Can Pearl Gourami and Bettas Live Together?

Pearl Gourami and Betta fish are both nice and great fish to have in your aquarium. They are classified to be in the same family, so they have similar behaviors and are almost the same size, but the question is, can they be able to coexist with each other in a tank? You will learn everything about Betta and Pearl gournami’s coexistence.

Can Pearl Gourami and Betta Fish Live together? Yes, Pearl Gouramis and Betta fish can live in a tank if the tank is wide enough with plants, caves, gravels and substrates.

Contrary to some opinions of people who might have kept both fish together and saw them fight, they can be kept in a tank if all their normal living conditions are met.

You might be surprised and will start wondering what I meant.

Well, I will explain everything in this article.

First we will have to compare the suitable water conditions and temperament of the 2 animals.

Pearl Gourami Water Conditions and Temperament.

Pearl Gouramis are tropical fish and so need to live in a temperate environment.

A pearl gournami can grow to a size of 3-4 inches, especially the male.

Tank Level: Top, mid-dweller
Temperature: 77 F to 82 F (25 C to 28 C)
PH: 5.5 to 7.5
Hardness: 2 to 30 dH

Also they’re very fast and can nip at anything they could see move.

They don’t tolerate much cold, so you might have to get them a heater.

And also getting them aquarium plants is nice.

Although they are social and love to live in groups, but they are considered semi aggressive because of their nipping behavior.

Just like any other fish, they are omnivores and could eat both meat, plants and fish foods.

Betta Fish Water Conditions and Temperament

Bettas are tropical fish that prefer calm water with a pH between 6.8 and 7.5. While they may seem to tolerate cooler temperatures, they will be inactive and more susceptible to diseases, therefore it’s best for their overall health to keep the temperature between 76° and 85° F.

They dwell in freshwater with very low salinity and do prefer a calm water with a hardiness of GH 5-20.

Providing them with a small heater of about 5 watts power and aquarium plants is best for them.

Just like any other fish, they are omnivores and could eat both meat, plants and fish foods.

As you can see from the above list of their temperaments and suitable water conditions, they are very alike, which means they can comfortably live in the same water without any of them being uncomfortable.

So judging for their characters, they can can live with each other in their different groups but under some conditions.

– The tank must be large enough to give them enough space.

Normally a group of Pearl Gourami of 2 or 3 females and 1 male should need not less than a 50 gallon tank because they are fast swimmers and need more room.

So when trying to get them and Bettas together, then you will be needing up to 75+ gallon tank because they must live in groups.

– Another important condition to be met before keeping them together is providing them with a natural habitat like having caves, gravels, plants in their tanks so that they Bettas will have to be busy with them while ignoring the Gouramis.

With these two things in place, then you can successfully keep these two fish without any serious troubles.

Although it’s true that both are semi aggressive and are almost of the same size, but Bettas are a little bit more aggressive than the pearls and would try to nip at their fins if they get the chance to.

What to do if your Betta is chasing Pearl Gourami Fish?

Sometimes you might see the Bettas chasing the pearls all over the tank.

Although pearls are faster than Bettas, But if such happens, then what will you do?

First of all, the reasons why Bettas might get fully aggressive is either because they’re alone, the tank space is not enough and they are less busy and finally if they’re lacking enough oxygen.

This is exactly the reason I said they can live with Pearl Gouramis if conditions are met.

These conditions like I mentioned above involves getting a more bigger tank that can contain these fish and their groups and also putting in place some natural habitat look alike that will always keep the Bettas busy.

Another necessary thing which every fish keeper must always do is to check the oxygen level of their tank.

Especially when the Bettas start going to the surface for air.

So if you have all these things in place, I don’t think they can stand on each other’s way, and so the Bettas won’t need to be chasing your pearl Gouramis around.

Will Betta fish Eat Pearl Gourami?

Also you might want to know if they could be able to eat pearl Gouramis since they are antagonistic to each other.

Will Betta fish eat pearl gourami? Yes, but it’s not a very common thing. Both pearl gournami and betta fish are almost the same size, but pearl gouramis are faster. So for Betta fish to eat pearl gouramis, then the gouramis would have died.

What am honestly trying to say is, there is no way a Betta fish can kill and eat a pearl gournami.

The only way it can happen is if the Bettas wound them by nipping at their fins which could weaken them and may make them to become sick which they might eventually die from, then the Bettas can now eat them after they’re dead.

All these can be avoided if the conditions I mentioned above are met, then you will have less aggression from both Bettas and pearls.

How many Pearl Gouramis can live with Betta Fish?

As you have known, the two fish could live at least up to 75-80% peacefully if their natural habitats could be replicated in their aquarium, you might want to know how many of each of these species of fish you can keep.

Both Betta and Pearl Gouramis are of the same family and they share many features such as living in groups.

So keeping 3 or 4 of each of these fish in a tank, which the male being minority is the ideal way to achieve some percentage of peace, as the male are far more aggressive than the female.

So having 3-4 Bettas and the same for Pearl Gouramis is normal.

Can Female Pearl Gourami live with Female Bettas

Yes, female Bettas and Pearl Gouramis are far less aggressive compared to their male counterparts, so they can be able to tolerate each other.
The male of these two fish are aggressive even among themselves, so that’s why it is important to keep less males and more of Females in a single tank.

So the females will tolerate themselves.

Although female Pearl Gouramis are shy especially when they are alone without their own species, so theyhe will always hide in caves, thereby staying out of the Bettas way.

Conclusion

Like I always advise, the best tank mate is of the same specie.

mixing animals of different species might not give themselves a 100% cooperation and coexistence.