female betta and dwarf gourami

[Ryu1981]

hi all

right need some advice i have 2 female bettas very placide and shy in a 300l tank with a good amount of plants and drift wood. Now i was thinking of putting in 2 neon blue dwarf gourami a male and a female i have heard a fair few good storys of these 2 types of fish being kept together but thought it would be best to ask here first.
Am i right in thinking thinking these fish could live together

[jpappy789]

I would not suggest that mix, even in a larger tank like your. Just too many variables IMHO.

Instead get more female bettas, they do very well in a "sorority" group and will be more active once given a hierarchy.

[BettaFishMommy]

i've read that gouramis and bettas shouldn't be in the same tank together but i think that refers to male bettas. for the most part females do not have the aggression issues we see in male bettas.

you could try it, but have another tank up and running in case you have aggression issues and need to seperate them.

[Ryu1981]

well first i was going to try to find a none aggressive dwarf gourami then
i was going to put the gouramis in a breedig tank inside my main then i can watch them together and try to see if theres any aggression if not then put them in fully and keep watch for any nasty stuff if so then they will be removed straight away.

another thing i'm thinking is would it be better with one male or a male and female

[jm1212]

actually, female bettas can be just as aggressive as male bettas toward other fish. keeping female bettas and dwarf gouramis is not advisable anyway, since the male DG would likely fight with her and she will fight with him.

[jpappy789]

You should really have more females anyways.

[colematthewmala]

Gouramis/Bettas is a bad combination, I've never had luck with this before. Plus you need more female bettas in that tank or you could have a betta battle they say you should have a minimum of 5.

[Ryu1981]

well i don't want to get another at the mo mainly becouse there happy with each other now , they don't fight and just sleep next to each other . Really don't want to chance another incase of them fighting whether i'm just lucky or the fact they have been raised together for there life which makes them happy to live with each other but there happy so didn't see the need to chance it

[jpappy789]

Well...ok...female bettas will create a heirarchy system so you'd have some initial chasing but after that nothing extreme.

[Carla G]

My opinion is that you would be fine with that combination. I have kept bettas and gouramis together with no issues, though I avoid the more aggressive 3 spots. A male gourami with one or two females is ideal.

Territorial fish will try to establish territory. If you put these guys in a 5 or 10g tank, yes, you'd have problems, but in 75g you will be fine.

[Ryu1981]

well it was the dwarf gourami i was after getting althought i was wondering if a pearl gourami would be a safer bet even thought it is bigger ?.
i've read countless sucess storys on these fish being kept but wondered if anyone on here had any exp on doing this but i do understand that its all about the fish's temperment and that these two types of fish are quiet agressive sometimes and protective . my plan is to put them in my 300l which houses 6 cory, 6 neons and a few shrimp and of course the 2 bettas , the gourmai are going in and thats the last fish to enter as i want it understocked and i was hoping it will help give the fish there own space it's also pretty heavly planted so theres lots of hiding spaces and floating plants .
Should i just get a male dwarf gourami or a male and female?
Anyway hopefullly this will work and i have the 2 fish i love so much if not then the second tank will be on stand by