Dwarf Gourami living like a Betta?

B

betta-girl

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Mar 6, 2005
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Hello Aquaria Central Folks

I have two dwarf gouramis in a 35 gallon tank and even through my fish encyclopedia said that they are peaceful with a slight sense of territorial behavour, I have one picking on the other non stop. This kept up for a couple of weeks and the poor bullied one started to give up.
Out of desperation, I removed the poor guy and placed him in a spare 2 gallon Betta bowl and added a mass of plant material along with him (there is even a little house for him to hide in).
A few years ago I was working in China and I noticed that this is how they treat all anabantids not just Bettas.
So I'm asking will my little rescued gourami be okay in a two gallon bowl? And should set aside aged water for weekly water changes? Or perhaps use the water from the 35 gallon tank for his water change?

As I write this I am noticing that he is acting more Betta like and just took a gulp of air from the surface before heading back into the plant matter.

I don't want to loose him. (I'm a sucker for the underdog!)

~Pat Ann~

1 upside down catfish, 2 yo yo loaches, 2 dwarf gouramis (now separated) and a yellow striped shrimp in a over planted 35 gallon tank. No Bettas at the moment!
 
If you have two males they will fight, even in very large tanks, they sometimes won't get along.

He will most definitely not make it very long in a two gallon bowl. If you are going to do water changes, you should use clean aged water, not water from the other fish tank, as that would do nothing for the bowl water.

Try to take him back to the LFS.
 
If you are going to keep him in a 2gal bowl. I would change the water about 3 or 4 times per week. (its not hard with two gallons, just have a gallon of water sitting on hand every day)

*he won't make it very long in it though*
 
It is not advisable to keep dwarf gouramis together - they will fight just like the bettas. I would not suggest leaving him in the bowl for very long. is there anyway you set up a 10 gallon for him? Gouramis do take air from the surface from time to time as do all anabantids however I have never heard of keeping them in an unfiltered, unheated bowl. It may be best to rehome one of them if you cannot set up another tank. If you return him to the other tank after he is healed it will most likely start all over again. They are territorial and typically not kept together...
 
Thanks guys.

I guess I need to pull out the 10 gallon. I don't think the fish shop will take him back, but I could ask.

~p~
 
Airstone won't help- like bettas, gouramis breath from the surface, which is why you say him come to the surface for air.
 
I phone the fish store and they said that I should get two females so the fighting would stop.
I would really like your advice. Would the bossy gourami stop bully the other one if I got two females or should I be setting up the 10 gallon tank?

~p~
 
I have not experienced this myself as I have never kept more than one per tank, but I do know that the males are territorial and I believe they will fight regardless. Sounds like the LFS is just trying to take more of your money....
 
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