# 65G Tank with Gourami/betta and platies



## george (Apr 11, 2009)

After getting the tank from James, I started to think of something that will be nice in my living room.

The pictures are not that great but at least I try.

I have pearl gourami, platies and a Royal Blue Betta with 2 common pleco.

I also have 17 cardinals in quarantine with 2 other platy females and 1 in breeding.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

the gouramis and Betta do fine together?


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

Yeah, they're doing quite nicely. 

I spend several hours in front of the tank and I never saw any hostility between them. Sometimes he is being "pushed" by the biggest female gourami but she does that to everyone.

Even when I'm feeding them he just goes, eats his food and them swims away. Most of the times he's waiting on us to feed him because he got used to receive his betta food from our hands.


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

The rock that is not that visible has some assasin snail egg casing on it so I'm waiting for them to hach.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

Looks good!


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

I also have some anubias nana and 2 more java fern bought online for $1.25 each ( I know it's expensive  ) which are in QT and will be put most likely this weekend with the cardinals.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

You have 3F, 2M 1 too small and at an odd angle to sex pearl gouramis.

That won't work long term. You can keep 1m 3f if you wish.

You will need to remove the betta before the pearls reach full maturity and their territorial tendancies kick in.

I've got a lot of anabantoid experience. The betta has to go. I'd remove 1 male pearl as well as the little guy.

The males are the ones with longer dorsal fins and 'skirts' on the anal fin.



Riceburner said:


> the gouramis and Betta do fine together?


Not for long


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

AquariaAM,

In my tank there are 2M and 4F. I do not understand why I should 1 male and the little one(which is a female). Can you please explain more?

As related to betta, I intend to remove it but I needed his tank for QT so I was happy that we has getting along with my gourami for the time being. So it's just something temporary.

I'm keeping my eye on them anyway. On the other hand, adding some (17 cardinals - between 3/4" and 1") would lead to an ammonia spike? So far everything the levels are OK.

Thank you.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

george said:


> AquariaAM,
> 
> In my tank there are 2M and 4F. I do not understand why I should 1 male and the little one(which is a female). Can you please explain more?
> 
> ...


You know your tank and your biocapacity better than I do. You have to make a judgement call on the cardinals.

You can't LIKELY (it's not impossible) house two fully grown adult male pearls once they become fully territorial. They will fight. Sometimes intensely. Keep an eye on it. Just make sure you do the right thing if it gets rough.


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

Thanks AquariAM.

That's a great advice. So far they are very happy to be together and to be honest, the bigger female is more dominant than the males. And I know she is a female. Did my homework with you guys, remember?

This evening I am going to add the cardinals and tomorrow a water change and then I will keep an extra eye on them. The cardinal are at the moment in a 15G QT tank for 2 weeks and they are all healthy so it's time for reunion. 

Also I'm happy that my small pleco which to be honest I have no ideea what type it is (maybe I will try to take a picture with him) is very happy guarding his food even if he is only about 1 inch and the gourami are bigger than him.

I was thinking in buying an Eheim 2213 for the tank. Should I leave the TopFin HOB or remove it?

All in all, I'll keep you guys posted.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

george said:


> Thanks AquariAM.
> 
> That's a great advice. So far they are very happy to be together and to be honest, the bigger female is more dominant than the males. And I know she is a female. Did my homework with you guys, remember?
> 
> ...


Get a 2215. It's not much more money and it's much higher capacity. Leave your other filters in place. You can set the Eheim up in a way that won't create much more current. Pearl gouramis _hate_ current, and you have to work around that. You can find used 2215's for about $100. Eheims are well made and as long as you test it out and make sure all the seals and valves are in good shape, the impeller and shaft aren't worn and there's no signs of damage, there's no reason you won't get 10 years out of it at home or more.

You should get a big clump of hornwort and put it the surface of the tank at the top so the gouramis can hang out and spawn in it. They like being in floating plants. You can use soft plastic plants suction cupped to the back of the tank. It still works. Not quite as well but I've done it and it get's the job done. Horwort will survive under most lighting conditions and it's cheap .


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

AquariAM,

You suggest letting them spawn in the same tank? Or in a breeding tank?

And I found a nice deal http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753158&lmdn=Brand

I will go and check it tomorrow.


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

This is the tank after I planted some additional plants (which my plecos decided they are not welcomed).


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Add some branchy driftwood and some rocks. You should have a thicker setup for both the tetras and gouramis. It doesn't have to be plants. Lots of branches will achieve the same effect. The discoloration (tanins) in the water will be appreciated by both fish. 

If you have lots of floating plants in the tank, and since the tank is big, if you set it up right and get the right ratio of fish, they can spawn in the tank. Your odds of actually having them rear the fry on the other hand are nil as they will be eaten by other gouramis/tetras/etc. 

If you want to actually raise the fry, I'd wait until they hatch in the main tank and as soon as they start to swim around, which is when they'd get eaten, very carefully scoop them out into their own tank. The 'defense perimiter' a male pearl gourami will put up will only take up about one quarter of your aquarium if the spawn is in a top corner.


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

This is after a few hours of aquascaping. What do you guys think?


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## tranceaddict (Apr 3, 2011)

how about some background plants, or a wallpaper. the fish might go insane with all the reflections going on in there.


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## george (Apr 11, 2009)

The plant you see on the back left corner is a val growing up to 48". And I separated all the babies (~7) and they are all in the back. In about 1 month you will not see the back.


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