Dwarf Gaurami Died...but from what?...

[edaskalos]

Alrighty peeps, I am no newcomer to gaurami or fish, but I am perplexed by how my latest neon blue dwarf gaurami died. I don't know if it was due to external or internal conditions:

I picked him and his buddy up from Petco this past Saturday and added them to my 29G tank that already had Glofish, 2 goldies, otos, and a betta (named Alpha). I noticed right away that the betta puffed himself up and started to intimidate only 1 of the new gaurami. The gaurami would keep his distance and back off slowly, but never seemed to cower in fear or run away scared. On and off all night and all day Sunday Alpha continued to do so whenever he saw the same gaurami. I never saw him actually hit the gaurami, but starting yesterday afternoon this same gaurami was swimming sideways, seemed to have issues with righting himself, had bulgy eyeball, and would vary between swimming in all levels of the tank. This morning he was dead on his side with a gradual curl to his body vertically.

Is this some sort of disease that just coincided with the betta's harrassment or did Alpha give him a fatal blow with his 'fins of fury'? Thanks for your help!

 

[unwritten law]

it was the betta... you shouldn't have mixed them.

 

[edaskalos]

Do bettas see gaurami as similar enough (same anabantoid family) to view them as a threat? He only focused on 1 of the blue neons?

 

[ValRasbora]

Goldies? Goldfish, right? Those shouldn't be with tropical fish, they're cold waters.
And gouramis shouldn't be with bettas, either.

 

[edaskalos]

The gold fish are left over from my fish-in cycling and I am actually giving them away to a friend today.

 

[unwritten law]

Do bettas see gaurami as similar enough (same anabantoid family) to view them as a threat? He only focused on 1 of the blue neons?

yes..............

 

[FroggyFox]

My guess would be that the betta probably just pushed him over the edge. He was already stressed from moving environments, new tank etc and then the bully was the final 'blow' so to speak.

Most people do not have good results mixing labyrinth fish (bettas, gouramis etc) with each other. Sometimes you can make it work with a large enough tank and enough spaces for them to get away from each other...but its kind of the luck of the draw on their individual temperaments.

 

[edaskalos]

Thanks guys. I have added more plants to elleviate any sight lines and allow some protection. I'm going to see if I make these kids get along!