# Dwarf Gourami (flame) compatible with betta?



## AmyC00 (Jan 15, 2012)

i was wondering if you can keep the flame red dwarf gourami's in with a betta. i have a 10g tank. ive attached a picture of the gourami that i'd like to get.. if its compatible.


----------



## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

I would say no... Gourami's are VERY aggressive


----------



## AmyC00 (Jan 15, 2012)

okay thanks!


----------



## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

NP  How big is your tank?


----------



## AmyC00 (Jan 15, 2012)

its a 10 gallon.. i had 4 mollys in there with the betta but they didnt last. he non stop chased them and i think it stressed them out..and they went to fish heaven


----------



## LittleBettas (Jul 23, 2011)

Mollies produce a lot of ammonia so they aren't really reccommended for a 10 gallon.... that and they can actually get really aggressive

You could do 5 neon tetras (though I hear they can be a bit harder to care for as they are delicate)

or about 5 rasboras or platies <---- both are really hardy

6 pygmy corries or 4 regular ones (they are actually a LOT of fun to have and I have noticed that even more aggressive bettas ignore them pretty well)


but sadly, not all male bettas are cut out for community life, the best bet would to buy one or two dividers and divide your tank in half or in threes... then you can have 3 males... and ghost shrimp are ALWAYS an easy and cheap way to add a clean up crew... and they have almost a ZERO bioload <--- I love the little boogers


----------



## AmyC00 (Jan 15, 2012)

thanks! i think i better just stick with Edward because he doesnt appear to like company in his tank since he kept attacking the mollys..


----------



## copperarabian (Apr 27, 2011)

I have a blue gourami in my sorority and it's fine with them. I think the tank needs to be cleverly designed to make them happy together, at first my gourami chased my bettas some.


----------



## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Usually it won't work, though. Gouramis are too closely related to bettas and will generally fight them. That said, I am massively jealous of you, CopperArabian. Please share your secret!


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Well, dwarf gouramis are more peaceful than the larger species actually. You'd have to get one only because if you ended up with two males they'd fight each other. They are however both top dwellers, your betta might feel threatened, not too sure. Just a matter of how well fish get used to each other.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/gourami/dwarf.php


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Olympia said:


> Well, dwarf gouramis are more peaceful than the larger species actually. You'd have to get one only because if you ended up with two males they'd fight each other. They are however both top dwellers, your betta might feel threatened, not too sure. Just a matter of how well fish get used to each other.
> 
> Dwarf Gourami


Actually dwarf gourami can get pretty aggressive, too. Honey gourami are considered to be the nicest of all gourami. You could keep 1 male and 2 females in a 10 gal. But everything I've read about dwarf and honey gourami suggests that they are best suited for something with the same footprint as a 20 long or larger.


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

thekoimaiden said:


> Actually dwarf gourami can get pretty aggressive, too. Honey gourami are considered to be the nicest of all gourami. You could keep 1 male and 2 females in a 10 gal. But everything I've read about dwarf and honey gourami suggests that they are best suited for something with the same footprint as a 20 long or larger.


Can you accurately sex gouramis? :s
I never thought so. We used to have blue gouramis in my horrible-childhood-tropical-aquarium, they were my faves, the one lived for like 8 years till he exploded randomly (guessing SBD or something, don't even remember). But they're way out of my range now D; and in that case, prolly no gouramis with your betta


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Olympia said:


> Can you accurately sex gouramis? :s
> I never thought so. We used to have blue gouramis in my horrible-childhood-tropical-aquarium, they were my faves, the one lived for like 8 years till he exploded randomly (guessing SBD or something, don't even remember). But they're way out of my range now D; and in that case, prolly no gouramis with your betta


I know the honey and dwarf gouramis can be sexed. The males are much brigther and the female are a little smaller. You don't usually seem females in the stores because males are better looking. Also I'm really sorry to hear that your previous gourami exploded. That must have been horrifying :-(









These are honey gourami. The top is the male and the bottom is the female. I think these little guys can be kept in a 10 gal, but I don't know how much more can go in there with them. 

I'm looking at gourami for my 29 gal community. I was told to stay away from dwarf gourami because of some issues with disease and inbreeding. I'm looking at either honey gourami or Thicklips Gouram (sometimes called Sunset Gourami) as those are the only gourami small enough.


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I'd love to do a proper gourami tank one day :3 My blues were the hardiest things ever, like we took such bad care of them, they were the only things that survived us, besides convict cichlids (in the same tank). Haha, but almost everyone has horror fish stories from their past.
Those honeys are really nice though. I love their feelers ^^
Guess they just aren't the best match for a betta tank though :/


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

I love the look of gourami, too. Those little feelers are what I fell in love with. The blues are really pretty, but I don't have the tank space for them. You could probably do a suitable small gourami tank in a 20 long or 29 gal. I don't know if you're aware, but there is a gourami forum in the parent forum of Bettafish.com (tropicalfishkeeping.com).


----------



## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

The most I have room for is a 10 right now, and I need it to have betta lol.
When I move out after 7 years of university to be a vet, I will deff get one


----------



## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Ahh I just finished university so I do have the room for more tanks. But fighting the urge to add more bettas... 

Best of luck in becoming a vet! We need more vets knowledgeable about fish care!!


----------

