# pygmy cories and honey gouramis



## jon021 (May 19, 2009)

I was wondering if i could add a group of pygmy cories to my 29 gal planted tank, i know they're pretty small so i'm worried that my honey gourami might pick on them. I've had some young cardinals in they tank and they left them alone, so i believe the gourami are pretty peaceful. Just wanted to get some opinions on this - my honey gouramis are about 1.5 inches in size, the only other "large" fish in the tank is a lyretail swordtail.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

they will be fine. Try adding a group of like 10 and they will show their lovely personality.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

jon021 said:


> I was wondering if i could add a group of pygmy cories to my 29 gal planted tank, i know they're pretty small so i'm worried that my honey gourami might pick on them. I've had some young cardinals in they tank and they left them alone, so i believe the gourami are pretty peaceful. Just wanted to get some opinions on this - my honey gouramis are about 1.5 inches in size, the only other "large" fish in the tank is a lyretail swordtail.


Honey Gouramis have no interest in bottom dwelling fish of any kind of any size. They might try to grab at something that size in the water column but even if they did somehow manage to get a pygmy cory in their mouth, which is as likely as getting bitten by a shark on land in December, they wouldn't damage it. Gouramis have fragile sensitive mouths and they would spit the cory out after a very gentle test nibble and realizing what a rigid spikey un-tasty thing it was.

platys/swordtails and honey gouramis are both safe choices for tankmates for pygmy gouramis. I seriously doubt you'll encounter any issues unless your other fish were starving or very frustrated or stressed.

Having said all that, they are a very fragile fish and you may lose some of them before the rest of the group stabilizes and becomes acclimatized.


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## jon021 (May 19, 2009)

thanks alot for all your help, i'll go look for some pygmy cories at my local lfs after exams. Thanks again


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

jon021 said:


> thanks alot for all your help, i'll go look for some pygmy cories at my local lfs after exams. Thanks again


forgot to mention- they LOATHE large gravel.. and gravel in general. If you have sand all the better. At very least have very find very soft gravel with no sharp edges.


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## jon021 (May 19, 2009)

hmm.. that might be a problem then, my gravel is about.. medium sized? its the hagen marina expoxy coated gravel. No jagged edges but it might be too large for the pygmy cories


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

jon021 said:


> hmm.. that might be a problem then, my gravel is about.. medium sized? its the hagen marina expoxy coated gravel. No jagged edges but it might be too large for the pygmy cories


Give it a shot. If the tank is 12x24 or greater you might try bronze cories. They're one of the funnest fish to watch. Very fearless.

I say try the pygmy's. There's no threat to them if there are no sharp edges-- they just prefer finer substrate. I'm sure if they are in a peaceful tank with good water and no sharp edges they will do ok.


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