# Pearl Gourami and Female Bettas



## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Does that work? I imagine a labyrinth fish like SilverSand (the Pearl Gourami) and Jade wouldn't like being together in the same tank. Mostly because he's HUGE... lol, full grown, anyway. And Jade's still a "kid".

But I do want to move Silver' to the side with my girls Leliia and Mali. Along with them is a Ghost Catfish and three male guppies.

The tank is a divided ten gallon, by the way. Here's a very recent picture:









Leliia and the rest are on the left.


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## jespenguin (Feb 13, 2011)

Gourami's are in the same family as bettas, so they fight to the death. Plus I'm 99% sure pearls are some of the most aggressive. Ghost cats belong in schools, and require bigger tanks, as does the gourami. A dwarf gourami may work in a 10, but not divided. Your cramping your fishies styles.


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

You already have WAY too many fish in that divided 10 gallon. The most fish you should have in each side is ONE Betta.


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

@jespenguin: I figured as much with the Gourami. He'll probably stay in his old tank then.
And I would have more Ghost Catfish, except he was the only one that actually looked like he wasn't near-death at the Petsmart. I've had him a year now, he's fine. Not to sound snooty or whatever. >> He's also been in smaller tanks before.... It all depends on the fish right? I know there are standards, but honestly some rules can be bent, no?
SilverSand probably is stict on those rules, lol. So he'll stay.

@Sweeda: Didn't you say on a different thread that keeping a female in a 1 gallon was fine? Since this is divided, I guess you could say that they're in 5 gal tanks, but just having those few fish should be fine. There's a ton of swimming room. The picture isn't of actual size, lol.
Jade (male betta) had that one side all to himself. I only recently put those three female guppies with him so I can get a little population control until I could move them back in the other tank, which is that tank I wanted to move my Gourami out of. If I can't move him, though, then I'll get my granpa to set up the pond outside and kick Samm (my turtle) out to there 
But if I can do that with Samm, then my Pearl can have that 20 gal, and etc., etc., etc.


Thanks to you both. All depends on experience, no?
But just to let you know, I'm not new to fish... maybe gouramis, but not that much to bettas and definitely not to guppies and others.
And I really don't want to sound like I'm ignoring you. D: But I do know my fish a bit better than anyone else... and by that I mean personality. xP


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

It has to do with bioload and aggression. If you keep Bettas with other fish, you need enough space so that they don't pick on other fish. Also, with guppies, who are very active, they need more space.


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

Also, females should NEVER be kept together in the way you're doing it. They need a sorority type setting (a 10 gallon with at least 5 girls) to keep from killing each other in the long run, no matter how they act now.


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## jespenguin (Feb 13, 2011)

I mean you can live in your closet, but you probably have a room because you enjoy moving. Basically the same concept, even petsmart recommends more for these fish. Thats saying something, you can care for your fish perfectly and they can eat and swim and seem great. But they are fish, they dont really have any means of complaining, right?


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Sweeda88 said:


> It has to do with bioload and aggression. If you keep Bettas with other fish, you need enough space so that they don't pick on other fish. Also, with guppies, who are very active, they need more space.


Ah, I see. Though Leliia is violent (as I might've said somewhere and you've seen it.  ), I mean more as an eater. xD' As far as picking on others, she's lax. Mali is very calm... 
I should say that, at first, the guppies thought Leliia was a female... uh... guppy (lofl) and tried to "impress" her... she'd flare at them and chase them away... but like the guppies learned with Dragon (Ghost Catfish), they left her alone. They haven't bothered Mali, either. So they all get along.
As far as space goes for guppies, I hoped to not only separate breeding opportunities for the guppies, but also to give a bit more swimming space. Which is why Jade now has three tank buddies. >>
Again, I'm hoping to move those female guppies to another tank.


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Sweeda88 said:


> Also, females should NEVER be kept together in the way you're doing it. They need a sorority type setting (a 10 gallon with at least 5 girls) to keep from killing each other in the long run, no matter how they act now.


I've read about sororities. My granpa has three betta girls in a 5 gallon for half a year now? Maybe a bit less/more, but I'd think they'd have killed each other by now. He also used to be a betta breeder, if that says anything about his experience.



jespenguin said:


> I mean you can live in your closet, but you probably have a room because you enjoy moving. Basically the same concept, even petsmart recommends more for these fish. Thats saying something, you can care for your fish perfectly and they can eat and swim and seem great. But they are fish, they dont really have any means of complaining, right?


That's true, they don't. My LFS got some GhostCats recently and I hope to get those, but really I want to get the guppies moved first. As long as he seems fine, not sick, active, and eating now, I don't really see the harm in it.
I don't listen to Petsmart as far as fishkeeping goes... when the one I live closest to can't even take care of their bettas... or really, 9/10ths of their fish. ==
I've read up on GhostCats, done quite a bit of research. I love fish like him more than anything. If he dies from lack of voice to tell me his unhappiness, I'll make a thread so everyone can say "I told you so!" 
But it's not like he was raised in a big tank, either. Pet store 2 gallon, vase (temporary when he came home), BiOrb, and now half a ten gallon. >>

And just saying... I don't mind living in a closet.  BUT THAT'S JUST ME, lol... I'm weird like that. xD


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## LittleNibbles93 (Feb 7, 2011)

Isn't there someone on here who has 3 female bettas in a 5 gal? Besides her grandfather? >_> I don't remember who. And its been set up for quite awhile I think. 

I agree that the pearl gourami shouldn't be kept with bettas. And that she's maxed out on the number of fish. 

The two female bettas of topic here have been together since the first of March, I would say if they're going to kill each other they would have done it by now.

As for the ghost fish, they should be kept in schools, but there is always a misfit who doesn't like it, I had a albino cory like that. I had him for 3 years, he never got sick, ate fine, and got REALLY big. He would have lived longer if it hadn't been for the 2009 ice storm, we lost electricity and I couldn't keep the water warm enough.

As for the guppies, she's done said they'll be moved to a new home soon.

No one's perfect at fish keeping, even those who claim to be "experts". We all make mistakes, we all learn as we go. And I've notice that harsh judgment on people on this is getting "harsher" (is that a word?) since I joined.
I understand we all want the well being of our beloved fish, but *our way isn't the only way in keeping fish. *

I know this person well, and she'll get more space for them. I'm SURE at one point in over half of the members on here lives they weren't the greatest at fish keeping. I know I wasn't. 

I'm done now. Had to get that out of me.
I could add more, but its off topic, I'll just be quiet before I most likely get myself into trouble.


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

... lol, wow LN93. Uh... thanks? xD; I mean, yes thanks. '


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