Dwarf Gourami Vs Betta

[Gabs19]

Hello! I’m new to the hobby and four months ago I got my first betta and sadly he passed away recently. I’d like to eventually get another single fish for my 10 gallon community tank. My husband really fell in love with the female powder blue dwarf gouramis at the store. But I’m a little worried I won’t find them enjoyable/interesting. My betta had an adorable personality. At the same time, I fussed over my betta so much, especially over the last month when he really started to decline. I feel like I might be a little betta-traumatized lol. I did hear that plakat bettas tend to be healthier since their fins are much shorter and they are not as susceptible to fin rot. Can anyone can confirm this? 
 

If anything has thoughts about plakat bettas or gouramis, let me know. Taking a few days to think about it. 

[ange]

Gouramis are some of my favorite fish and have just as much personality. Bettas are kind of controversial as a "beginner fish" because of how fragile and prone to illness they are so I can't blame the betta trauma. I've had several over the years (and even more gouramis) and  personally found gouramis much easier to keep in a "thriving" state. I currently have 15 gouramis if that says anything 😅 The best part of their personality (to me) is how they tend to use their specialized pectoral fins. My thick lipped girls and my honeys both put their pecs up to the glass if you put your finger against it and it's one of the cutest things ever.

The bettas that I've kept have been a mix of long finned varieties as well as plakat and I've personally run into health issues with both. While I've definitely never had an issue with rot and tail biting in plakats, I have still run into health issues with them. These mostly revolved around eye issues (two different fish) and parasitic infestations (one fish). I don't think it's too much of a stretch to call bettas heartbreak fish because people get so attached to them in spite of the problems that they come with. They're almost the pugs of aquariums.

[Gabs19]

The pugs of aquariums is a great analogy 😂  Thanks for your input @ange it’s nice to know gouramis have personality too. We’re definitely leaning toward one at this point 😊

[Hannah Parker]

I've had to take a break from buying bettas as well. They are just so unhealthy at this point. My last girl I bought from a LFS and I brought her back from the brink of death, only for the infection to come back and kill her a couple of months later. The best luck I've had so far is my giant male plakat that I bough online from keepfishkeeping.com. If you try another betta, I really would only order it online from a reputable source. I know that KG Tropicals works directly with their betta breeder, so I feel very reassured with their betta stock. 

Other than bettas, I've had pairs and trios of honey gouramis that are so personable, curious and adorable. The great thing about honeys is that they're so small you could easily keep a pair or trio in your 10g 🙂 

[Gabs19]

Thank you both so much! I’m kind of excited about the idea of a gourami now! Also thanks for acknowledging that bettas are sickly. I felt so guilty while my little guy was declining. I’m sure my inexperience contributed in some way, but it’s a little comforting to know that others have struggled with them as well. Maybe I’ll think of getting another down the road, but for now I’m looking forward to trying something new! 

[Gabs19]

We bought a powder blue female gourami. She is so cute ☺️ We’ve had her less than a day but she is glass surfing and swimming back and forth quickly. Should I be worried? She’s in a 10 gallon with glow light tetras, a pleco, a loach, 3 Pygmy corys, and two snails. 

[Hannah Parker]

On 5/14/2022 at 5:39 PM, Gabs19 said:

We bought a powder blue female gourami. She is so cute ☺️ We’ve had her less than a day but she is glass surfing and swimming back and forth quickly. Should I be worried? She’s in a 10 gallon with glow light tetras, a pleco, a loach, 3 Pygmy corys, and two snails. 

I wouldn't be worried yet, your tank looks well planted and decorated. She's probably still getting used to her surroundings 🙂 Because of your stocking of the tank, just try and make sure you're doing weekly water changes so that water quality stays nice and you should have happy fish 🙂 It's hard to tell without more details, but if she continues glass surfing for a week or so you might have a problem. Hopefully not though and good luck!