# do i need 2 pearl gouramis?



## mindy (Dec 22, 2010)

i was at my lfs the other day getting more plants for my new tank and i asked the guy there about ordering in a pearl gourami sometime this summer. he said that i would need to get 2 because the fish would be more aggressive to my other fish if there was only one. he actually got quite snooty with me about it all.

is this true??

i had it all set out. i was going to do 5 cories, 5 kuhli loaches, 40 or so neons, and a male pearl gourami. 

these fish will be in a 66 gallon tank with an eheim 2215 filter (possibly with a powerhead later on, so far there is tons of water movement). i am waiting for the summer to add the gourami because i read that they are quite shy and i want to make sure my plants are nice and grown in before putting him in there. the tank will be quite heavily planted.

good idea? bad idea? do i need more gouramis? bad choice in gourami? what do you suggest as a large centre piece fish if this is a bad choice?


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## gabysapha (Oct 26, 2011)

You can keep them singly but they do much better when in groups of 4 or more. They are quite social and I find that keeping them alone isn't nearly as beautiful as keeping a group. You also won't see as much natural behavior. In your size tank I suggest a least a group of 1 male and at least 3 females. I'm a big fan of pearls and I can't emphasize how amazing they look in a group. Not to mention if you keep a single male you won't see as much red flush on his throat- you need a female for that!

I don't find pearls aggressive UNLESS they are kept in tanks that are too small. If you keep a group in something like a 30g, I would expect aggression. But once that group is moved to a largee tank they do much better. Kept singly I think pearls are shy, which is anshame because I want them front and center. Some pearls are more outgoing or even aggressive kept singly, but overall they are very gentle. 

I personally don't see the point in keeping pearls if they are not kept in groups


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## mindy (Dec 22, 2010)

ok, thanks.

it seems like i keep getting conflicting information about these guys. 

aqadvisor says that kept in a group of 1 male and 3 females could cause problems with my neons during breeding. i don't want them breeding.


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## jemminnifener (Nov 23, 2011)

Whoawhoawhoa, I would disagree about a lone pearl gourami being aggressive. They're one of the least aggressive gouramis out there. Pretty shy too so do better in darker tanks with more plants and with more of their kind. Having a female around makes the male brighten up his colors for display. 

You don't want the neons breeding or the pearl gouramis breeding?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

They can be a little aggressive but only toward other pearls. I haven't seen aggression toward other fish. A male might do fine by himself but I don't think he'll be as colorful.


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## LB79 (Nov 18, 2011)

Pearls are at least the most inoffensive of the gouramis. LFS people are usually not the most knowledgeable, and it's always good to have at least four different resources for info.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

gabysapha said:


> You can keep them singly but they do much better when in groups of 4 or more. They are quite social and I find that keeping them alone isn't nearly as beautiful as keeping a group. You also won't see as much natural behavior. In your size tank I suggest a least a group of 1 male and at least 3 females. I'm a big fan of pearls and I can't emphasize how amazing they look in a group. Not to mention if you keep a single male you won't see as much red flush on his throat- you need a female for that!
> 
> I don't find pearls aggressive UNLESS they are kept in tanks that are too small. If you keep a group in something like a 30g, I would expect aggression. But once that group is moved to a largee tank they do much better. Kept singly I think pearls are shy, which is anshame because I want them front and center. Some pearls are more outgoing or even aggressive kept singly, but overall they are very gentle.
> 
> I personally don't see the point in keeping pearls if they are not kept in groups


+1
I could not have said that better

There is no conflicting information here, Mindy
And I've said that before: Pearls are social/shoaling fish


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## jart (Jan 17, 2003)

I agree with the other posters above. I have only found pearls to be aggressive when kept in pairs. And that may just have been due to an individual fish's temperament. Kept singly, they are quite peaceful.


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## mindy (Dec 22, 2010)

well, it doesn't matter for me anymore because i have decided to go with keyhole cichlids instead.

thanks for your help.

OVT, you said they were shoaling, everyone else i asked said no. they said a small group is good but that they are not shoaling. 

LB79, i try to get as much information as i can before i get an animal. that is why these fish confused me. there is conflicting information right in this thread, some say small group, some say one is fine, so i think i won't get these fish just because i don't want to cause unnecessary stress to the fish.

jemminnifener, i don't want the gouramis breeding. well, i guess i don't really want any of them breeding because if the fish make it to adulthood i will have too many fish in my tank and no where for them to go!


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## LB79 (Nov 18, 2011)

mindy said:


> well, it doesn't matter for me anymore because i have decided to go with keyhole cichlids instead.


:hihi:


With fish that have differing personalities (most labyrinths and cichlids), you almost always find differing experiences with them. Make life hard, that. Well, hard_er_!


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## mindy (Dec 22, 2010)

yeah, it sucks  

haha!


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

I had 6 in a 75g for about 3 years. They would always stay together, they would always swim as a tight group, I have never saw one being apart from the group. If that is not 'shoaling', then I do not know what is.

All that now being irrelevant as OP is now going with keyholes.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

OVT, your experience is directly opposite of a fish keeper at another site. 
That person found Pearls to be very aggressive. 

That person seems to be the exception, though. 

In general most male Gouramis are territorial about their surface area. 
The aggression is usually directed to others of the same or related species. 
Female Gouramis do not usually establish any territory, and might hang out together quite well. However, some might be more pushy, and any species with a tendency to be aggressive will usually be worse in a smaller tank. 

Oh, well.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Actually females claim territory too. My first 2 were female. The alpha female claimed most of the right side of the tank. I introduced a male and now everybody gets along.


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## imissbeingakid (Jan 22, 2017)

Diana said:


> OVT, your experience is directly opposite of a fish keeper at another site.
> That person found Pearls to be very aggressive.
> 
> That person seems to be the exception, though.
> ...


Well the vast majority of aquarists have had the opposite outcome than what you've purportedly written. Pearl Gouramis do not have the same type of aggressive temperament as compared to other gouramis. In fact they are more often than not very peaceful fish.


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## Willy s (Mar 4, 2021)

gabysapha said:


> You can keep them singly but they do much better when in groups of 4 or more. They are quite social and I find that keeping them alone isn't nearly as beautiful as keeping a group. You also won't see as much natural behavior. In your size tank I suggest a least a group of 1 male and at least 3 females. I'm a big fan of pearls and I can't emphasize how amazing they look in a group. Not to mention if you keep a single male you won't see as much red flush on his throat- you need a female for that!
> 
> I don't find pearls aggressive UNLESS they are kept in tanks that are too small. If you keep a group in something like a 30g, I would expect aggression. But once that group is moved to a largee tank they do much better. Kept singly I think pearls are shy, which is anshame because I want them front and center. Some pearls are more outgoing or even aggressive kept singly, but overall they are very gentle.
> 
> I personally don't see the point in keeping pearls if they are not kept in groups


I have two in a 30 gallon heavy planted and they are not that shy there in there with 4 Cory cats and a handful lol of white cloud minnows and some zebra danios I don’t have any aggression or shyness



LB79 said:


> Pearls are at least the most inoffensive of the gouramis. LFS people are usually not the most knowledgeable, and it's always good to have at least four different resources for info.


Don’t no what lfs ure going to but mine are all very knowledable, they won’t hire u if u don’t have a good understanding of the hobby and they always have proper info for me and have never done me wrong ! Sounds to me like u needs to find ureself a better spot ! Those guys u have Ben going to won’t be in business much longer if that’s how they roll...



OVT said:


> +1
> I could not have said that better
> 
> There is no conflicting information here, Mindy
> And I've said that before: Pearls are social/shoaling fish


No there not Shoaling fish!.... this isn’t YouTube please don’t try to confuse people this is a place we’re we try to leave the drama checked at the door and for people to come and get valued opinions. 


OVT said:


> I had 6 in a 75g for about 3 years. They would always stay together, they would always swim as a tight group, I have never saw one being apart from the group. If that is not 'shoaling', then I do not know what is.
> 
> All that now being irrelevant as OP is now going with keyholes.


Again that’s in ure experience!!! but that don’t make them schooling fish... if ure not here to help ure just confusing people wich is exactly what u accomplished so congrats on that!! u have successfully pushed som1 away from getting the species because of all the conflicting info. 


OVT said:


> I had 6 in a 75g for about 3 years. They would always stay together, they would always swim as a tight group, I have never saw one being apart from the group. If that is not 'shoaling', then I do not know what is.
> 
> All that now being irrelevant as OP is now going with keyholes.


And u said it ure self clearly u don’t no what schooling is lol


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

Willy s said:


> No there not Shoaling fish!.... this isn’t YouTube please don’t try to confuse people this is a place we’re we try to leave the drama checked at the door and for people to come and get valued opinions.
> 
> Again that’s in ure experience!!! but that don’t make them schooling fish... if ure not here to help ure just confusing people wich is exactly what u accomplished so congrats on that!! u have successfully pushed som1 away from getting the species because of all the conflicting info.
> 
> And u said it ure self clearly u don’t no what schooling is lol


Glad you're "leaving the drama checked at the door". You might want to look up the definition of shoalling and schooling before you try to educate others. They are 2 different things. I don't think anyone brought up the word "schooling" until you did.


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## Willy s (Mar 4, 2021)

Kubla said:


> Glad you're "leaving the drama checked at the door". You might want to look up the definition of shoalling and schooling before you try to educate others. They are 2 different things. I don't think anyone brought up the word "schooling" until you did.


Don’t try to back paddle u no what u meant!.... most people identify them both in the same manner so don’t try splitting hairs because they are not complete opposite definitions one is social and one is directional it’s still the same meaning for most. Also I was just trying to help I don’t wanna argue.


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Now, Willy, you just walked in the door and are already throwing punches at Kubla who is a really nice guy. Mods dont like that around here.

Do you want to stay in this wonderful community we have here or ??

Relax. Chill. Also, this thread is 8 years old. OP is long gone.


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## Aaronious (Oct 20, 2020)

Willy s said:


> No there not Shoaling fish!....


You mean they're.


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## Aaronious (Oct 20, 2020)

So Pearls are great fish! I would recommend at least 3. one male, 2 female. They do get timid if there are other fish their size in their level, bottom feeders won't bother them, like plecos and such. I had some angels and these lovely guys stayed pretty hidden until I made them their own tank.


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## Willy s (Mar 4, 2021)

Discusluv said:


> Now, Willy, you just walked in the door and are already throwing punches at Kubla who is a really nice guy. Mods dont like that around here.
> 
> Do you want to stay in this wonderful community we have here or ??
> 
> Relax. Chill. Also, this thread is 8 years old. OP is long gone.


ok sorry didn’t mean to make som1 upset



Willy s said:


> ok sorry didn’t mean to make som1 upset


My apologies I gues I got a little carried away


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

Willy s said:


> Don’t try to back paddle u no what u meant!.... most people identify them both in the same manner so don’t try splitting hairs because they are not complete opposite definitions one is social and one is directional it’s still the same meaning for most. Also I was just trying to help I don’t wanna argue.


This was my first comment on the thread so, how do I "paddle back" and no, I don't know "what u meant". The differences have been discussed here before. I don't believe it's the same meaning for most on this forum, but I won't presume to speak for them. We could do a survey. You're chastising people for not knowing the meaning of the word that you're using wrong


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## Willy s (Mar 4, 2021)

Kubla said:


> This was my first comment on the thread so, how do I "paddle back" and no, I don't know "what u meant". The differences have been discussed here before. I don't believe it's the same meaning for most on this forum, but I won't presume to speak for them. We could do a survey. You're chastising people for not knowing the meaning of the word that you're using wrong


Again I apologize have a good day !


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## Dreya (Nov 18, 2020)

So I had to look up shoaling vs schooling, bc Im a logophile.

Shoaling is what people do at the county fair. Together in a disorganized group, socializing, but each splitting off to the ring toss, the carousel, or the cotton candy machine as the independent urge strikes.
Schooling is what a marching band does. Walking in a coordinated fashion matching pace with their peers, turning and performing maneuvers in a synchronized fashion to dazzle and confuse predators.. err, observers.


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