# sparkling gourami's and shrimp?



## Kristoph91 (27 Feb 2012)

Hi guys,

Saw two lovely sparkling/croaking gourami's today in the LFS and at 3 pound each didn't think they were a bad price.. just wondering though - would they be ok with my RCS ?
thanks, 
Kris


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## Antipofish (27 Feb 2012)

KrisHumphreys1991 said:
			
		

> Hi guys,
> 
> Saw two lovely sparkling/croaking gourami's today in the LFS and at 3 pound each didn't think they were a bad price.. just wondering though - would they be ok with my RCS ?
> thanks,
> Kris



I reckon they would be, though thats not from experience and I stand to be shot down in flames.  However I am basing it on the fact that sparkling gouramies are meant to be good natured, and the fact that Mark Evans, who has shrimp in his tank, has got some larger Opaline gouramies and I have never heard him say they were munching the shrimp.  I think Alastair has kept the ones you like though, so he may be the one to ask.  He is busy with a house move so I dont know how much he is watching the forum at the moment but I am sure he would answer a PM when he got the chance, if no one else can give you a definitive answer.

What store was it out of interest ?  Stunning fish


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## steveninaster (27 Feb 2012)

I've kept sparklers with shrimp no problem, tbh I havent had a problem with any gourami when it comes to shrimp.


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## BigTom (27 Feb 2012)

They will eat baby shrimp (as will probably 90% of other fish), and on occasion I've seen mine trying to take eggs from underneath berried females. Healthy cherry colony should be able to withstand a bit of juvenile predation though.


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## Westyggx (27 Feb 2012)

There mouths are so small they may only eat baby shrimp.


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## Antipofish (27 Feb 2012)

Westyggx said:
			
		

> There mouths are so small they may only eat baby shrimp.



You still got any Mike ?


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## Kristoph91 (27 Feb 2012)

Thanks for the replies guys! Much appreciated. 
Think I'll go get them tomorrow then, based on what you guys are saying. 
There is three of them in Viking Aquatics in Ipswich.
To buy or not to buy? I'd like a male/female pair, but I believe they're quite hard to sex. 

Kris


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## Antipofish (27 Feb 2012)

KrisHumphreys1991 said:
			
		

> Thanks for the replies guys! Much appreciated.
> Think I'll go get them tomorrow then, based on what you guys are saying.
> There is three of them in Viking Aquatics in Ipswich.
> To buy or not to buy? I'd like a male/female pair, but I believe they're quite hard to sex.
> ...



At that price I would bite their hand off !


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## Westyggx (27 Feb 2012)

Antipofish said:
			
		

> Westyggx said:
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> ...



Nope lost about 100 to some water issue.


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## Kristoph91 (27 Feb 2012)

Does that mean "yes get them"... Or. "never pay that much for them" Antipofish?
LOL 

Kris


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## Antipofish (27 Feb 2012)

KrisHumphreys1991 said:
			
		

> Does that mean "yes get them"... Or. "never pay that much for them" Antipofish?
> LOL
> 
> Kris



Biting someones hand off for a price means you take it lol.  Its a great price.  If you dont get them I may call them tomorrow and ask if they will ship them hahah.  (Just kidding, but if they were nearer I might be racing you to the shop).


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## Kristoph91 (27 Feb 2012)

Ah right  LOL. If you could figure out how, I could buy them and post them to you LOL. 
Kris


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## a1Matt (27 Feb 2012)

i have sparkling gourami. Over a 6 month period they have slowly but steadily decimated my blue pearl colony. I have 8 or 9 (i forget) and will happily sell the lot for a tenner.


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## Kristoph91 (27 Feb 2012)

Oh wow.


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## OllieNZ (28 Feb 2012)

Westyggx said:
			
		

> There mouths are so small they may only eat baby shrimp.


When I had mine 2 or 3 would work together and take out adult cherries.


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## Kristoph91 (28 Feb 2012)

Right then, I will not be getting them haha.
Thanks for the feedback people,

Kris


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## Antipofish (28 Feb 2012)

Those tiny wee beautiful critters are violent mass murderers ?  I would never have believed it.  Sounds like they are not as nice after all.


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## PeteA (29 Feb 2012)

I've got 4 in my tank and a number of RCS of various sizes and haven't seen any problems so far (been in there a month or so).  I'm finding the sparkling gourami are really interesting fish, quite small and largely keep themselves to themselves but completely different to anything else I've got.  I think I managed to pick them up for a couple of quid each at my LFS


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## bigmel (31 Mar 2012)

Just bought 2 of these as the LFS said they were fine with shrimps , if there not they will be getting bagged up and off loaded !


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## Kristoph91 (31 Mar 2012)

I never bought them in the end. But good luck with them!
Recently though, I purchased a pair of Rachovii Beira Killis... And the male literally massacred the shrimplets in my tank. Oops.

Kris.


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## bigmel (4 Apr 2012)

There utter pants !

They spend all day looking at the larger shrimps and looking for shrimplets in the java moss   
They seem to scare the bigger ones and they dart off   

They will be bagged up and taken to the LFS over the weekend .


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## bigmel (4 Apr 2012)

Antipofish said:
			
		

> KrisHumphreys1991 said:
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Mine were only £4.00 a pair or £2.50 each , the shrimp hunting monsters !


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## darren636 (16 Apr 2012)

KrisHumphreys1991 said:
			
		

> Hi guys,
> 
> Saw two lovely sparkling/croaking gourami's today in the LFS and at 3 pound each didn't think they were a bad price.. just wondering though - would they be ok with my RCS ?
> thanks,
> Kris


 You saw both types or were they labelled as the same thing?


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## hotweldfire (12 May 2012)

Hmm, wish I'd read this thread before buying a pair and putting them in a 12l with my caridina meridionalis. The shrimp spend the whole time on the sponge covering the filter inlet. I thought it was just because they were feeding there but have realised it is because it is in the corner and near the filter outlet. This makes it hard for the gouramis to stalk them.

As soon as a shrimp goes on a wander the pair of fish start hunting it and then start pecking at it. However, they are such cool fish it is going to have to be the shrimp that go (to another tank) rather than the fish.

Can anyone suggest an invert algae eating tank mate for these guys? I was thinking a shrimp big enough that they wouldn't bother. Considering red nose but I find them really sensitive and are very good jumpers and this tank is open topped. Any other varieties? Don't have to be breedable. Or am I stuck with snails?


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## Gill (13 May 2012)

Sparkling Gourami are stunning but vicious little things. 
IME they will take on anything they think they can eat. And will decimate a shrimp population. They like to swim around in a gang and choose a target. I have witnessed them gang up on an Angel fish in the past and nip/pull the ventrals on them.  They Really go for festiviums/angels or any fish with long ventrals. Shrimps Feelers are just to tempting for them not to be attracted to them.


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## hotweldfire (13 May 2012)

Thanks Gill, snails it is then. 

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2


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## Kristoph91 (13 May 2012)

How about Amano's ?


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