Betta fighting gourami - Well it finally happened

As many of you know I have had my betta Jaws in my 29G community tank for months with no issues at all. Today I noticed he was charging and flaring at his own reflection...he's never done this before.
Then I kept noticing Jaws was charging and flaring at my DG! I have been warned repeatedly that these 2 fish would eventually stop playing nice with each other and it was only a matter of time until they get into a fight. My DG just kept swimming away.
But I wasn't going to take any chances so I have moved Jaws into my 10G. Now he's in there with 20 ghost shrimp and 2 neons. I plan on getting 4-6 more neons sometime in January. If Jaws goes after the neons (he never has in the past) then I will move the neons into the 29G.
Naughty betta!

 

Bettas constantly remind us who is the boss!!! Had to laugh when reading your post..... this situation has played out dozens of times with Fishlorians and we are reminded, again, that these guys do better in the long run on their own.
I am glad you had a spare 10 gallon for Jaws (Cool name by the way!!)
Glad you are adding to the neons, they really love to be in a large school and 2 is not really enough. If you add 6, you will have 8 which will look so much better and your fish will be be happier!!

 

I had the same thing happen when I had my betta in a 28g with a mirrored back. I had successfully kept him with platys, plecos, cories, and mystery snails in a 14g biocube. The current was too strong for him so I got the 28g. The mirror made him mad, and I had to separate him to a 5 gallon hex.

 

Not naughty, just nature. Bettas were made that way.

 

I think that's for the best. Often when it looks like fish are playing, they are really just sizing each other up.

 

Jaws has never done anything towards Bob (my DG) until today. They would eat right next to each other, swim by each other, etc. like they didn't care about each other at all. But Jaws changed today. He was flaring at his own reflection! He's never done that. Then he started going after Bob, granted Bob would just swim away, but I know it was only a matter of time until he decided he had enough of that. So I moved Jaws.
I bought my 10G for Jaws anyway. It's what I call the betta luxury suite with an Asian paradise theme. He's got a big rock cave, and lots of (fake) bamboo and bonsaI trees. Plus he has his betta floating log...that he now loves.
So far he hasn't messed with the neons or the shrimp. The shrimp are very curious about him though. I swear they're staring at him whenever he gets close to them. Those shrimp are so funny and interesting to watch.

 

I know it seems like it happened all of a sudden, but it didn't. The little things that you dismiss are the preliminary stages of confrontation.

 

Well I figured out why my ghost shrimp were so fascinated with Jaws. They want to eat him! Every time he would stop and rest on anything he was getting bit by these little guys!!!
So now all of my ghost shrimp are in the 29G and Jaws is in the 10G with no one to bite his fins and he can be in there in peace.

 

Sounds like Jaws has a wonderful home to call his own. I've only had Otos in with one of my bettas... none of the others even tolerated snails. The betta and otos share the same plant for resting. They do nothing even resembling eying each other, thankfully.

 

My one betta was resting on the gravel under a cory pile-up last night. Not in the least distrubed... that same betta absolutely hated the mystery snail I had in there and tormented it relentlessly. Strange critters

 

I thought bettas will eat ghost shrimp o_o

 

they can. Doesn't mean they will.

 

Nasty shrimp trying to eat poor Jaws

 

Not naughty, just nature. Bettas were made that way.

Amen.......