Gourami question

[Cybertech]

I have a 165litre tank in it I have 7 Neon Tetras, 1 Blue Ram, 1 Zodiac Loach, 2 Bristlenose,2 Corydoras, and 2 Opaline Blue Gourami. I would like to add a pair of Pearl Gourami is it safe to do so? Any advice appreciated thanks in advance.

[Godly3vil]

Pearls really need a bigger tank, my old males were around 18cm long.

[Cybertech]

Pearls really need a bigger tank, my old males were around 18cm long.

Thanks for the advice are there any other gourami that would be compatable?

[Godly3vil]

Not really all the bigger gourami like quite a bit of space, and the smaller ones can be quite territorial. My advice would be adding a few more loaches and corys as they're both fish that should be kept in groups of 6+.

[Caryl]

I suspect you will have trouble with the blues if you try and introduce other similar shaped fish anyway.

[Adrienne]

While people do do it, with limited success, it is not a good idea to mix gourami in a tank. You would be more likely to get away with it if you were introducing two types at the same time but I would think there will only be tears if you try and add two or even more to a tank with an established pair of gourami in there (by established pair I do not mean a breeding pair but two existing gourami). Both of these types of gourami get large - 12cm - 14cm per fish and need a big surface area for their own territory.

With that stocking you could add a few more mid level fish in a tank that size. If you increased your neon school to 20 they will be more active as well.