Fish: [tropical fish club] Re: Buying Giant Gourami's

Hi Jeniffer,

This is the problem weith having any inexperienced person watch & feed your fish while you're away on vacation -- even when fully explaining to them (in your best way of thinking) exactly how to do this. Most often, you'll come home to dead fish, sometimes (usually) from overfeeding, or from other causes. Unless the fish are really small, it's best not to even have anyone feed them as most larger fish -- depending on their size -- can go without eating for at least 3 weeks OR MORE without dying from starvation. We don't like to see them go hungry, but if the alternative is deathe due to ammonia poisoning at the hands of someone not familiar with their maintenance, they're much better off with missing a few meals.

As Giant Gouramis can easily reach 24", they're not the most popular fish found in fish stores that the average community tank hobbyist would buy, so they're not that commonly found. There presently are 3 sites offering them up on AquaBid right now though, although they're not the original Osphronemus goramy, (Giant Gourami). These are the very closely related Osphronemus laticlavicus, (Giant Red Tail Gourami), which gets very near to the size of the original and at least 20".

One Seller on AquaBid, from San Diego, CA, has a number of them at 4" for $25 each. There is another Seller in Portland Oregon with 3 1/2" fish at $20 each (don't know if he has more than one). Then, there is another Seller in Arizona with a 9" fish at $200+. All have nice color as all fins have red. Take your pick if you don't mind having them shipped. I wouldn't know of any stire or breeder local to you as I'm not in your area.

Ray

--- In tropicalfishclub@yahoogroups.com, "Jeniffer ~Dawson's Mommy~" <cwgrlswty@...> wrote:
>
> My husband and I went on vacation for a week and had a house sitter. I
> warned the house sitter if my giant gourami's weren't here when I got back I
> would be very upset and go figure one of them died while I was gone . My
> problem is I got them from a pet store that went out of business and none of
> the other local pet stores around here have them. These are my favorite
> Gourami's and was wondering if anybody knew how I could find a breeder or
> fish store I could get more of them at? Thanks in advance for your help.
> Jeniffer
>
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