# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Chocolate gouramis



## fishmommy (Mar 30, 2003)

love-'em. They prefer the red plants because they subdue the light (the tank has 4w/g)


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## fishmommy (Mar 30, 2003)

love-'em. They prefer the red plants because they subdue the light (the tank has 4w/g)


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## The_Budmaster (Jul 4, 2003)

nice...I just managed to get some of these today at last! Busy swapping some fish around, got an empty 10 gallon that i'm putting them in with a gravel/peat substrate. Should be a nice little home for them.

How many would you recommend keeping in a 10 gallon?

Peace
Budmaster

Check out our photos website with pics of our tanks & other stuff..> http://www.thebudmaster.btinternet.co.uk


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## fishmommy (Mar 30, 2003)

Their behavior is pretty mild as gouramis go...I would probably try 4 and see how it goes.


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Stunning photo and thanks for sharing it! A Spanish member here breeds them with success. They simply are not available in my area.

What do you feed them? I've read that live foods are a must.

Regards,
Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## 2la (Feb 3, 2003)

I would not try any in a 10G. These are very sensitive fish that do not handle fluctuating water parameters well at all. A 10G tank is, IMO, too unstable. At least a 20G, and better a 30G and up.

40-gallon heavily planted
15-gallon heavily planted
10-gallon Tanganyikan
7-gallon South American
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is.


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## The_Budmaster (Jul 4, 2003)

I managed to get a good picture of one of the Chocolate Gourami's today!









We've got 4 of them in the tank & so far they're doing well

Peace
Budmaster

Check out our photos website with pics of our tanks & other stuff..> http://www.thebudmaster.btinternet.co.uk


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## Guest (Nov 3, 2003)

FYI,

There is an article in latest TFH on _Sphaerichthys osphremenioides_.

Regards,
Jay Luto


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## The_Budmaster (Jul 4, 2003)

anyone care to copy the pages? Dont think i can get that magazine in the UK









Peace
Budmaster

Check out our photos website with pics of our tanks & other stuff..> http://www.thebudmaster.btinternet.co.uk


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## imported_Xema (Apr 1, 2003)

One pics of mines...










Greetings from Sapin








Feel the Chocolate Gourami power
http://aquatika.en.eresmas.com


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## The_Budmaster (Jul 4, 2003)

nice picture Xema!









Peace
Budmaster

Check out our photos website with pics of our tanks & other stuff..> http://www.thebudmaster.btinternet.co.uk


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## benny (Feb 4, 2004)

Hi guys,

Here's one of mine to share..



















Unfortunately, they don't stay alive for too long. Always fighting amongst themselves.

Cheers,

p.s. Budmaster, the left picture in your corydoras schwartzi album is actually a corydoras leucomelas.


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## The_Budmaster (Jul 4, 2003)

great pics Benny!! very cool.

I've actually moved our chocolates to a community tank now as half of them died in the species tank & it didnt look good for the rest







I'm thinking that maybe they've been tank bred in water that isnt so soft, anyway they seem happy so far.

Thanks for the info on the Cory as well Benny, i've been trying to find out what it actually was because i wasnt sure that it was a Schwartzi.

Peace
Budmaster

Check out our photos website with pics of our tanks & other stuff..> http://www.thebudmaster.btinternet.co.uk


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## imported_Xema (Apr 1, 2003)

Hi Benny,

I´m a fan of your fish gallery, specially I like so much Spherychtis vailanti pics, it´s really cool!!! It´s the best pic of this fish that I have seen into the net.

Congratulations!!!








Feel the Chocolate Gourami power
http://aquatika.en.eresmas.com


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## benny (Feb 4, 2004)

Thanks!

Here it is to share.









Sphaericthys vaillanti

Also know as the Samurai Chocolate Gourami. Although I don't know why it's called that.

Cheers,


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## imported_Xema (Apr 1, 2003)

In Europe it hasn´t got a common name, but the red color and black band remember a typic dress of japanese samurai, it is a similar look to samurai in my mind...
I kill to get a pair...








Feel the Chocolate Gourami power
http://aquatika.en.eresmas.com]Aquatika


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## 2la (Feb 3, 2003)

Absolutely gorgeous. I envy those of you from Singapore who have access to most new plant and animal species before the rest of us.

_____


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## Raul-7 (Feb 4, 2004)

That's an amazing Chocolate species, I wish I lived in Singapore..so I could have acces to Tropica plants and all the amazing native species of S.E.Asia!


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## fishmommy (Mar 30, 2003)

WOW! I would love some of those!
My chocolates are still doing well after several months. They would only feed on live BBS or frozen bloodworms at first, but over time I weaned them onto flake and pellet foods. Now I mix it up and feed a variety.
Truthfully though, their main diet seems to be Angelfish eggs! They fattened right up on that







I have found that raising the tank temp to 80F has shortened the time between spawns for the resident angels. My rams and the gouramis are the beneficiaries so far...


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## karfixer (Mar 20, 2004)

Those are beautiful fish







What sort of water parm do they prefer? Benny, what would it take to get 2 pair of *THOSE KILLER* fish to So Cal? I'll dedicate a 100G tank to those- and another to the fry


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

I wanted to say hello to Raul. We live fairly close to each other. Maybe we can plant-swap sometime. 

Regards,
Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## benny (Feb 4, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by karfixer:
> Those are beautiful fish
> ...


Hi karfixer,

Parameters for these fishes are the same as regular chocolate gouramis. Soft acidic water and a temperature below 29 degrees celcius.

Actually, a pair of those would be very happy in a 15 (Imperial) Gallon tank. As for getting them over there, I'm not too sure. These fishes don't travel well. That's probably why you guys don't see them there and they are so pricey. But if you are really interested, I can put you in touch with the shop and maybe you guys can arrange something.

Cheers,


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## karfixer (Mar 20, 2004)

Thanks Benny but I guess I'll have to admire them from afar. I'd rather not kill several in an attempt to get them over here. Esp. since my water tends toward hard and alkaline out the tap. I do treat it to get it to a slighty acidic, and add baking soda to increase the Kh, the Gh is still pretty high 13-14Dh.My Gold Gouramis don't have any problems with it and I'm raising my 3rd gen of fish now.


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## skylsdale (Jun 2, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Their behavior is pretty mild as gouramis go


Actually, this is one of the most vicious species of gourami I know. They are shy with other fish, but absolutely ruthless toward conspecifics.

Samurai gourami? Jeez, I HATE common names. I've always heard of it referred to as Valliant's gourami.


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## plasmatomic (Feb 12, 2004)

wow the samuray gourami it's really beatiful 
congratulations

THX for all...


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## budak (Mar 13, 2004)

having acquired two pairs of Vaillantis (leaving my wallet considerably lighter! they cost about 20 times more than regular chocolates, even in Singapore), I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are much less aggressive and hardier than normal chocolates. The latter are really mean to each other, and will whittle their population down to the toughest handful. The samurais, on the other hand, don't seem to bother each other, and have (so far, after 1.5 months) zero mortalities.


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## hwchoy (Feb 6, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by skylsdale:
> Samurai gourami? Jeez, I HATE common names. I've always heard of it referred to as Valliant's gourami.


well, "Valliant's gourami" itself is a common name, but one with basis versus "Samurai gourami" which is probably someone's fanciful off-the-cuff "common name".

[email protected] from Singapore


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