Loaches Online Forum

Any one keep zebra loaches with pearl gouramies? I have a planted 36 gal bow front with 8 Zebra Loaches and 7 Harlequin Rasboras and would like to move my male Pearl gourami too. I had a betta with them at first who enjoyed their company until the alpha loach nip his fin at meal time.

If the Loach was bothering a Betta, I would not add a Pearl Gourami. They hang out more or less at the top, and are not very active, very much like most Bettas, and they have long pectoral fins that some fish like to nip. Tail and other fins are short, though.

Might be worth trying, but have a back up plan. The Pearl could not go in the same tank as the Betta, if the Loaches are too nippy.

Include a fair amount of plants so the Pearl can hide if needed. The plants may also screen the top of the tank so the Loaches are not quite as aware that there is another fish up there.

Thanks for the response. The betta actually spent nearly all his time at the bottom and would eat off the substrate as well, until the loaches worked up the courage to eat with him. Now the bettas in my shrimp tank (he lets cherries crawl on him and clean his fins for some reason) getting genocidal on my scud infestation. The gourami may be almost 5 inches, but has at least as much finnage as my betta, so he is going to continue ruling my amazon tank.