# gourami vs betta



## Delta_Raven (20 May 2013)

hello all...
so this is my conundrum,  I have recently joined the aquascaping hobby and have started a beautifully planted tank. now it's time to start adding some fish, but I can't decide between a pair of dwarf gouramis or a pair of bettas? so I wanted to ask you for your favorites and maybe some pros and cons...
thanks peeps.
Delta


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## Nutty (20 May 2013)

by Betta do you mean _Betta splendens_ (Siamese fighting) if so you can only keep one male Betta in a tank (not sure it goes for all Betta species though)...
but you can have multiple male gourami = more colour in the tank.


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## Delta_Raven (20 May 2013)

yeah I meant siamese. when I said pair I also meant 1 male 1 female.
so would you go for color nutty?


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## Nutty (20 May 2013)

hmm, i suppose it depends on the size of the tank and the colours in your scape.

there are so many colourings for betta that you could chose one that would give a good contrast to it and would pop out at you when you looked at the tank and be a nice focal point. and i've seen a lot more females around lately with good colours too which is nice!

But i have a soft spot for the Dwarf Gourami   so probably a little biased, and i think they look great shoaling especially if you can fit 4+ in the tank 

its a difficult one, if i could i'd have two tanks and go with one set in each  ... you've got me wishing now eheh, sorry my helpfulness has disappeared!


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## sparkyweasel (20 May 2013)

How big is the tank? If it's big enough you could have both. 
If it's small, I would be cautious about more than one male Dwarf Gourami (with one or more females). They can get quite territorial when in breeding condition. Several in a large tank should be OK, as the aggression gets shared out, but two males is risky.
What other fish are you thinking of having? A Siamese Fighter would be a prime target for anything with fin-nipping tendencies, but Dwarf Gouramis much less so.


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## sa80mark (20 May 2013)

I bred betta for many years and have seen similar questions no end of times, betta are not a pair fish and should never be kept in groups of pairs, other people will give a different opinion but honestly it will end in either a dead fish or a badly beaten fish if your set on the betta species look into betta simplex these are extremely well suited to a planted tank and can be kept in groups of say 1 male to 2 + females, failing that a lone male betta would be a fantastic fish to choose although other tank mates would need considerable thought and research

Mark


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## sciencefiction (21 May 2013)

I wouldn't have any of them if you are talking about a high tech tank. These fish don't like much flow at all.
As sa80mark suggested, do not get a male and female betta in one tank unless conditioned to breed, which is only temporary. Otherwise one will end up dead before you even blink.


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## ale36 (21 May 2013)

^^^  Same as Above ^^^^


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## Reidy (21 May 2013)

i have had  guarami's and there cool but i think the siamese is one of the nicest looking fresh water fish about if you decide to go with the siamese fighter get a lone one. there not great even with the females also their terrible for attacking guppies too


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## Delta_Raven (21 May 2013)

Thanks for all the feedback...
I have a Fluval roma 90, and was thinking of having a nice school of about 20 neon tetras and a centre point fish to catch your eye.
I don't want anything to big as I already have some red cherry shrimp so I don't want them getting eaten.



sa80mark said:


> I bred betta for many years and have seen similar questions no end of times, betta are not a pair fish and should never be kept in groups of pairs, other people will give a different opinion but honestly it will end in either a dead fish or a badly beaten fish if your set on the betta species look into betta simplex these are extremely well suited to a planted tank and can be kept in groups of say 1 male to 2 + females, failing that a lone male betta would be a fantastic fish to choose although other tank mates would need considerable thought and research
> 
> Mark


 
I never knew they would fight with their females too, very helpful info. Guess I may just go with the Dwarf Gourami's.
Unless someone else can sway my mind again, I used to be indecisive...know I am just not sure anymore!


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## roadmaster (21 May 2013)

Might Google..  Irodovirous among Dwarf Gourami before choosing fishes.
Honey gourami or Pearl gourami are said not to be as suceptible to the virus.


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## MirandaB (21 May 2013)

What sort of water do you have in your area,hard or soft?
Not sure what filter you are using but 20 neons is going to put you at around 70% stocked and that's not taking into account any water displacement from decor so you'd need to think carefully about what else you want to put in


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## Delta_Raven (21 May 2013)

wow, MirandaB you're using some real big words there. 70% stocked with displacement???
So I have a 90L and after the bogwood and substate I think it's around 80L.
I didn't think that neons would put a big strain on anything, they're so small.
As for Honey & Pearl Gourami's how big do they get roadmaster?


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## MirandaB (21 May 2013)

Lol sorry didn't mean it to sound complicated.
I have a planted Roma 90l too and it's only stocked with little fish but even though they're small it all adds up in terms of waste


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## Delta_Raven (21 May 2013)

I feel like I am hijacking my own thread here, but how do you work out stack capacity MirandaB? Also do you have tank pics and specs somewhere in the forums, I would love to see the set up you're using?
On that note, do you vote for Betta or Gourami? (or was it neither?)


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## MirandaB (21 May 2013)

I tend to use AqAdvisor site for stocking...it's not perfect but it does give you a rough guide and advice on compatibility of the fish you would like.
My stock is 17 celestial pearl danio's,9 Rosy Loaches,4 endlers,cherry shrimp and a few nerite snails.
I love Betta's but as has already been mentioned they don't like much flow and are best kept on their own so Gouramis would be better (excuse the pun lol) but as has also been mentioned it is difficult to get healthy stock


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## Michael W (21 May 2013)

I'm shocked no one has mentioned the sparkling gourami. It stays relatively small and can develop a nice red and blue hue around the fins. They can also be kept in a little group of say around 4-5, they can spar at time especially before breeding but no harm is caused, at least when I kept them they didn't. If you tank and its environment is quiet you can hear them make clicking sounds.

Michael.


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## MirandaB (21 May 2013)

Good call Michael, I had completely forgotten about those


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## Michael W (21 May 2013)

Thanks  They are easily over looked by people who visit stores as they appear relatively bland but under the right care they will live up to their name.


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## roadmaster (22 May 2013)

Sparkling gourami could also work.
The few I have kept,(scarce around here) were very secretive and seldom ventured out from the plant's for viewing.
But they are pretty in stained water.


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## Bandersnatch (22 May 2013)

Yep I would give points to sparkling gouramis, they are really nice little fish.


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## Delta_Raven (23 May 2013)

Ok, so now that all the votes are in I have made my decision.
(insert drum roll here)
I am going to go with sparkling gourami's, I love that they'll stay small enough to live happily with the neons and shrimp and that I can keep them in a small group of 4-5.
Thanks all for the suggestions, but especially to Michael for the sparkling idea, you win 20 ukaps points or something!



Michael W said:


> I'm shocked no one has mentioned the sparkling gourami. It stays relatively small and can develop a nice red and blue hue around the fins. They can also be kept in a little group of say around 4-5, they can spar at time especially before breeding but no harm is caused, at least when I kept them they didn't. If you tank and its environment is quiet you can hear them make clicking sounds.
> 
> Michael.


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## tim (23 May 2013)

Sparkling gouramis are beautiful fish but, (don't you hate buts) not always shrimp friendly I'm afraid, will gang up on adult dwarf shrimp and religiously pick the eggs off berried shrimp in my experience, just for info mate.


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## Delta_Raven (26 May 2013)

oh no... so that means I am back to square one???


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## Michael W (26 May 2013)

Not necessarily, it is very hard keeping most fish with shrimps. As far as I know any gourami or betta will treat shrimps as snacks. If you really want to keep some shrimps with fish you can either try some of the smaller rasboras like galaxy rasboras or even otto catfish. You like the looks of Sparkling Gouramis why not try to plant more heavily with plants like mosses to ensure a higher survival rate of shrimps. Alternatively keep the shrimps first, let their population build before adding fish.

Michael W.


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## Delta_Raven (26 May 2013)

thanks again Michael, I think that's a good idea. Let the tank run grow plants and breed shrimp till the tank is established. After that give the gourami's/betta a go.
I may just have to restart the thread once the tank is ready then. Thanks everyone for your input!


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## Michael W (26 May 2013)

Delta_Raven said:


> thanks again Michael, I think that's a good idea. Let the tank run grow plants and breed shrimp till the tank is established. After that give the gourami's/betta a go.
> I may just have to restart the thread once the tank is ready then. Thanks everyone for your input!


 
No problem Delta. Give it a shot, I have been keeping red cherry shrimps with my pearl gouramis even though they will occasionally find the shrimps to eat but I have a breeding colony of them so I don't worry too much. At the end of the day its natural for them to prey on things that are smaller than themselves.

Michael.


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## Zara (9 Aug 2013)

If you are planning on getting Neon Tetras, a beautiful Betta would be an excellent centerpiece fish. Especially if you can find a red, blue, or red and blue one. I have a Red Devil Betta in with my Neon Tetras and they are the perfect compliment to his coloration. Don't ever put in two males or a male and a female, though females can be kept in groups of uneven numbers. Also, take care when purchasing your Betta and either buy from a reputable breeder, or from a fish store that has the Bettas housed in suitable tanks. Bettas bought in cups or bags are in terrible condition and typically die soon after buying, not to mention you can get better quality fish (both health and aesthetic wise) from a breeder. Try aquabid.com to find the perfect one.  I also keep my Betta in a high tech planted tank with no problems with the flow. Just make sure there are lots of plants where he can rest, and consider investing in a "Betta Log," which they LOVE. Bettas are also very good in terms of shrimp. Mine has pecked at them, but Bettas are much too slow to catch a healthy shrimp. They are opportunistic feeders though and if a baby shrimp were to swim by it may get eaten, though, I find this helps to keep shrimp populations in check, as my Betta eats some, but not all. I'll attach a few pictures of my boy so you can see how Neon Tetras are the perfect compliment to his coloration. I definitely recommend a Betta as your centerpiece fish!


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## Viv (9 Aug 2013)

I haven't finished reading replies yet tso this might have been said already but betta splendens will also eat red cherry shrimp. I had one in a 60 l and put a few shrimp in as I thought they'd be okay - lots of rocky nooks to hide on. The fish managed to get just about all of them 

Viv


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## dean (16 Aug 2013)

Why not a nice male fighter plus the group of sparkling gourami, I have them together no problems


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## justissaayman (17 Aug 2013)

None of my betta touch the shrimp in my tanks. Just saw two dragon betta at my lfs today........ 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4


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