Pink Kissing Gourami
Helostoma temminckii
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 25 cm
- Minimum tank
- 304 litres
- Temperature
- 22–30 °C
Species profile
Pearl Gourami
Trichopodus leerii
Common names: Pearl Gourami, Mosaic Gourami, Lace Gourami
Recognized speciesGouramis
Adult size
Up to 12 cm
Typical adult length 10–12 cm.
Up to 12 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- A medium to large planted community
- A calm centrepiece with peaceful tankmates
- A keeper interested in observing bubble nesting
Think carefully if
- Your tank has aggressive or boisterous fish
- You plan to keep several males in a small tank
- You keep very small fish or shrimp
A graceful Southeast Asian gourami with a pearl-spotted body. Calm for its size, it makes a fine centrepiece in a medium community aquarium.
Appearance and Identification
A silvery brown, flattened body covered in pearl-like spots, with a dark line along the flank. Mature males have orange or red throats and extended dorsal and anal fins.
The pearl-spotted pattern and dark flank line make this one of the easier gouramis to identify.
Males are more colourful, with orange or red throats and extended dorsal and anal fins. Females are duller and plumper.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 160–240 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 75–125 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 80 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 90 cm
- Minimum group size
- 2
- Recommended group size
- 4
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low
- Planting preference
- Heavily planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Low
Provide tall plants and floating cover to break sightlines. Keep the flow low and the surface accessible, and use a lid to keep the air warm.
Behaviour and Tankmates
Calm and graceful, moving slowly through the water and feeling its surroundings with long pelvic fins.
Keep one male with one or more females, or a mixed small group in a larger tank.
Males are territorial toward each other and can be rough with females during breeding.
Good with medium-sized peaceful fish such as larger tetras, rasboras, and corydoras. Avoid aggressive or boisterous fish and fin nippers. Very small fish and shrimp may be eaten.
Water Parameters
Adapts to a broad range of water. Warmer temperatures suit this fish, so plan tankmates to match.
Parameter caveat
Gouramis breathe air from the surface, so keep the surface accessible and the air above it warm with a lid.
Feeding
- Diet types
- Insectivore, Omnivore
- Feeding frequency
- Once or twice daily
- Preferred foods
- Small floating pellets or quality flakeThese fish feed readily from the surface. Choose a small size and feed sparingly.
- Frozen or live daphnia and brine shrimpOffer a few times a week for variety and condition.
- Frozen bloodworm or mosquito larvaeUse as an occasional rich treat rather than a daily food.
An omnivore that takes surface foods, small invertebrates, and plant matter.
Add vegetable or spirulina flake to the rotation for balance.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Bubble Nest
- Breeding difficulty
- Moderate
- Brood or egg count
- 200 to 300 eggs
- Incubation
- 2 days
- Parental care
- Bubble-nest care
- Baby foods
- Infusoria or parameciumEssential for the first days, because labyrinth fry are tiny and cannot yet take larger food.
- Vinegar eels or microwormsIntroduce as the fry grow, and offer in small amounts to protect water quality.
- Newly hatched brine shrimpIntroduce once the fry can swallow it, usually after one to two weeks.
A bubble nester. The male builds a nest of bubbles under floating plants, and spawning happens beneath it. Remove the female after spawning, and remove the male once the fry become free-swimming.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Borneo, Indonesia, Malaya, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Thailand
- Natural habitat
- Blackwater, Slow River, Swamp, Vegetated Shoreline
- Aquarium contexts
- Breeding Aquarium, Planted Aquarium
- Audience level
- Beginner
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Trichopodus
- Family
- Osphronemidae
- Species group
- Fish, Gouramis
Have you kept this species?
You can write a note about what worked for you, or send a photograph. We check everything before it appears here.
Share a note or photo
Red Robin Gourami
Trichogaster chuna var. "Red Robin"
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 5.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 22–27 °C
Samurai Gourami
Sphaerichthys vaillanti
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 5.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 54 litres
- Temperature
- 21–25 °C
Snakeskin Gourami
Trichopodus pectoralis
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 30 cm
- Minimum tank
- 108 litres
- Temperature
- 22–30 °C