A family member stopped at a pet store and purchased fish for my daughter. We had intended to get one beta for the five-gallon tank and possibly a few tiny shrimp or a snail for the 2.5 gallon tank. Both tanks have both been running for five months or longer, so we thought that shrimp might survive in one of these tanks. However, this family member was sold one beta, two mollies, and a gourami. Yikes! The female did begin to struggle almost immediately. She was struggling to breath and her gills turned red. Per Cory's molly video, I added aquarium salt (that I had luckily previously ordered from AC). I can't believe it, but she is swimming, eating, acting health! These new fish are okay at the moment, but we have to do something about this arrangement! The gourami and mollies are nipping at each other...and the wonderful mystery snail that we have been keeping in the five-gallon aquarium. My husband did not want for us to start another tank, but I don't know what else we can do. We are two hours from a pet shop, and we are not going back that way for months. I hate having the beta female in the 2.5 gallon, but she is quite small yet. For the moment, she is alright. I am looking for long-term advise. Do we have to get a 30 gallon for the mollies and gourami, then move the beta to the five gallon? Save the 2.5-gallon aquarium for a hospital? There is no way that we can set up a 10-gallon for the gourami, a 30-gallon for the mollies, and keep the two tanks that we already have established. That is just too much for a 10-year old to have to deal with. Of course I am helping her every step of the way, but these are her fish. Just adding one more large tank is pushing it, but what else can we do? Before we spend a bunch of money, I would like to have a long-term plan. Any advise is appreciated! By the way, I had never even seen a (dwarf?) gourami before, and IF I had mollies, it would have been in a community tank 20 years ago. I am very grateful for any advise regarding any of this. Thank you!
