Chocolate Gourami (Sphaerichthys Osphromenoides)

[biggin]

Here he / she is. Really neat fish but just seem to die really easy.

Pardon the filthy tank.... that is the hair algae I am working on...

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/findme5x5/Gourami/Choc_Gour_3.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/findme5x5/Gourami/Choc_Gour_1.jpg

[AndrewH]

Sweet!!!! Very nice looking fish.

Is this the tank with the shrimp?

[biggin]

Yeah this is the tank with the shrimp. He is a little too small for your tank, or your fish are a little to big for him.

[lellison]

Yes I am planning on getting some chocolate gouramis as well. I hope I have luck with them if I can ever find them. Most of the time when I ask about them the stores say they dont get them because they are so fragile. I have been wanting them for the longest time, great fish! Let us know how yours do! haha, ur the guinea pig

[biggin]

Well.........

He is the lone survivor of 6.... I got him from Rift to Reef. They have 2 left. Everything I have read says that you need a bunch and let them settle out if you 2 or 3 out of 6 you are lucky.

Not hardy at all. It is not the Rift to Reef stock, everyone I have heard from says they have a high death rate.

[FishGurl721]

I love the coloration, really pretty lotus's too :).

How'd you get rid of the hair algea?

[biggin]

Thanks, I really like the Lotus. I have 3 of them now, bought 1 and it had 2 plants and one of the plants started a new plant so I have 3.

I have not got rid of the hair algae yet....

Still working on it.

I upped the clean up crew(shrimp, a few ottos and a slew of BN plecos who are destroying my sword) and am using only RO in the tank.

Also I am trying the idea of 3-4 hours with lights on and 2-3 with lights out and 3-4 lights on. I will be adding UV to the tank which should also help....

I love the coloration, really pretty lotus's too :).

How'd you get rid of the hair algea?

[FishGurl721]

Good luck! Lemme know what ends up working, the hair algea growing on my anubias it pretty bad and the ottos dont seem to ever snack on it, mabye ill try some shrimps..

[biggin]

From what I have heard and read, most of the algae eating fish do not like the longer hair stuff, your best bet are mollies (have them and they do not do enough, I feed them too much) or shrimp (my fish are eating them too quickly to notice a difference).

Good luck! Lemme know what ends up working, the hair algea growing on my anubias it pretty bad and the ottos dont seem to ever snack on it, mabye ill try some shrimps..

[fishyjoe24]

nice fish, how big will he get.

[biggin]

About a 1/4 of an inch bigger. Not to big.

[fishyjoe24]

that's cool so basicly he is a dwarf then?

[biggin]

He is small, smaller then the Dwarf Gourami.

[kewlkatdady]

I saw some of these at Dane's place incase anyone is looking...

Kinda a neat fish, but why are they so un-hardy?

[biggin]

Dane had 2 last time I was there.

[lellison]

Not sure why they are so easily stressed/killed. Very neat fish, in my opinion the most gorgeous gourami, right above moonlights. From my understanding from this thread and other sites, many that die do it suddenly and with good color etc. I have heard that their water conditions must be close to perfect and specific to them. The only place I have ever seen them is once at DNA, and they don't order them there anymore because they are so fragile. I have always loved these fish and have actaully been looking for them for a while. My tank is not where it needs to be to try them yet though.

[biggin]

It is weird, they will be swimming around happy and looking healthy and the next minute they are dead. No signs of stress or anything.

[arnold]

I have two I got from Dane, I want about 5 more, they are bitchin lookin fish

[AndrewH]

I agree! Paul, what are you doing for yours (water parameter and setup wise)?

[arnold]

I have them in a 15 gallon with live plants and lots o water changes, water changes seem critical.