Discovering the samurai gourami
Discovering the samurai gourami
I came across the samurai gourami on Facebook through Aquotix's page - they have them in stock, but it's limited. Valliant's chocolate gourami is also known as samurai gourami, right? I'm thinking of setting up a single-species biotope tank for these fish - would it be okay to have 8 of them? What's the average size of the samurai gourami, and what tank size would be suitable for them?
Re: Discovering the samurai gourami
I've had the pleasure of observing the samurai gourami at a friend's place, who's quite the gourami expert with multiple tanks. They're indeed a delicate and expensive species due to their softwater requirements, making them a challenge for breeders. What struck me was how they seem aware of each other's presence, yet they don't appear to be overly social.
I recall another friend, a skilled breeder with an impressive fishroom, who had a large tank with 10 standard chocolate gouramis. Despite his best efforts, including regular water changes with soft tap water, the fish kept dying off one by one. I've had a similar experience with three of these fish, which unfortunately didn't survive for long in my care. Given these experiences, I've mentally flagged the genus as one to avoid.
After researching on Fishbase, I found that they've been observed in pairs, inhabiting areas with wood and leaf litter. This suggests that a warm, shallow tank with plenty of litter, at least a metre or 3 feet across the front, and live food would be suitable. Ideally, a larger tank with no tankmates would be even better.
It's worth noting that they seem closely related to Luciocephalus, the pike gouramis. I used to keep these pike gouramis, but I eventually stopped due to their requirement for live food and my reluctance to feed fish to fish. Sphaerichthys, on the other hand, are micropredators and share a focus on moving food.
I recall another friend, a skilled breeder with an impressive fishroom, who had a large tank with 10 standard chocolate gouramis. Despite his best efforts, including regular water changes with soft tap water, the fish kept dying off one by one. I've had a similar experience with three of these fish, which unfortunately didn't survive for long in my care. Given these experiences, I've mentally flagged the genus as one to avoid.
After researching on Fishbase, I found that they've been observed in pairs, inhabiting areas with wood and leaf litter. This suggests that a warm, shallow tank with plenty of litter, at least a metre or 3 feet across the front, and live food would be suitable. Ideally, a larger tank with no tankmates would be even better.
It's worth noting that they seem closely related to Luciocephalus, the pike gouramis. I used to keep these pike gouramis, but I eventually stopped due to their requirement for live food and my reluctance to feed fish to fish. Sphaerichthys, on the other hand, are micropredators and share a focus on moving food.