I have Gourami fish for more than a year now, and I can say that they are one of the easiest fish to care. They are peaceful and also graceful.
I have 3 Gourami, two are pictured above. They are three-spot Gourami although two have a yellowish-shade compared to the other one which is light blue. I had gold Gourami before but it died after being with us for almost a year.
Although many will oppose, I have my 3 Gourami living with African cichlids, Red Devil, and Parrot fish. This is rare to mix gourami with cichlids because cichlids are territorial and aggressive, however we were able to find a system of introducing these fishes so that they’ll not attack each other.
Gourami Types
There are many types of gourami however the popular gourami for aquarists are Banded Gourami, Blue Gourami, Chocolate Gourami, Dwarf Gourami, Honey Gourami, Kissing Gourami, Moonlight Gourami, Opaline Gourami, Pearl Gourami, Powder Blue Gourami, Red Gourami, Snakeskin Gourami, Sunset Gourami, Thick lipped Gourami, Three-Spot Gourami, and Giant Gourami.
Gourami Care
Gourami fish are hardy fish however like any other fish, they also need proper care. Place gourami with similar sized community fish. The water temperature can be from 74 – 79 F (24 – 26 C) and water should be neutral to slightly acidic . Fine to medium-sized substrate and live plants can be put in the tank. Male gourami are quite aggressive so keep a ratio of 1:3 male to female in a tank. Gourami eat almost anything, so any fish food is fine but make sure to give a balance diet.
Gourami Breeding
Gourami are egglayers. They build bubble nest on the water, so if planning for breeding gourami, prepare the water condition and temperature. Floating plant with big leaf is advisable to keep too much light out and to hold the bubblenest and prevent them from breaking due to water movement.
Although I was successful to mix my gourami with cichlid, parrot fish, and red devil, I do not recommend for others to do so.
