His Little🦊

We’ve all seen them, most of us have probably wanted them, and some of us have kept them and will never turn back from them. The fish we know as gouramis are incredibly popular and are some of the staples to the hobby, with such a variety that it’s hard to not find them as some of the most accessible groups of fish around. From the majestic, to the odd, and the smallest of all, the gouramis are certain to find a place in your heart.

So, what’s really a gourami? 

The gouramis are a group of East Asian, and African, fishes that typically inhabit still, soft waters with a low pH and are densely planted. The term ‘gourami’ actually applies to Abanantoidei, which includes the climbing perches (Anabantidae), the kissing gouramis (Helostomatidae), and the rest (Osphronemidae), which would be species of Betta, Trichogaster and Macropodus, plus more! All of these are gouramis, believe it or not, but generally when we think of gouramis we are thinking of Luciocephalinae, which we’re all familiar with. These are the honey gouramis, opaline gouramis and pearl gouramis, among more. After that would be the Macropodusinae, which are the paradise fish, bettas, sparkling gouramis and the blackwater licorice gouramis, with a few extra tossed in. Outside of this are the monstrous Osphronemus, or the giant gouramis, animals suited only in public facilities due to their massive size and care needs. And then there are the Belontia, or comb tail gouramis, which are not really seen in the hobby much and can be a challenge to find. 

Many of these fish are soft water or blackwater specialists, meaning they either require moderately soft, acidic water to thrive or super soft, very low pH water tea stained with tannins in order to do well in captivity. An example of a clear water, low pH gourami would be the sparkling gourami, which lives in the waterways surrounding the Mekong, while the licorice gouramis are shy, blackwater specialists that do best in water the color of a good Irish breakfast and are found in peat bogs with a pH as low as 4. A more familiar gourami that should be kept in a blackwater setting is the pearl gourami, though many keepers are unaware of this and choose to keep them in clear water settings. 

Some, however, aren’t as picky! The paradise fish are wide spread, adapting well to a variety of water conditions, and the honey gourami similarly does well in a wide variety of water types as the Ganges river has a wild swing in pH during the year because of the monsoon season. 

Remember that for these fish, a planted and well decorated tank is a must! These fish can be shy and come from well planted environments, not fast flowing, plant-free ones, so their natural instinct is to expect the security that plant growth and cover would provide!

Below is just a profile of some of the gouramis out in the market, there’s countless more (not to mention all the wild bettas out there) that wouldn’t fit in a brief survey of a post that this is. 

The pearl gourami, Trichogaster leeri (img source unk). A larger gourami, topping out at about 5″, the pearl gourami has been a mainstay in the aquarium hobby since its first introduction in the 1930′s. Since then, it has always remained and its popularity will never diminish. Blackwater specialists, they are found in the wild in tannin stained streams in Southeast Asia. These are shy fish, so don’t stock them with anything boisterous like tetras or some barbs, as they can be scared away from food and starve, or their long, lace-like fins can be nipped. The males tend to have a more striking orange throat than the females, and they do well in trios or harems, with 1 male to 2 or more females. Their tank minimum should be no less than a 55 gallon. 

The honey gourami, Trichogaster chuna, (img source had photographer’s name but went to a dead forum thread) profiled here before, is an easy going little gourami with a sweet disposition. Sociable, with females preferring to be in groups and the males setting up little territories within a tank, you’d want to keep them in at least a 30 gallon and with peaceful tank mates. Coming from the Ganges River, they’re suited for a variety of pH conditions, from acidic to moderately acidic, ranging closer to neutral and just above (6.0-7.4), it makes them a very accessible and relatively easy to care for fish that’d be great for anyone just looking into picking up a gourami. They’re even great for experienced keepers too!

The banded gourami, Trichogaster fasciata (img source), is a personable, people friendly and stunning gourami that hasn’t been as popular in the market. Also known as a giant gourami (not to be confused with Osphronemus giants) because of its size, topping out at 5″, so almost the same size as a pearl but without the long fins. Like their close relative the sunset thicklip (which can hybridize with the banded gourami, please do not keep them together), the first thing you’d notice about this fish is how it may come right up to the glass to peep out at you and beg for food, doing “wiggles” that we usually associate with domestic bettas. Like the pearl, a 55 gallon would be their minimum, and they can do well in male and female groups providing there is space, but they also do just as well kept singly. 

Moving away from Luciocephalinae for a second, we’ll take a stop and visit Macropodus opercularis, (img source) the most commonly found paradise fish in the west. A strange looking amalgamation for a betta and a dwarf gourami, the paradise fish is an aggressive loner who does best kept by himself in at least a 29 gallon. Being highly adaptable and found in a wide variety of water types in the wild, the paradise fish has similar pH tolerances as the honey gourami. I consider these being one of the underrated gouramis out there, deserving a new image and a proper setup. If you’re looking for a showy fish with an attitude that’s bigger than a domestic betta, the paradise fish is for you.

While checking out the image source, why don’t you hop on over and explore the Parosphromenus Project, an organization dedicated to documenting and preserving these fish in captivity as their natural ranges are being wiped out by land development. The licorice gouramis need our help! And you can do it by breeding them and expanding their captive populations! This particular species, Parosphromenus deissneri, is the common label for many Parosphromenus species when they are imported into western markets. In reality there are many species of this fish we collectively refer to as licorice gouramis, which are small, blackwater specialists that require low pH and soft water to breed and in fact survive in. I would recommend these fish to be place in a 15 gallon and higher, simply because it’s easier to maintain stable water conditions and pH in a larger tank. 

Leaving Asia, we head out to Africa to meet the climbing perches, gouramis that have been claimed to climb out of the water and “walk” among the weeds, something that I don’t believe has actually been observed. The Ctenopoma acutirostre, (img source) the leopard ctenopoma/leopard bush fish/leopard climbing perch is large African gourami that does best kept as the only individual of its species around. Suited for a Congo biotope with fish that are larger than its expansive mouth, this nearly 6″ fish needs a 75 gallon at least, preferably much larger. They can be shy once you get them, but will warm up with patience and dedicated hand or feeder tong training. When full grown they’re large and brown with leopard-like spots, but as young they are big eyed with a cream colored body and striking dark brown spots, making them almost look like entirely different fish.

Rhinopias eschmeyeri

Yellow Koi Tiger!!!

This fish is on FIREEEEEEEEE