There will always be stories of somebody somewhere "successfully" keeping even the most incompatible fish together. However, this is very risky because they can suddenly duel to the death when they establish territory or just get older.

Having only two of the opposing fish also makes the odds much worse as one will be dominant and relentlessly harass the other. It is very common for the weaker fish to die of stress. And Dwarf Gourami are especially susceptible to stress. You see a tank full of these at the lfs, but there are so many that the dominant fish doesn't spend too much time harassing any one fish.

Also, you have to determine if your fish are just existing or if they are really content. Some people think their fish are just fine because there are no serious injuries. But weaker fish will often do nothing but hide and sometimes even starve to death.

Labyrinth fish, such as Gourami and Betta, notoriously do not get along with their own kind or with each other. When first starting the hobby it is easy to get caught up in wanting the fish without researching enough to understand their needs. When fish are notoriously bad together, like Labyrinth fish, it is best to not try it. Rule 1 -- don't put your own desires ahead of the fish's welfare.

I made a mistake with two male Swordtails, on bad advice from a pet store, and the dominant one harassed the other *nonstop*. As I progressed in the hobby I learned that male Swordtails are notoriously aggressive with each and that their behavior was indicative of two unhappy fish. I went out and found an lfs that would take the more aggressive one, but when I got home to bag him and take him right to the store, I found the submissive one dead. No injuries, it was stress. I'm not ever making that mistake again.

Zambize

I have 3 kissing gouramis, 2 green and 1 pink. They will school together for a bit, but most of the time, they are kissing the glass, pecking at the gravel and doing their own thing, usually in separate areas of the tank. I did notice Sunday that the smaller of the 3, the pink one, was sitting beside a decoration on the gravel and stayed there for about an hour, justing sitting, and one of the other gouramis swam by "her" since it is pink, and she chased the other one away. He came back twice, and she run him off again, but whatever she was doing, she is done now and there hasn't been anymore squabble. Not sure about the dwarf neons, but the kissing ones are pretty friendly and peaceful.

thanks a lot for the help!

Do you think petco would take the fish if I brought it to them??

Gourami are actually quite peaceful, just not with each other. LOL Your tetra are going to be stressed because they are schooling fish and you don't have enough. One reason fish school is for safety so when they are alone they feel vulnerable. If you are a schooling fish and you are suddenly alone, you're about to be someone's dinner.

But back to the Gourami. I doubt he will bother them. The top region will be his hangout and the tetra will stay mostly in the middle. He'll eat anything that can fit in his mouth though, but the Dwarf Gourami are quite small.

Do keep in mind that Gourami are slow-moving, quiet, sometimes shy fish. They are uncomfortable in a tank that is too busy or with a filter that disrupts the surface too much. I had some Zebra Danio in a 37 gallon with my Neon Blue (Tommy the Gourami, darned good fish) and I had to donate them to my lfs because they were so fast, active, and generally psycho that Tommy wouldn't come out.

It is rare that PetCo will take any fish from individuals, even returns. A local privately-owned fish store will probably take the little Gourami. Don't call first though...if you show up with him they are more likely to take him. :)

BTW, you'll be more limited in what fish you can have due to the shark, much more so than the Gourami. I have a Red-Tail Black Shark and I thought long and hard before getting him because compared to most freshwater fish, sharks have few good choices for tank mates (Gourami are one potential tank mate though!).

In my 37 gallon I have my shark, the Pearl Gourami, 7 Julii Corydoras, and 4 Platy. And that tank is full. The shark is only 1.25" right now, but he'll be 4"-6" when grown and given the speed and territorial nature of sharks, they need lots of room. In fact, I will likely get a 55 gallon for him if he does reach his potential size.

Zambize