# Mixing Anabantids?



## 207lauras (Jan 28, 2009)

Hey everyone! So I just brought my 4 calico angels to my lfs and the very helpful woman who has worked there forever was super excited because she was bringing them home for herself! Made me feel much better about giving them up after having them for some long.

Onto my question: I have 1 VERY lazy male betta who is now the largest fish in my tank (I have NEVER seen him flare up or chase any of my other fish). In the next month or two I will be adding more approx. 8 more pygmy corys, 6 neon tetra and 4 L-144's. I am looking to add a few more larger top/mid dwelling fish and the woman at the lfs recommended the pearl gourami. I was checking them out and I think they are beautiful. All that I have read online say they are a great for a community tank as they are one of the more mild types of gouramis. 
So the question is can I put a few in with my betta?


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

From what a lot of people have told me, it's the other fish and not the betta that you have to worry about being the nippers. 
We haven't had good luck with bettas and community tanks, but I'm glad you have. We put a beautiful betta in a community tank overnight until we could get him his own and the next morning, his entire tail was gone. Thank goodness, it's grown about halfway back so far. 
If several sources say pearl gouramis are mild, then I'd believe them. Just keep an eye on him and how he interacts with the betta to make sure they mesh.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i have kept and bred pearls gouramies..they are a stunning fish.
but you have to be really careful with them..they can secrete a toxin in their mouth that they will spit into your eyes when you open the lid to feed them..if this gets into your eyes , you will go blind and crazy.....
actually they are a fairly peaceful fish..i think a few of them will do nicely in your 40..they get pretty good sized..about 5-6 inches overall.and when in breeding dress the males become quite spectacular..
graceful;beautiful and peaceful...you can't ask for more than that..


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## 207lauras (Jan 28, 2009)

hey thanks for the feedback (and the mini heart attack Loha!) I think this may be the way to go. If I get 3 of them should there be a 2 female to 1 male ratio? Do you think that will be too much fish for the 40?


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## daniel89 (Nov 28, 2009)

if it helps, i have 2 gold 1 opaline and 1 dwarf gourami with a male betta and i also have a electric blue jack dempsey, a 7 inch black ghost knife, 2 angels, a red tail shark also with him along with alot of seprea tetra's neons and glow like neons and a few zebra danios with some plecos and everyone gets along great.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Usually I say don't mix betta and gourami. But pearl are about the mildest gourami and once upon a time I had a betta, some angels, and 2 pearl gouramis in a 55. The betta mostly hid in the plants, but the gourami didn't bother him or vice-versa. The angels were the aggressors.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i think the 40 will be fine with those fish..

dan..i see great calamity in your future..


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

I do too, Loha... I'm surprised that Red Tail hasn't killed half that tank already


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

it's not the red tail that i would worry about..without the aid of a search engine;do you know where the jack dempsey got it's name from???


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## br00tal_dude (Dec 26, 2009)

OO OOi want to guess some carzy guy name "Jack Dempsey" possibely a serial killer?


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## br00tal_dude (Dec 26, 2009)

aww google says i'm wrong... He was a boxer...


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

you cheated br00t..
yes..jack dempsey was a famous boxer...bare knuckle too i believe..
boxers are pugilists..from that comes the term "pugnacious" ; which is a common term used for combative or aggressive fish.


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## br00tal_dude (Dec 26, 2009)

i recorded my guess first! so it isn't cheating i was just checking my work =p


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