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[Insert Name Here]

OK, My Dad just brought home a Gourami. It's about 2 inches long, with pale blue stripes on it. I'm not sure If I can keep it. I have a five gallon aquarium, with plants, a betta, and 2 guppies. I know that I'm not supposed to keep bettas and guppys together, but they do alright as long as I feed the betta once a day. He's very peasful (for a betta). I don't have a heater, and I have a undergravle filter. This will only be a temparary measure, seeing that I will be getting a new tank soon. I just need to know If I can keep them together for about a month. I will be changing the ornaments around to distract them.

 

[mattlee]

sounds like a male dwarf gourami... is it orange with blue stripes? if it is a mdg then i had nothing but trouble with all the ones i have kept, they seem to be very nippy and quite aggressive i wouldnt put it in with a betta and it will need a heater too. tanks probably too small as well...

 

[Wills]

Dwarf gourami and bettas are a big no no just like the guppies. If the guppies are working okay but it could go wrong as they mature, with the DG and the betta its the same but more of an issue as the DG will want the teritory as much as the betta and in a 5g tank there is simply not enough room. I would take him back because it could just go wrong in so many ways.

Though as a thought mixing the guppies and the gourami pose much less problems than doing either of them with the betta? Personally if it were me I would take back the betta or the DG or get the new tank tomorrow and move the DG and guppies into there and leave the betta on his own and get him some shrimp

Wills

 

[Insert Name Here]

Thanks. The problem is I can't take him back. My dad took him when he was getting some plants from some person, and she/he made him take the Gourami to. I put him in the tank, and there was a big problem. Every single one of the fish (betta included) started acting up. This is probably because he/she (I do not know) was so big (three inches). I'm not going to put him in the other tank, since the guppyes will be scared out of their wits. What I did was I put him in a bowl for now. It's probably about 2-3 gallons. I know that this is way too small, but at the moment I'm stuck with him/her, so It will have to do for now. I will get a 15 gallon soon, and I will put more fish in it.

About the guppys and the betta. I started keeping a pair of guppys with the betta when I was new to the hobby. I quickly learned that that was wrong, But the betta I was keeping the guppys got along with them fine. I've been doing this for about 2 years, and for some reason this betta doesn't mind. He's ancient (2.5 years), so that might have something to do with it. I'm not going to put guppys with another betta, but with this betta they do fine.

About the Gourami, he is whitsh grayish with blueish grayish stripes, apeares active and healthy, and Is three inches. I'm not sure how to tell how old it is, or if It's a he or a she, or what kind it is. If anyone knows how to tell, please tell me.

I don't have a heater, so that could be a problem...

thanks for your help

UPDATE: I will be giving him/her away. I just want to keep him/her alive before I do.

UPDATE: serious trouble. It (he/she) has some sort of parasite (I think). It has some red dots on his forhead. I'll keep watch on my other fish. I'm not sure If that Is a parasite, but It was rubing on something, and It swims backward. I'm not going to give away a sic fish. Also, It's not eating. Please Help!