Betta and gourami

[sharktale]

Hi, I would love to get a dwarf gourami, but I have a betta in my tank and I've heard they don't get on I'm setting a little 2ft tank up in my sons bedroom when my extensions finished and the betta will be going in his tank. Does anyone keep a gourami and betta together?
Julie

 

[Gunnie]

I have 2 opaline gouramis and a female betta in a 20 gal. long with 4 cory cats and 4 yo yo loaches. Everybody gets along fine except the 2 gouramis fight but don't hurt each other. I think it's just gonna be you will have to take a chance, and be prepared to put the betta in another tank if it doesn't work out. I had a golden gourami in a 10 gal. with a male betta, and he would have killed the betta if I hadn't removed him. I found a big hunk of betta fin on the bottom of the tank one day. You just never know if it's gonna work until you try it. Gouramis are either peaceful or S.O.B.'s. I think the same can be said for some bettas.

 

[sharktale]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I could try it and see, as the betta will be moved into another tank anyway.

 

[jazzx101]

I would be careful it if you are talking about a male Betta. I have several dwarf gourami in my large tank with a single male Betta in a one gallon right next to it. When the two groups of fish get close enough to see each other, the betta gets REAL excited, flares, practically slams against the side of the tank to try to get at the gouramis. So I think if I tossed him in there, some problems would come up.

I'd keep an eye on it if you decide to try it and get the Betta out of there quickly if things are looking bad.

 

[sylvia]

I wouldn't risk it. Just be patient and add the gourami after your betta has moved to his new home. Gouramies and bettas vary greatly in character and some can have mood swings too. Even if you watched them intently and they seemed to love each other to bits, you may find you blink and one of your fish is a floater (believe me I know).

 

[Paradise_Gourami]

gouramis and bettas are some of the few fish that have differing temperment from fish to fish(know from experience) but a betta and gouramis should get along.

 

[evilbunny]

i will never leave a betta and a gourami together again (personal experience) and if i did it was because i had no other choice or i was like infinity % sure that they would get along

 

[JacopoFishy]

gouramis and bettas are some of the few fish that have differing temperment from fish to fish(know from experience) but a betta and gouramis should get along.

yup. I've always heard that they don't get along, but mine do fabulously. I have a 4" moonlight and a male betta. I don't recall ever seeing them even chase each other at all, although when I introduced the gourami, my betta was quite curious and inspected his fins for quite some time

 

[knvb7741]

hi sharktale,

In my 20 gallon I have a pair of red dwarf gouramis and a male betta and well they've never injured each other but sometimes the betta does flare at the gouramis but there has never been a fight or anything like that. I might just have a really nice betta but if you try it then watch it very closely and if there isnt a fight within like a week or so then it will probably be ok! HTH