Such Personality Differences

[AndiH]

My daughter and I went and bought 2 new bettas as well as a couple of dwarf gourami. We each chose a blue and red betta, but mine is a royal blue washed with red while hers is a steel blue bicolor.

Its not just the colors that are different. Their personalities are night and day. I originally put the steel in with the gouramis, as much because they needed to be quarantined as anything, and the royal into the 1g. It wasnt 20 minutes later I was pulling the steel out and putting it in the 1g while I tried the royal with the gourami. That went very well aside from initial flaring.

A couple of days later, I had to put the steel in with my cories because the heater failed in the 1g and since I live in Minnesota, didn't want to risk it. He didn't like the cories either! He is now solo in the 5g. The royal and the gouramies are in with the cories and seem to be getting along well.

The tanks are side by side and the steel still flares at the other fish in the larger tank so I've had to put something between them. I wonder if I dare give him a companion of shrimp or snails or something LoL.

[dramaqueen]

Bettas and gouramis are from the same family and both are aggressive and territorial.

[Jupiter]

Yeah, what dramaqueen said. You normally can't keep them together successfully. Dwarf gouramis are such cute little guys though! I used to have 3.

[ChristinaRoss]

their cute but can be meanies lol

[AndiH]

I don't know. I did my homework and checked several sites and the conclusion is it was possible with some bettas. So far its working with the royal and he seems to totally ignore the other fish. The gourami arent jumpy either. I know it can change at any time so I am prepred to move him if need be.