10 Species of Gourami Fish for Your Tank

Check out these eye-catching gourami fish for your aquarium.

Reviewed by Nick Saint-Erne

Gouramis are medium- to large-size freshwater aquarium fish that are native to Asia. Gouramis have a lung-like labyrinth organ that allows them to gulp air at the surface and breathe atmospheric oxygen. This organ allows them to inhabit warm, oxygen-poor water in their natural environment. Most can be kept in community aquariums, but some species do not play well with others, while some are too timid to be kept with larger species of fish.

Learn more about these 10 species of gourami fish.

Blue Gourami

Blue gouramis are possibly the most well known of the gourami family. They are easy to care for ?and can be kept with other fish of similar size. Blue gouramis do not tolerate others of their species well. This is particularly true of males, and it's recommended that only one male be kept in a tank. They are native to southeastern Asia, but aquarium fish are commercially raised on fish farms.

The standard blue-colored fish has a black spot on the base of the tail, one in the middle of the body, and the black pupil of the eye makes the third spot, giving the blue gourami the alternate name of 3-spot gourami. Several color morphs exist, such as a gold variety that still has the spots, and a blue variety that has black blotches or marbling instead of the distinct spots, called the "opaline gourami" (or "Cosby gourami"). The "silver or platinum gourami" is the white color morph.

Species Overview

Scientific name: Trichogaster trichopterus

Common names: Three spot gourami, opaline gourami, Cosby gourami, golden gourami, silver gourami

Adult size: 4 inches (10 cm)

Lifespan: 4 years

Minimum tank size: 20 gallon

pH: 6.0 to 8.8

Hardness: 5 to 35 dGH

Temperature: 72 to 82 F/22 to 28 C

Tankmates: Generally peaceful with similar sized fish

Chocolate Gourami

Chocolate gouramis are one of the more challenging gourami species to keep. They are more sensitive to water conditions than other species and are rather timid, making them unsuitable for keeping with more boisterous or aggressive fish. Chocolate gouramis can also be difficult to find ?but are relished by experienced fish keepers. They are native to much of Malaysia, Sumatra, Indonesia ,and Borneo.

Species Overview

Scientific name: Sphaerichthys osphormenoides

Common name: Chocolate gourami

Adult size: 1.75 inches (5 cm)

Lifespan: 5 years

Minimum tank size: 30 gallon

pH: 4.0 to 7.0

Hardness: 2 to 6 dGH

Temperature: 75 to 86 F/25 to 30 C

Tankmates: Suitable only for very peaceful species

Dwarf Gourami

One of the smallest of the gourami family, this species is well suited for community aquariums of small fish. They are also suitable for keeping in mini aquariums. The natural color of the male dwarf gourami has alternating diagonal red and blue stripes. The female is less colorful. Color varieties that only have blue stripes are called powder blue gouramis, and only red stripes are called fire red gouramis The dwarf gourami is native to Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.

Species Overview

Scientific name: Trichgaster (Colisa) lalia

Common names: Powder blue gourami, red gourami

Adult size: 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 cm)

Lifespan: 4 to 6 years

Minimum tank size: 5 gallon

pH: 6.0 to 7.5

Hardness: 4 to 10 dGH

Temperature: 72 to 82 F/22 to 28 C

Tankmates: Peaceful, best kept with other smaller fish

Kissing Gourami

Kissing gouramis are quite popular due to their unique behavior of appearing to kiss each other. In reality, they are exerting their territorial rights. This species can be quarrelsome with others, and care should be taken when putting them in a community tank. Generally, they do best with medium- to large-sized fish. Green is the natural color for this fish, but the pink variation is most commonly available. They're native to mainland southeast Asia and the islands of Borneo, Java, Sulawesi, and Sumatra.

Species Overview

Scientific name: Helostoma temminckii

Common names: Green kisser, pink kisser

Adult size: 12 inches (40 cm)

Lifespan: 5 to 7 years

Minimum tank size: 40 gallon

pH: 6.5 to 7.0

Hardness: 5 to 12 dGH

Temperature: 64 to 74 F/18 to 24 C

Tankmates: Compatible with similar sized species

Moonlight Gourami

Moonlight gouramis are aptly named for their silvery appearance. They are one of the larger species of gouramis, and also one of the more timid. Moonlight gouramis prefer a well-planted tank that offers plenty of hiding spaces. This species is tolerant of water conditions. They are native to southeast Asia.

Species Overview

Scientific name: Trichogaster microlepis

Common name: Moonbeam gourami

Adult size: 6 inches (15 cm)

Lifespan: 4 years

Minimum tank size: 20 gallon

pH: 6.0 to 7.0

Hardness: 2 to 25 dGH

Temperature: 79 to 86 F/26 to 30 C

Tankmates: Timid, keep only with non-aggressive fish

Pearl Gourami

Pearl gouramis are possibly the hardiest and easy to care for of the gourami family. They are highly adaptable and do well with a wide range of water conditions as well as tank mates. The males are larger and more colorful than the females. When ready for breeding, the males become much brighter. Males also have longer dorsal and anal fins. They are native to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Species Overview

Scientific name: Trichogaster leeri

Common names: Leeri gourami, lace gourami

Adult size: 4 inches (10 cm)

Lifespan: 8 years

Minimum tank size: 20 gallon

pH: 6.5 to 8.5

Hardness: 5 to 30 dGH

Temperature: 74 to 82 F/24 to 28 C

Tankmates: Can be kept with all community species

Honey Gourami

The honey gourami is a brightly colored fish that showcases orange, blue, silver, and yellow hues. These fish are hardy and easy to care for. It’s best to put them in a tank with plenty of plants and some hiding places. And because they are peaceful, you can keep your honey gourami with other community fish that are not aggressive. They are found in the wild in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Species Overview

Scientific name: Trichogaster chuna   

Common names: Sunset gourami, red honey gourami, red flame gourami

Adult size: 2 inches (5 cm)

Lifespan: 5 to 8 years

Minimum tank size: 10 gallon

pH: 6 to 7.5

Hardness: 4 to 12 dGH

Temperature: 72 to 82 F/22 to 28 C

Tankmates: Peaceful, non-aggressive fish that are a similar size

Sparkling Gourami

The sparking gourami is striking in appearance and easy to care for. They are small, active fish who can also be housed with various other tank mates because they are peaceful and won’t want to get into fights. Their body features hues of green, brown, and blue, and they have blue fins with black spots, with a red line on the edge of each fin. Sparking gouramis are from Southeast Asia.

Species Overview

Scientific name: Trichopsis pumila

Common name: Pygmy gourami

Adult size: 1.5 inches (4 cm)

Lifespan: 4 to 5 years

Minimum tank size: 15 gallon

pH: 6 to 7

Hardness: 5 to 19 dGH

Temperature: 76 to 82 F/24 to 28 C

Tankmates: Peaceful fish of similar size

Croaking Gourami

The croaking gourami is another species from Southeast Asia. They got their name from their ability to make a croaking sound when they are establishing dominance or ready to mate. Their bodies are colorful, with hues of green, silver, and brown, and they also have stripes on their sides. Like other gourami, they like planted tanks with places to hide.

Species Overview

Scientific name: Trichopsis vittata

Common name: Croaking gourmai

Adult size: 3 inches (7 cm)

Lifespan: 4 to 5 years

Minimum tank size: 10 gallon

pH: 6 to 7.5

Hardness: 5 to 15 dGH

Temperature: 72 to 82 F/22 to 28 C

Tankmates: Non-aggressive fish that are similar in size

Snakeskin Gourami

Another hardy and easy to care for fish is the snakeskin gourami. Their colors aren’t as vibrant as those of other gourami, and include shades of greenish gray, olive, and white, and they feature beautiful striping on the sides. If you are looking for a larger fish, this is a good choice, especially since they can do well in peaceful community tanks. They are naturally found in Southeast Asia.

Species Overview

Scientific name: Trichopodus pectoralis

Common name: Snakeskin gourami

Adult size: 10 inches (25 cm)

Lifespan: 6 years

Minimum tank size: 40 gallon

pH: 5.5 to 8.5

Hardness: 5 to 15 dGH

Temperature: 72 to 86 F/22 to 30 C

Tankmates: Peaceful fish that aren’t so small they risk being eaten

How to Care for Gourami Fish

Gouramis aren’t difficult to care for. Choose the right tank size based on the species and their needs, as larger fish will need larger tanks. They can eat various commercial fish foods, including flakes, pellets, algae rounds, frozen foods, and live foods. Check the specific water conditions for each species to ensure they are given the temperature, pH, and hardiness that they need.

Are Gouramis Good With Other Fish?

Gouramis can get along well with other peaceful fish. Choose tankmates that won’t nip at your gouramis. Also, getting tankmates that are a similar size can help ensure everyone will get along—you don’t want smaller fish to be viewed as food, and you don’t want larger fish to intimidate smaller ones in the tank and cause them to hide all the time.

Different types of gouramis may be housed together in a large tank that gives them all plenty of room to swim, eat, and hide. However, male gouramis can be aggressive towards each other.

Ideal tankmates for gouramis include fish that are peaceful, such as:

• Catfish

• Tetras

• Platies

• Rasboras

• Mollies

• Danios
  

How Many Gouramis Should Be Kept Together?

Not all gouramis are schooling fish, but if you choose a species that is, you can house several of them together—make sure the tank is large enough. Some gouramis can also be territorial, in which case, you may not be able to house more than one in the tank. Remember, always choose the right number of fish based on your tank’s size.

Read the original article on The Spruce Pets.