stocking a community fresh water tank

Question
Hello...
Is it mean to purchase only one of a species of fish?(with the exeption of male bettas & fish that prefer schools).
I'm asking mainly about gouramis & black mollies.
(and if so,should you always purchase a male and a female).                                  
                     Thanks for the advice...
                               August(NY)

Answer
Hi August,

No, it's not mean to purchase one of a species of fish. :)  Mollies do like to be in what are called "harems": one male to three or four females.  But, if you do this, you will end up with a lot of babies in your tank.  They are just fine by themselves, however.  Gouramis are also just fine on their own, but do prefer pairs.  Just make sure you only have one male per tank.  You can have as many females as you want, but males are territorial and get into spats with other males easily.

I hope this helps, let me know if there's anything else I can do for you!

-Lindsay