Gourami: Species Overview And Aquarium Care Guide

Gouramis are some of the most beautiful fish in the aquarium trade and often recommended for beginners with freshwater community tanks. But not all species of gourami are peaceful and easy to care for, and some can be downright bullies. Let’s shed some light on the colorful world of gouramis and check out the most popular types!

Gourami – Overview

Introduction To Gouramis

If you walk into an aquarium store, chances are good that they’ll have at least a couple of tanks of gouramis for sale. With their tall, wide bodies and intricately patterned scales, a pair of gouramis are like swimming gems and come in a huge array of colors and sizes. 

Some species are well suited to peaceful or semi-aggressive communities and can be great options for new fish keepers, while others are more challenging to own and better left to advanced aquarists. They’re a surprisingly diverse group of fish that have differing care and habitat requirements, too.

Gourami Natural History And Habitat

Gouramis are a type of labyrinth fish found throughout a broad swath of Asia. Their range starts in the Korean Peninsula and covers most of Southeast and South Asia. Like their flashy relative, the betta fish, gouramis can breathe air at the water’s surface via their labyrinth organ, so they can survive in low-oxygen environments. 

• They’re often found in shallow or stagnant ponds, streams and waterways and are commonly raised in artificial ponds and at commercial fish farms, especially in Southeast Asia.
• Most gouramis are omnivores and feed on insects, eggs and larvae floating in the water, but they also consume plant materials and some, like the Kissing Gourami, rasp algae off of rocks and leaves.

There’s more than 130 species of gourami identified in the wild and about 15 to 20 types that are commonly bred for sale in aquatic shops. Scientists are constantly rearranging their family trees and adjusting the nomenclature, so it can be tricky to make sense of the various names used for gouramis over the years.

Gourami Gender, Size And Appearance 

It’s hard to generalize about a gourami’s size or appearance, since it really depends on the specific type you’re interested in. Species of gourami can range from 1 inch in length to over 20, so it’s important that you choose the right pair for your tank and community!

Gouramis are popular due to the vivid colors and patterns they display, but it’s the male fish that are the showstoppers and really stand out in your tank: 

• Male gouramis usually display bright iridescent colors and intricate patterns on their scales that can range from solid shades like the Blue or Gold Gourami, multi-colored fish like the blue/red Dwarf Gourami, speckled like a Sparkling Gourami, or rainbow-colored like the Paradise Fish.
• Some gouramis are noted more for their camouflage patterns rather than their colors, which is why the Banded, Snakeskin and Thick Lipped Gouramis have declined in popularity, but the slightly plain Three Spot Gourami is still one of the most popular morphs.
• Female gouramis of all types are rather plain compared to the males, and tend to be an iridescent silver or grey. It’s still best to add these fish in pairs or trios (2 females to 1 male) though, since male fish usually show off their best colors in the presence of their girlfriends!

Popular Types Of Gourami For Aquariums

Which type of gourami should you get for your aquarium? The best pair really depends on the size of your tank, the type of community you have and how experienced you are with aquatics. You can check out the table below to see a list of the most popular types and species of gourami, along with their basic requirements.

Gouramis are often advertised by their color morphs instead of under their species name, which can lead to confusion if you’re not sure exactly what you’re buying. The Blue, Gold, Opaline and Three Spot Gourami, for instance, are actually all the same species of fish, Trichogaster trichopterus, even though they look quite different!

Gourami Lifespan

The lifespan of osphronemidae members like the betta and gourami is usually between 3 and 5 years, although with diligent care it’s not uncommon for them to live a lot longer. Kissing Gouramis often make it into their second decade, and Giant Gouramis can easily survive for 20 years or more in a spacious aquarium!

Behavior And Temperament Of Gouramis

Gouramis can be peaceful and even shy, semi-aggressive or aggressive, so it’s important to match their temperament to the rest of your aquatic community. Gouramis prefer to live in groups, so it’s best to add them in pairs or trios. Avoid keeping a solo gourami, since they’ll be stressed, depressed and unhappy.

Male gouramis can be territorial with each other, and even peaceful types may squabble over female fish if they don’t have the space to maintain separate territories. Unless you have a big aquarium, it’s better to keep one male gourami per tank, but you can usually keep one to three female fish for every male.

How To Care For Your Gourami Tank

This is a brief overview of the ideal gourami set-up, but I recommend you research the specific preferences and requirements of the species you’re interested in, since there’s so much variation between the different types.

Tank Size, Set-up And Habitat Requirements

The ideal aquarium size for your pair of gouramis just depends on the species you’re keeping. Small varieties often do well in nano tanks from 10 to 30 gallons, while the larger species need from 55 to over 200 gallons. They’re usually not picky about their substrate, though, so you can use any type you prefer!

Gourami Filtration And Water Parameters

Gouramis prefer very clean and well-filtered water, but most don’t care for swimming in a current, so you may need to baffle your filtration system to reduce the flow rate across your tank. You can use any type of filter, but most are sensitive to toxins, so systems that use replaceable filter media are ideal.

As you can see in the table below, the different species have unique needs when it comes to their water parameters. Dwarf Gouramis, for instance, prefer warm environments within a narrow range, while Paradise Fish can deal with water from 61 to 79°F! 

One thing to note if you’d like to keep Chocolate or Licorice Gouramis is that they need very soft water in their tank to thrive. This parameter, along with their sensitivity to ammonia and nitrite/nitrates, are the reasons these species are only recommended for advanced or very advanced aquarists.

Lights, Plants And Decorations

Wild gouramis live in densely planted shallow waters, but they don’t like bright lights, so it’s best to use plants and decor to reduce the glare in your tank. You can also float a few almond leaves or live plants on the surface to dim things down and naturally soften the water. They prefer tanks with lots of live plants, but most also enjoy swimming in open areas, so provide them with a mix for maximum fun!

Maintenance And Health Concerns

Most gouramis are easy to care for and fairly hearty, as long as you keep up on your filter maintenance and water changes. The sensitive Chocolate and Licorice Gouramis, on the other hand, have little tolerance for toxins and are easily stressed, so it’s important to keep their tanks pristine to avoid problems.

Gouramis are prone to developing various bacterial, fungal and viral infections like fin and tail rot, dropsy, popeye, hole-in-head and columnaris, and are also susceptible to the parasites that cause Ich or White Spot Disease. Dwarf Gouramis may also pick up an untreatable and eventually fatal viral infection called the Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus (DGIR).

Feeding Your Gouramis

Gouramis are omnivores and usually do well when fed a commercial omnivore flake or pellet diet and supplemented with fresh, frozen or freeze-dried treats like brine shrimp, bloodworms, shrimp eggs, insects and larvae. You can also offer them algae wafers, spirulina flakes and freshly blanched veggies like spinach and zucchini.

Breeding Gouramis 

Gouramis are egg layers and are usually one of the easier types of fish to breed in a home aquarium. While a few are mouthbrooders or egg scatters, most gouramis build bubble nests and have similar breeding requirements to the betta fish, so you can follow these instructions if you’d like to mate your pair! 

To care for your Gourami Tank, you’ll need:

• Water conditioner
• Bucket, hose and gravel vacuum for water changes
• Filter media
• Commercial omnivore diets
• Treat foods 

Some optional but useful supplies include:

• Almond leaves to soften the water
• Plant tools, fertilizers and/or CO₂ injection systems
• Water testing kits (pH, hardness, ammonia, nitrite/nitrates)
• UV Sanitizer

Conclusion

As you can see, there’s a species of gourami suitable for nearly any type of community and most are quite easy to care for! Have you had a pair of these magnificent fish, or are you planning to start a gourami tank? Share your thoughts or questions in the comments, or come join us on social media.