gourami Irido-virus. I don't think that's what you had as they died so fast, buts its a possibility with DG's.


----------



## April (Apr 21, 2010)

They carry disease and hence one of the fish on the permit lists to enter Canada.
Those lesions is part of the disease . 
I had no trouble with the honey gouramis but I quit ordering the blue dwarf for quite some time now. 


Sent by tapatalk in north Burnaby


----------



## Lars (Jul 22, 2012)

Thanks for all the replies. I guess lesson learned.
Now I have to break it to my co-workers that we won't be replacing them.
Any ideas of what else we could put in the tank (30g)?
We have 4 Panda Cory's, 6 Glowlight Tetras and 2 Blackskirt Tetras.
They liked the DG's because they were really colourful.

Thanks again,


----------



## coppercloud (Apr 14, 2012)

what size tank you could try a paradise fish or maybe a pearl Gouramie


----------



## Lars (Jul 22, 2012)

Hi Ryan,
It's a 30 gallon tank.


----------



## rsisvixen (Jun 16, 2014)

You could try some praecox rainbows, or molly's


----------



## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

Or a big school of cardinals.


----------



## kim86 (Sep 5, 2012)

charles said:


> Or a big school of cardinals.


Cardinals are WICKED. I have a ton in my 45g with rummynose and neons.


----------



## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

I have kept a paradise by himself in a 2 gallon.



coppercloud said:


> what size tank you could try a paradise fish or maybe a pearl Gouramie


----------



## TomC (Apr 21, 2010)

I bought a dwarf gourami a month ago. Is there a period of time after which it should be okay?



April said:


> They carry disease and hence one of the fish on the permit lists to enter Canada.
> Those lesions is part of the disease .
> I had no trouble with the honey gouramis but I quit ordering the blue dwarf for quite some time now.
> 
> Sent by tapatalk in north Burnaby


----------



## April (Apr 21, 2010)

Ice had no trouble with paradise or honey or pearl. 
Another nice one would
Be electric blue Rams 


Sent by tapatalk in north Burnaby


----------



## Clownloachlover (Apr 21, 2010)

Pearl Gouramis are awesome...very colourful and get deeper colours as they mature and very easy to determine the sex...in a 30 gallon you may even get them to breed given the right plant cover and water conditions and water flow.


----------



## Canadian731 (Jun 25, 2013)

I have a opaline and a moonlight gourami in my 35. Been there for over a year now


----------



## Rockman (May 19, 2013)

+1 for pearl gouramis. I have a trio (1M, 2F) in my 29 gallon. Excellent community fish and very pretty.



TomC said:


> I have kept a paradise by himself in a 2 gallon.


Decidedly not recommended. However, paradise fish would do well in a 30. They have a rep for being somewhat combative though; and are probably best kept at slightly lower temps than most tropical tanks (although they're pretty adaptable in this regard).



TomC said:


> I bought a dwarf gourami a month ago. Is there a period of time after which it should be okay?


Generally if you're not getting symptoms after 4 weeks you should be fairly okay. Although I suppose you could have something chronic that hasn't become an issue yet. DG's are tricky to source these days; but if you bought good quality stock (aka not of the bargin basement petsmart variety) you should be fine.


----------



## Rjjm (Jan 1, 2012)

I guess I lucked out on a pair. Mine have been mating for a month now. The male is always bubble nesting and my female lays egg. Unfortunately, they are in a community tank (55 gallon). They are with rainbow goby, licorice gourami, 2 pairs of electric blue rams, guppies and L201 pleco


----------

