I've not done it, but I've read where others used garlic in different ways with food as a fish attractant. Some use a garlic juice and others will finely mince some and add it to the food. You should do more research on this before attempting though.

 

I actually fed some brine shrimp today, and between the two gouramis, they had about 4. The larger one ate 3, the smaller one ate 1. So together, they're brave, explore the tank, and hang out with the other fish. Separated, the larger one acts normally, or what I think is, looks for their fellow Gourami. The tiny one has had common new tank jitters, from glass surfing to hiding away at the bottom of the tank. I've caught the tiny one digging too into the substrate. I've read it is related to stress or illness, so I've been keeping a close eye. The tiny one does come up for air way more frequently than the other gourami and doesn't eat beyond what it finds existing in the tank.

The larger one seems to like nibbling on my pine-needly plants, so there must be something on it that is beyond what my eyes can see. Both "test bite" food and spit it out though. I'm afraid to let food linger too, because the Raspora I have been voracious, and they're too young to be fat!



I read that too, and yea, more research on that will be had. Thank you for suggestion!

So have a make honey gourami and he eats like a teenager. Anything I put in the tank, he chomps down right away. Flake foods, micro pellets, freeze dried brine shrimp, etc. Fluval big bites flakes seem to be his favorite, so consider trying those. He eats at all levels of the tank, too — top, middle, and bottom. View attachment 1044878

One thing for you to consider is feeding frequency. How often — and how much — are you feeding? I was feeding 2x/day at first but cut back to 1x and that seems to work fine.

Gourami are amazing fish!
I will check them out. I've also been reading up on Shrimp pellets, and seeing as they had an appetite for the brine shrimp, it might just they prefer crustaceans?
I am feeding twice a day at the moment, trying to figure out best practiced/form a pattern. They're adolescents so I heard if you don't feed them that much, they won't grow.

here are pictures of mine:

This is the big one, it eats, but rather timidly and usually after the feeding frenzy of my Raspora. I see it scavenging my tank a lot too, but when it comes to nearly force feeding it, it is stubborn.

This is the tinier one, has decided it wants to be a bottom-dweller. Which if not personality, is a sign of stress (no illness is showing yet). Constantly darts to the top to take a big gulp of air and then drives back down. I've seen it scrounge on the larger rocks (where I put algae wafers), so it might be eating those, but doesn't eat at all and I'm a bit worried!

The only time the tiny one is 'social' is when it finds the larger one and they swim together...

I'm not sure what is "dwarf" honey gourami but a regular one eats pretty much anything, not demanding at all.

I've heard it referred to as "dwarf honey/sunset gourami" but yea, there's also a cousin who's called "dwarf" so I'll try to not use dwarf when referring to the yellower ones. I have heard they're not picky eaters, so that's why I'm so confused and trying to figure it out!

Thanks everyone o7

 

So have a make honey gourami and he eats like a teenager. Anything I put in the tank, he chomps down right away. Flake foods, micro pellets, freeze dried brine shrimp, etc. Fluval big bites flakes seem to be his favorite, so consider trying those. He eats at all levels of the tank, too — top, middle, and bottom.

One thing for you to consider is feeding frequency. How often — and how much — are you feeding? I was feeding 2x/day at first but cut back to 1x and that seems to work fine.

 

dwarf honey gourami

I'm not sure what is "dwarf" honey gourami but a regular one eats pretty much anything, not demanding at all.

 

Is that the tank that also has the Betta in it?
Might be signs of stress, might have been hunted and you didn't see it and now it's scared.

Keep a close eye, if it shows signs of malnourishment at some point, you should act.

 

It could have been started with the Betta, but after I saw him bullying the Rasbora at night while they tried to sleep, I temporarily moved him to a barebones 3-gallon tank. I'm not sure if/when he sleeps, but in the very early AMs, he went around and pecked the poor Rasbora. I just hopped his personality would be compatible, it might not be. The only thing I ever saw him do to the Gourami was puff out his cheeks at them and they just swam away not caring. He was a sweetheart when the light shined, but the minute the lights turned off, he became a bully!

The tiny one isn't as timid as she way, based on observing here earlier today, she was swimming around and not just hanging out on the bottom. However, she still won't eat when I want her to. She does enjoy algae wafers though, which I leave out for my plecos and Mystery Snails..., so I have to either hide them better or put them right by my pleco's "cave"...Maybe she's just a vegetarian by choice...
.

These are regular honey gouramis, very pretty. Your timid one looks like a female and a bigger and braver one - male. This is not uncommon for female to be a "bottom dweller" if you have just a pair of them - she is just trying to hide from the constant attention of the male. I don't think type of food is an issue unless it is too big (they have rather small mouth) - these gouramis will eat everything. Try to put food in different corners of the tank simultaneously, so they can grab food from the different spots, away from each other. You may find out that she'll try to quickly grab some food and air, and go to the bottom, to hide inside plants, before she attracted the attention of the male. Also, too active fish may be a problem, especially at first, they can scare gouramis a bit. But they should get accustomed after some time. BTW, they may also eat a bit of algae and a bit of plants, so don't worry, they'll always find some food in the planted tank, this is not a type of fish which is choosy.

I thought about adding a couple more honey gourami, to see if that might help her get comfortable. I can comfortably fit about 2 more peaceful 2-3 inch fish before i reach "max capacity."

Thank you for your advice!
It seems all she's been eating is algae wafers, at least I caught her this morning stealing my pleco/MSnail's lunch....

Edit:

So my Gouarami have gotten a bit bolder, exploring mid-level tank, but they're still quite skittish over my syringe which I feed food. They won't go after dropped flake food because of the Rasbora, but they still go after the vegetarian pellets that sink (or bite them, they're dissolveable and sinkable, but too large for the gourami)

any ways to make the Gourami not scared of the Hand that Feeds Them?

 

These are regular honey gouramis, very pretty. Your timid one looks like a female and a bigger and braver one - male. This is not uncommon for female to be a "bottom dweller" if you have just a pair of them - she is just trying to hide from the constant attention of the male. I don't think type of food is an issue unless it is too big (they have rather small mouth) - these gouramis will eat everything. Try to put food in different corners of the tank simultaneously, so they can grab food from the different spots, away from each other. You may find out that she'll try to quickly grab some food and air, and go to the bottom, to hide inside plants, before she attracted the attention of the male. Also, too active fish may be a problem, especially at first, they can scare gouramis a bit. But they should get accustomed after some time. BTW, they may also eat a bit of algae and a bit of plants, so don't worry, they'll always find some food in the planted tank, this is not a type of fish which is choosy.

 

Healthy fish will eat. That’s about all they do. If they are not eating what you are providing it is because they are finding an alternate ( natural) food source more to their liking.
However, if they are stressed from incompatibility from other fish in the tank they will feed on what is the easiest, most accessible foodstuff.
if fish healthy and no incompatibility issues. When the alternate food source is scarce- they will eat what you provide.,