Yeah, part of the reason you're seeing so much divergent data is that there is really spectrum of possible behaviors for each fish within a species. I've got both male and female betas and one of my males will try to kill any Cichlid it sees, and is quite polite around other labyrinth fish and even other betas, the other male is totally mellow around cichlids and wants to kill any other labyrinth fish, including the female beta and dwarf gourami (I think its because they were both red). So really I wind up advising to just get one large bright and intelligent species of fish per tank because you really can never know, but the capacity for there to be bloodshed is always existent. Now that being said if I saw somebody planning a community tank with Bolivian Rams and a male Beta I'd say NO NO NO, because I've seen one of our betas war with them interminably, yet another male wound up needing to being in my wife's community for a couple weeks with a pair and would actually swim around with them like they were a three fish school. Its just hard to say for sure, so, much of the advice that you receive will be based on the worst possible behavior that we know that species is capable of.
Would this be too much fish for a 40 gallon fish tank?
- Thread starter YellowOnYellow
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Yeah, part of the reason you're seeing so much divergent data is that there is really spectrum of possible behaviors for each fish within a species. I've got both male and female betas and one of my males will try to kill any Cichlid it sees, and is quite polite around other labyrinth fish and even other betas, the other male is totally mellow around cichlids and wants to kill any other labyrinth fish, including the female beta and dwarf gourami (I think its because they were both red). So really I wind up advising to just get one large bright and intelligent species of fish per tank because you really can never know, but the capacity for there to be bloodshed is always existent. Now that being said if I saw somebody planning a community tank with Bolivian Rams and a male Beta I'd say NO NO NO, because I've seen one of our betas war with them interminably, yet another male wound up needing to being in my wife's community for a couple weeks with a pair and would actually swim around with them like they were a three fish school. Its just hard to say for sure, so, much of the advice that you receive will be based on the worst possible behavior that we know that species is capable of.
Exactly! One of my favorite quotes to think of when I'm formulating any plan, but especially for stocking is: "Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."
It is MUCH better to prepare for the worst when in the planning stages, then to dump all these beautiful fish and other creatures in with each other and wake up in the morning with half of them dead or bloody. Unfortunately, though we'd all love to have every beautiful fish we can think of in the same tank living in harmony, we all have to change our plans to accommodate the needs and behaviors of the fish. I'd love to have a tank of a dozen of the beautiful bettas I see every time I go to my LFS, and have shrimp in every tank, but we all know that that probably wouldnt end well...
My male is 4.5" including his sword (which is over an inch long). He hasnt had the opportunity to go after an adult because I dont like to take that risk, but I'm sure he could easily kill one if he wanted to, though probably couldnt eat an adult in one bite. I have heard on many occasions of bettas eating shrimp, or just simply killing them for the heck of it. I've heard of multiple instances of a single betta destroying a shrimp population in a single day just to entertain himself. However, I have also heard of bettas coexisting just fine with shrimp. I've never had gouramis, but I believe they get bigger than your average betta and since they're from the same family, I would not consider them to be shrimp safe. Some might not eat shrimp, and there are probably stories of them all doing just fine together, but you are taking a big risk putting predator and prey together in the same tank.
Also, not a bro
I meant broette!
Guess I'm going to have to grown my plants out and have a large colony of shrimp before I can do anything. Might have to invest in another tank for just shrimp.
Dwarf gouramis are said to grown to about 2.5 inches max. Either way I hope I get a peaceful male betta fish.
if you want your beta peaceful the best I can think to do is keep him as a community fish from the beginning. My wife's really nice beta was originally a community fish with neon tets and corys and he did really nicely with them but he was just a tyke. We kept him as a community fish, tried GBRs...he tried to kill them, then he went in a chi with some guppies, is very nice with them, pigs out on the babies but always leaves us a perfect trio 1 boy 2 girls (no joke...4 times in a row now, ate every single fry but 1M2F) and never even looks twice at the adults.
Oh yeah, and even he will pig out on any shrimps or fry he can get at.
Oh yeah, and even he will pig out on any shrimps or fry he can get at.
What order should I introduce the fish into the tank? I was thinking along the lines of shrimp, cory, tetras, dwarf gourami, sword tail, and lastly betta.
Should I just introduce the dwarf and betta at the same time then? I heard too much at one time shockes the system.
I'd introduce the beta last after everybody else is confident and happy, that way he comes in as the low man on the totem pole...but that's just me and anecdotal. Like I said there is a spectrum of behavior and its hard to say where your fish will fall.
Ive got Dwarf Powder blue and Dwarf Flame Gourami's and let me first start by telling you that Dwarf Gourami are aggressive. They were in my 125 gallon planted tank and managed to kill 9 of 12 neons, 5 of 10 Harliqen Rasbora, 1 Juvenile Redline barb/shark, and both my male and female German blue rams in less then 5 days. Never had a loss before they were added and and watched just before I pulled them out attacking my rams, and several other fish. They left in a hurry to my QT tank. They will also eat your shrimp, If it can fit in their mouth they eat it. same with several other fish you listed. I have always read that Dwarf Gourami were great, and after doing alot more research online, ive found im not the only one thats had this issue. So from my personal experience and my research.. Not friendly fish. Not even with each other.
Oh man. Not good. Gonna have to rethink this whole Dwarf Gourami and betta fish combo.
:wall:Constevens: You got 2 differently colored gouramis which might have cause the aggression. I'm no expert but from what I read if they were the same color they probably would have got along.
What if I switch the dwarf gourami for 3 female betta fish? That way the ratio would be 1M:3F. Only problem I see though is the betta fish breeding. Should I be worried about that? Is there any way to keep them from breeding?
I would not try keeping a male with female betta's. You will have carnage on your hands. The females would be fine, or the male, but the combination of the 4 together would not end well. Breeding wouldn't be the issue, they would probably kill each other first.
