17 Beautiful Gourami Fish and Their Care Guide

Being a member of Helostomatidae, Osphronemidae, and Anabantidae, Gourami fish has different types of categories from small to large size with different colors and shapes.

Some fish breeds are peaceful and easy to care while others are aggressive and difficult. Originated from freshwater rivers and streams, this tropical fish always likes to dwell in a freshwater aquarium without any thorny plants and corals.

Common Gourami Fish for Your Aquarium

Now, as we have mentioned at the beginning that there are multiple species in Gourami family and it is hard to possess knowledge about everyone. However, we can collect some ideas about the popular Gourami fish before adding them to the family of fish in your aquarium. Let’s have a look at the details about the species:

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 8 years
• Size – 4-5”
• Tank Size – 20-30 gallons
• pH – 6.5-8.5
• Water Temperature – 74-82°F
• Diet – Omnivore
• Temperament – Peaceful

Similar to its name, Pearl Gourami’, this Gourami fish has a pearly appearance in its body. You will find pearl dots on the entire body of this fish with black stripes on the edges. This 4.7” fish is peaceful, and if you provide a 30-gallon aquarium with fewer water species, then this pearl-patterned fish will feel comfortable.

Try to keep this Gourami fish with peaceful breeds like small Tetras, Guppies, Dwarf Cichlids, and Danios. Also, keep green plants, rocks, and driftwood in the tank of Pearl Gourami. You can feed flakes and pellet foods to this omnivoros fish.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 6-10 years  
• Size – 4-6”
• Tank Size – 20 gallons
• pH – 6.0- 7.5
• Water Temperature – 72-78°F
• Diet- Omnivore
• Temperament – Aggressive

You will find three species in the category of Paradise Gourami Fish:

1. One fish has a round tail, which is known as Macropodus Chinensis.
2. The second one has a forked tail, and it is known as Macropodus Opercularis.
3. The third has a long pointed tail that is spreading outwards from the middle portion, and its name is Macropodus Cupanus.

You will find bright blue and green stripes on the entire body of Paradise Gourami fish, and the intersected red-orange stripes are found with long stripes on the body of the fish. Some Paradise Gouramis have metallic black or blue spots on their bodies.

This 4-6” fish is aggressive, so it loves living isolated in a large tank of 20-gallon. This breed likes eating meaty foods like bloodworms and shrimps, so you can provide such foods to this omnivorous fish. The suitable tankmates for these Gouramis are Goldfish, Bristlenose Pleco, Cuckoo Catfish, Clown Loaches, and Cichlids.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 4-8 years
• Size – 3-4”
• Tank Size – 20 gallons
• pH – 6.0-7.5
• Water Temperature – 71°F
• Diet – Omnivore
• Temperament – Peaceful  

The Thick-Lipped Gourami or Sunset Gourami has half yellow and half orange color on its body. This Gourami fish earned its name because of the sunset color on the body. This 4” fish is also known as Honey Gourami, and it can stay in moderate temperature water with floating plants and thick vegetation in a 20-gallon aquarium.

Both experts and beginners can easily breed this fish because of its passive, hardy and easy-adjustable nature but lots of hiding places and caves are needed for this fish because it is shy and peaceful. Also, keep peaceful fish breeds like Rasboras, Danios and Small loaches with Sunset Gourami for its comfort.

If you want to know about its diet then remember this hardy fish is omnivoros and likes eating every type of vegetation and meaty food.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 4 years
• Size – 3.5”
• Tank Size – 10 gallons
• pH – 6.8-7.8
• Water Temperature –75-80°F
• Diet – Omnivore
• Temperament – Peaceful

This light-blue Gourami fish has faint vertical red stripes with powdery-blue shade on its entire body. This 3.5” fish needs only a 10-gallon aquarium to live. Just keep some peaceful species like Barbs, Tetras, Guppies, and Platies with this peace-loving fish.

Aquarists love to breed this omnivoros fish because of its beautiful appearance and peaceful behavior. Try to keep water plants and rocks in its aquarium because it loves greenery and rocky ambiance.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 10-25 years
• Size – 4.5”
• Tank Size – 20-30 gallons
• pH – 4.0-5.0
• Water Temperature – 75-80°F
• Diet – Omnivore
• Temperament – Peaceful

This leaf-shaped Gourami fish is shaded with silver background coated with red stripes on the body and on the fins. Samurai Gourami is a picky-eater omnivoros fish that doesn’t have a complex food regime compared to other fish breeds.

Samurai needs plenty of caves and floating plants to hide because of its passive and shy nature. You can keep about six to eight Samurai Gouramis together because they prefer living with the same breed. Remember, minimum 20-30 gallons tank is required for this 4-5” fish.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 4-6 years
• Size – 8”
• Tank Size – 35 gallons
• pH – 5.8-8.5
• Water Temperature – 72-86°F
• Diet – Omnivore
• Temperament – Peaceful

This Gourami fish is known as Snakeskin Gourami because of its half-shredded appearance on the skin.  You will find this species in various colors like brown, olive gray and light yellow with black broken lines on the entire body.

A minimum of 35-gallon tank is required for this 8” fish that are preferred by the beginners for its easy-breeding passive nature. Moreover, this fish is omnivoros and you can feed simple foods to this species. Just provide timely food to this sensitive breed and keep this fish in a clean tank because it is prone to bacterial and fungal infections.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 5 years 
• Size – 1.75” 
• Tank Size – 30 gallons 
• pH – 4.0-7.0 
• Water Temperature – 75-86°F 
• Diet – Omnivore    
• Temperament – Aggressive

Another name of Chocolate Gourami fish is Four-Eyed fish because its eyes are situated at the top-most part of its forehead. Remember, it is not very easy to pet this fish because of its aggressive and low compatible nature with other water species.

Most of the fish enthusiasts get attracted to breed Chocolate Gourami because of its color and cute size but remember to create an environment-friendly tank for keeping this brownish fish. Also, choose suitable tankmates like Danios and Harlequin Rasboras for the comfort of Chocolate Gourami.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 4-6 years    
• Size – 5.9” 
• Tank Size – 35 gallons    
• pH – 6.0-7.0
• Water Temperature – 72-82°F    
• Diet – Omnivore 
• Temperament – Semi-Aggressive 

This Gourami Fish is known as Three Spot Gourami because of the three spots on the body of the fish from top to bottom. You will get this fish in several colors like gold, opaline, silver, and blue shades.

Hobbyists prefer petting this fish because it is hardy in nature and semi-aggressive. Moreover, it can adjust to different weathers and water temperatures. Try to keep driftwood and freshwater plants in an aquarium of Three Spot Gourami because they love eating algae from driftwoods and leaves of water plants.

While housing the fish with other species, you can keep one male and two females of the same breeds in a group together. Platies, Molies, Guppies and Swordtail Fish are the suitable tankmates of Three Spot Gourami.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 4 years    
• Size – 6”  
• Tank Size – 20 gallons     
• pH – 6.0-7.0  
• Water Temperature – 79-86°F          
• Diet – Omnivore  
• Temperament – Peaceful

This shiny-blue silvery fish has a beautiful glowing appearance, so it can bring dazzle in an aquarium. You will also find this fish in other shades like green body with red-orange dorsal and pelvic fins.

Try to keep them in a 20-gallon tank and use dark substrate in the aquarium to show the colors more vibrantly. You will not find difficult in petting this fish because of its peaceful and adjustable nature.

This omnivorous fish can eat small fish breeds, so try to keep them with suitable companions like Tetra, Cory Catfish, Harlequin Rasbora, Kuhli Loach, Bristlenose Pleco, and Cherry Barb. Moreover, keep moderate lighting and plenty amount of plants in the tank of this fish to provide natural comfort to them.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 4-6 years     
• Size – 5.9”   
• Tank Size – 30 gallons         
• pH – 5.0-6.0    
• Water Temperature – 74-79°F                        
• Diet – Omnivore   
• Temperament – Semi-Aggressive

If you want to add a golden beauty in your fish tank then Gold Gourami fish is the best choice because of its golden color and shinning patterns on the upper portion of the body which will bring glory to your aquarium.

They are quite peaceful when they are small but with growing age, they become territorial and start fighting with other aggressive fish breeds. So, choose a large size tank for this fish with suitable tankmates like Tetra Fish, Zebra Loaches, Giant Danios, Platies and Rasbora.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 4 years        
• Size – 2”    
• Tank Size – 5 gallons          
• pH – 6.0-7.5      
• Water Temperature – 72-82°F                                                   
• Diet – Omnivore    
• Temperament – Peaceful  

This breed cannot grow more than 2”, so it is known as Dwarf Gourami. You will find the male fish larger than the females and you don’t need more than a 10-gallon tank. Remember, to add hiding places like plants, rocks, and caves in the aquarium of Dwarf Gourami.

This red and orange fish with silver scales brings a glow to your fish tank and it is easy to care because it likes consuming both vegetation and meaty foods. Just keep them with appropriate and peaceful companions like Mollies, Platies, Danios, Barbs, Plecos, Catfish, Loaches, and Rasboras.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 5 years         
• Size – 2-12”      
• Tank Size – 20 gallons            
• pH – 6.5.7.0        
• Water Temperature – 60-74°F                                                                                                  
• Diet – Omnivore
• Temperament – Peaceful

You may be thinking about the reason behind the name of this gourami fish. Now, the fish does not make this face for kissing each other. Its mouth is protrusible and the lips are lined with horny teeth which is the main reason for that facial structure of Kissing Gourami.
 

You will find this fish in pink, piebald and silver-green shades. This fish may not be comfortable with every water species, so know about the suitable companions before housing them. Try to keep this fish in a group or with some perfect tankmates like catfish, loaches, and tetras.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 20 years          
• Size – 28”       
• Tank Size – 300 gallons             
• pH – 6.5-8.0          
• Water Temperature – 82°F
• Diet – Omnivore  
• Temperament – Aggressive

This is one of the largest fish breeds in Gourami family, so you need a large-sized aquarium to keep this fish. Also remember that Giant Gourami fish is a large predator fish and because of its territorial nature, it can harm other fish breeds also.

Try to provide a spacious tank and keep fish of similar sizes such as Large Catfish, Knifefish and Loricariids. Keeping them with wrong tankmates in a small aquarium may turn them wild and dangerous.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 3-5 years            
• Size – 1.5”         
• Tank Size – 20 gallons               
• pH – 6.0-7.0           
• Water Temperature – 74-82°F    
• Diet – Omnivore   
• Temperament – Peaceful

This little Gourami fish needs 20-gallon aquarium just because of its jumping nature. You will find this breed in black and silvery stripes with red and turquoise tail and fins. Generally, females are found with black and brown edging at the edges of the fins.

You can keep the peaceful substrate fish like Sparkling Gourami and Rasbora with Licorice Gourami fish, to make them comfortable.

Specifications:

• Lifespan – 3 years              
• Size – 1.6”           
• Tank Size – 5 gallons                
• pH – 6.0-7.5            
• Water Temperature – 76-82°F          
• Diet – Omnivore 
• Temperament – Peaceful and Shy  

This 1.6” Gourami fish has a brown body, and blue spots on the fins and the tail. Moreover, you will find red patterns on the edges of the light blue fins of Sparkling Gourami.

Try to make the tank eco-friendly by planting it with plants like Java Fern and Java Moss which create lots of shades, and that is preferred by this shy-natured Sparkling Gourami. You can keep this fish with Platies, Pigmy Cory, Shrimps, and Guppies.

 Specifications:

• Lifespan – 4-6 years              
• Size – 6”             
• Tank Size – 10 gallons                 
• pH – 6.0-8.0              
• Water Temperature – 82°F                      
• Diet – Omnivore  
• Temperament – Peaceful

This light-blue shaded fish is patterned with dark blue stripes on all over the body. Opaline Gourami fish is one of the most passive fish breeds in Gourami family. This shiny-blue fish loves living in densely planted area, so try to keep some bushy aquatic plants in the tank of this fish.

As this is a passive-natured fish, so try to keep this breed with other peaceful fish like Tetras, Guppies, and Danios.

 Specifications:

• Lifespan – 4 years                
• Size – 4”             
• Tank Size – 20 gallons                   
• pH – 6.0-8.8                
• Water Temperature – 76-82°F                                   
• Diet – Omnivore 
• Temperament – Peaceful

Other names of Blue Gourami are Cosby Gourami, Spot Gourami, Silver Gourami, and Golden Gourami. It is very easy to take care of this fish because of its easy nature. But Blue Gourami loves living isolated in a tank, so don’t keep much water species with this omnivoros fish.

Common Diseases of Gourami Fish

Gourami fish are prone to some diseases which can affect its lifespan and livelihood. So, keep the water tank of Gouramis clean, don’t keep uneaten foods in the aquarium and don’t overfeed the fish to keep them away from diseases like:

• Fin Rot – When the fins of the Gouramis get torn or infected because of unhygienic condition, it is known as Fin Rot.
• Ich – There are white colored rashes and swelling effects on the eyes of the fish that makes the fish start breathing fast. This disease is known as Ich.
• Fungal Infection – You will find swelling of eyes, gills, fins, and skin of Gourami fish in case of fungal infection.
• Fish Flukes – An unsuitable dietary plan leads to Fish Flukes in Gouramis.

Try to know about the care requirements of Gourami fish, if you are planning to make it one of your family members.

Know More about More Fish for Keeping in Your Aquarium

There are multiple fish that you can breed, but the most important things to learn are their care guides. You may like to know about these breeds: