Guide To Care Honey Gourami Fish

Trichogaster Chuna, commonly known as the “Honey Gourami,” is a species of small gourami. These fish are previously known as Colisa sota or Colisa chunna.

They originate from Bangladesh and India. These small tropical fish are commonly found in lakes and rivers with thick vegetation. They tend to prefer to inhabit the top and middle levels of water.

Another selective breed of them is the sunset honey gourami, the red honey gourami, and the red flame honey gourami.

Appearance, Behavior, And Lifespan

The male and female honey gourami will show a silvery grey to light yellow coloration at first. They also have horizontal light-brown stripes along the middle of the body, extending from behind the eye to the caudal peduncle.

The female will remain this color for life. As the male honey gourami develops, its color becomes a bright honey-yellow or reddish-orange. Besides, the ventral side of males (belly, throat, and face) will become black or dark blue.

The honey gourami can grow up to 3 inches and has a lifespan of between 4 to 8 years. They are also typically peaceful fish, which means they can live together with other fish species in the same tank.

They belong to the labyrinth fish, so you will see them rise to the water surface to take a breath frequently.

Remember, the honey gourami may be closely related to “dwarf gourami,” but they are not under the same species. Dwarf gouramis usually have blue and red coloration. The honey gourami has eyes closer to its mouth than the dwarf gourami.

These yellow honey gourami are often mistaken for “sunset thicklip gourami.” It is typically larger (grows to 4 inches) and has a more orange body color than the honey gourami.

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Honey Gourami Care and Tank Setup

Honey gourami is suitable for beginner fish keepers due to its low care requirements. You can keep these fish in a single tank, a pair tank, or a community tank. You can keep a single honey gourami in a 5-gallon tank, but it is recommended to use a 10-gallon tank. Meanwhile, to keep them in pairs or more, a 20-gallon aquarium or larger is needed.

Suggested to use dark substrates in your tank. It will help the honey gourami show the best colors in the tank. Add some tall aquarium plants, driftwood, or rock to decorate the tank. These shy fish will be happy and feel secure if you provide plenty of hiding places in the aquarium.

They also tend to prefer dense floating vegetations, so that you can add Salvinia natans or Azolla cristata to the water surface. However, they still need to reach the surface to breathe regularly, so it’s important to have an area free of floating plants.

Use lighting at a moderate level, and water temperature should be between 22 – 28 °C (71 – 82 °F). PH water should be between 6.0 to 7.5, and water hardness should be between 36 and 268 ppm.

Use a soft filtration system and add some air stones to offer the honey gourami the easiest oxygen supply. Recommended changing water 25% per week to keep these small tropical fish happy and healthy.

Feeding

The honey gourami are omnivores. In the wild, they usually eat small insects and invertebrates. In captivity, they may be fed with fish pellets or flakes. However, adding live food such as bloodworms or brine shrimp will provide additional benefits. It will enhance their coloration and health.

Tank Mates

They are very peaceful fish, but slow-moving and timid. So you could add some tank mates with characteristics like theirs. Some aquarium fish, such as tetras, corydoras, Siamese algae eaters, mollies, platies, guppies, and kuhli loaches, are suitable for them.

The larger aquarium snails and shrimps can also be their tankmates. Keep in mind they will prey on tiny mollusks, invertebrates, or any critters that fit in the honey gourami’s mouth, since they are omnivorous. Don’t use aggressive fish, such as oscar, flowerhorn, or larger cichlids, as tankmates. It will intimidate and bully the honey gourami, making them stressed and unhappy.

Breeding

Breeding honey gourami is easy if you provide good conditions and care. Like dwarf gouramis, they are bubble-nest builders. They will use the aquatic plants to bind the nests, so the aquarium plants are crucial.

Recommended using a 10 – 20 gallon tank for breeding. Reduce the water level to 6-8 inches. The water temperature should be around 28 °C (82 °F), and the pH should be around 7. You can use an aquarium thermometer to more easily monitor water temperature.

After the male builds a bubble nest, he will display his courting color to grab the female’s attention. After the female approaches the male, it signals the start of the spawning process. At this point, the male honey gourami will wrap the female, and then the female will lay the eggs, which the male will fertilize at the same time.

The male will collect them and put the eggs into the bubble nest. Once the spawning session is complete, the male will guard the eggs until they hatch. After that, the female can be removed from the aquarium breeding to avoid them eating the eggs.

The eggs will hatch in two days, depending on the water temperature. At this stage, the male should be removed. Usually, the fry need 3 days to become free-swimming and leave their nest. Fry can be fed infusoria until they grow enough to eat larger foods, such as brine shrimp.