How to Keep Gouramis
- 1). Prepare an aquarium for gouramis by making sure that you have attached a tight fitting lid to your tank and sealed any gaps or holes. Tight tank tops keep a warm microclimate on the surface of the water and discourage jumping. As the gouramis come to the top of the water to breathe occasionally, keeping 1 inch of warm air at the top of the tank is important, particularly during the winter months.
- 2). Provide floating plants. Most gouramis populate the top third of the tank and like to use floating plants as hiding places and sometimes to build their nests.
- 3). Offer gouramis a temperature range between 70 and 82 degrees F and water that is neutral to slightly acid or alkaline.
- 4). Select gouramis that are alert and have well defined, undamaged fins. For a community tank of small fish, chocolate and dwarf gouramis are good choices. For tanks with larger, gentle fish, like angelfish and swordtails, pearl gouramis make good tank mates.
- 5). Select tank mates for gouramis that are either smaller than the gouramis or are relatively slow moving. Gouramis can move quickly when they have to, but like to sustain a more majestic pace. They can sometimes be frightened by fast moving fish like zebra fish.
