Depends on the gourami. Some gouramis can be fiercely territorial. Stay away from Kissing fish (which are gouramis), blue gouramis, gold gouramis and platinums. Moonlights and pearls are fairly peaceful. So are honey gouramis and sunset gouramis (both are dwarf gouramis).

Moonlights get very large, though - up to 5-6 inches. Pearls get to about 4 inches in length.

Personally I think you'd be fine with honey or sunset dwarf gouramis. Get them in pairs, they like company.

And if you do go to a 29 gallon - get more cories! Cories are most fun when they're grouped in at least 3s. Otos would be a good addition as well.

You need to think of middle level fish. Honey and sunset gouramis will hover at the top level like the betta. Cories will be at the bottom. Probably a small school of black neons or small tetras can do for the center level.

Sometimes danios can get too nippy for keeping with Bettas.

I have a 29 gallon community tank, with a betta and a blue gourami. They don't mind eachother and the betta only flares to the gourami once a while out of boredom.
{{gwi:375478}}

Unfortunately, I think it's a tough decidion that depends heavily on personalities of the perticular individuals.

I'd definitely agree with the advice of no Kissing fish. I had some in a tank several years ago and they killed one siamese fighting fish and the only reason they didn't kill the second one was because it was smart and hid in the plastic plants where they couldn't see it, only coming up for air when they were busy chasing the other fish. They also killed several iridescent sharks I had in the tank. I personally wouldn't risk it and get any Gourami. There's just too big of a chance of it attacking the betta. Neons are a good idea. I had some of them in the tank with the betta. The iridescent sharks didn't bother the betta. I don't remember the name of them but they had bright, neon colors to their bodies.

hey yanggers, your opaline/blue gourami looks like a female and thats *probably* why you arent having problems.

In general gouramis and bettas dont mix as they are both anabantids with bad attitudes...

That being said, my son has two dwarf gouramis in a 10g with his betta and no probs... again i think its because his are female as well...

i forgot to mention that ghost shrimp make nice tankmates for bettas. I have a 5.5 gal with a male and female betta + a dozen or so ghost shrimp and they all live together very happily...

I certainly WOULDNT recommend an Irridescent shark unless you have an obscenely large tank. Pet stores shouldnt sell these fish at all in my opinion, its so cruel. The average joe couldnt even afford a tank large enuff to house that fish...

sarah bella,
that makes sense that females would be calmer. That said, I am sure my gourami is male: pointy dorsal fin, and it used to chase another blue gourami constantly when i had that one briefly.
Thanks!

I have a 20 gallon with 2 male opalines, a male and a female dwarf flame, 2 male mickey mouse platies, and 1 betta. The only fish that is bothered by the betta is the male flame gourami, mostly because the betta is a little territorial. He doesn't nip at the fins, just chases him away. It all depends on the fish though, I would have a standby tank on hand just in case you need to remove the betta.

hi, I have 1x pearl gourami 1x flame dwarf gourami and 1x betta all males in a 20g tank.. don't ask how but they all get along happily

Gouramis and betta do not always mix well. I would recommend more cotydoras and 2 different types of schooling fish that can get along with your betta ( perhaps a school of 6 bleeding heart tetras and 10 or more harlequins). If your space allows you can also get a bristlenose pleco.

Yes, so long as you are mindful. We have a male betta and a male Dwarf gourami in the same 20 gallon tank. They haven’t exchanged so much as an angry glance. We did pick one of the shyer looking bettas in the shop, and when we later bought the gourami we did put him in the birthing tank we use for the guppies for a few hours to allow the betta to get used to his smell and check for reaction in a safe way. Our tank is fully planted with plenty of spots for a fishy time out, and there are no females of either species, which we think all probably helps. It probably also helps that the gourami is slightly bigger than the betta, who just swims away if he gets too close, just as he does with the rest of the fish. We did read that Dwarfs are the least aggressive, which is why we chose this variety of gourami. We also keep guppies, platys, a German Ram, tetra, long fin danios and a bristlenose pleco in the same peaceful tank.

I have a gold gourami and ophaline gourami and a betta and a platty all in a 10 gal and they are great together