jinjerJOSH22
- #1
Hello my name is jinjerJOSH22
I'm often around the Gourami Threads and going through I wanted to answer a few questions that often come up in one post. Obviously for the most part this comes down to my own opinion and depending on who you ask you may well be given a different answer. So let's begin!
Q, Is this a Honey or Thick Lipped Gourami?
A, This question comes up all the time, so much so that there is a pinned post on the Honey Gourami Forum which I will link here: Honey Gourami vs. Sunset Thicklip Gourami | Honey Gourami Forum | 494747
If the Gourami has a orange or red body and a clear tail it is almost always a Thick Lipped Gourami.
Q, Are "Fix" products safe for Gourami?
A, I'm honestly not sure. Although it has been stated online that it’s not safe for labyrinth fish there is no scientific data to either support or debunk it. The primary ingredient "tea tree oil" leads me to suspect it could very well be dangerous as well as the product "Bettafix" which is just a more diluted version aimed towards Bettas. Of course this could just be marketing but there is enough to concern me into not using it.
Q, What is Dwarf Gourami Disease?
A, It's generally believed to be an Iridovirus found in Gourami which often shows up with a very high mortality rate among Dwarf Gourami/Trichogaster lalius. I firmly believe the root of the problem and reason it's so prominent in Dwarf Gourami is down to overbreeding resulting in poor genetics.
Q, Do Gourami need to use their Labyrinth organ?
A, Most commonly kept Gourami are obligative air breathers meaning they require access to the surface for oxygen. Species like Betta Splendens are Facultative air breathers and mostly rely on their gills to breath only using their labyrinth organ when conditions require it.
Q, Can I keep Angelfish and Gourami together?
A, I wouldn't recommend it as they both like to be in a similar space in the tank this can lead to aggression from both sides as both can be quite intolerant of similar sized fish in each others space. Smaller Gourami are often nipped at and are not suitable.
Q, Can Gourami jump?
A, Yes!! A lid is often a good idea when keeping Gourami, some are more likely than others such as Betta sp. and members of the Macropodus genus(Paradise fish).
Q, How big does my tank have to be to keep this Gourami....?
A, This depends completely on the species which vary quite a bit.
Here is my recommendation for a few common species:
Honey Gourami, 10+ gallons for a group
Thick Lipped/Banded 30+ gallons for a group
Pearl/Moonlight 40+ gallons for a group
Three Spot/Blue/Gold 50+ gallons, 4ft in length
Q, What do Gourami eat?
A, Primarily insectivores they will eat lot's of little insects and other invertebrates as well as plant matter.
Q, What is the most peaceful Gourami?
A, This comes up a lot as people don't typically want aggressive fish in their aquarium but the fact is most if not all Gourami are capable of being aggressive. What's important is identifying "why?" they are being aggressive in the first place. When in breeding mood even the little Honey Gourami(Trichogaster Chuna) can be the big boss of the tank though still unlikely to cause any real harm and in that sense would win the title of being "most peaceful". If you want to keep Gourami be prepared for aggressive behaviour but keep in mind it's not always a bad thing and can be quite important for the fish themselves.
Q, Can you keep different Gourami species together?
A, You can, however, it's rarely going to benefit the fish and will quite often have a negative effect on one species. It's in my opinion better to keep one species of Gourami per aquarium.
Q, Can you keep Gourami with other species of fish?
A, You sure can, Gourami are quite popular in community aquariums. Different species do better than others and I would suggest not keeping fish that are larger, too boisterous or renowned for being overly nippy while building the aquarium to suit the Gourami(not too strong a flow, lot's of plant/surface cover, not too bright).
Q, Is my Gourami male or female?
A, This can be important to get right as having too many males can end badly.
There is a few different ways but it largely depends on species. One way that is fairly universal is the shape of the body. Females are more rounded and males are typically longer in the body.
Juveniles are usually impossible to tell apart and age/size of when you can tell ranges wildly and can be as little as 3-4 months for one species and over 8 months for others.
Q, Are Gourami social?
A, Yes, yes a thousand times yes!! Most are, and most benefit greatly from having multiple conspecifics to socialize with. It's very important to keep this in mind when you build a Gourami tank.
Q, Are Gourami aggressive? Are male Gourami more aggressive than females?
A, They can be and how aggressive ranges from species to species but as mentioned earlier it's important to identify "why?" as there is often a reason for it whether it's due to breeding or food competition makes a big difference. It's also important to understand some aggression in normal and just a part of social behaviour. Males are typically more aggressive or rather have more reason to be.
Q, My Gourami has suddenly started to hide from me, what is wrong?
A, This seems to be a common occurrence as Gourami mature and don't have others to socialize with. Adding them to a group often solves this issue. Keep in mind this can also indicate a health issue.
Q, My Gourami are being aggressive towards each other!
A, This can be because of an imbalance of males, lack of food, lack of space or not enough individuals. While Gourami are social keeping just two can cause a lot of issues as the more dominant fish will bully the other.
Q, How do Gourami Breed?
A, First the male will build a raft of bubbles called a "bubble nest". Once he has built his bubble nest he will try to attract a female often showing amazing vibrancy in colours, some preform a sort of dance to try and entice a female under a nest. Once there they will embrace in a wrap were the female will release eggs, the male will fertilize while catching them. This can happen a few times.
After this the females job is done, the male will place the eggs into the nest and guard them until they hatch, he will then proceed to raise the fry until they are strong enough to swim off on their own.
These are the basics of the process and the most common way Gourami species breed, these are called "nest builders or bubble nesters", some species are mouth brooders and will raise the fry inside their mouths!
Q, Is my female full of eggs?
A, When females are full of eggs they become more plump around the midriff. Bloat typically looks more unnatural and can be accompanied by damaged looking scales called Pinconning.
The swim bladder is further back on the body towards the tail, infections can cause it to swell.
It's always a good idea to post a thread with lot's of pictures if you think there might be something wrong.
Q, Can different species hybridize?
A, Yes actually, species genetically close to each other like ones in the Trichogaster Genus have been reported to hybridize. This is one of the most common reported hybridization.
Q, Are my Gourami breeding or fighting?
A, This can sometimes look similar. Spawning will always take place in the presence of a bubble nest.
Feel free to ask more general questions about Gourami that can be added to the list. If you have a topic you would like personally answered I would suggest creating a thread of your own after looking through the archive(Gourami forums) or searching your question via the search bar in the top right corner.
I'm often around the Gourami Threads and going through I wanted to answer a few questions that often come up in one post. Obviously for the most part this comes down to my own opinion and depending on who you ask you may well be given a different answer. So let's begin!
Q, Is this a Honey or Thick Lipped Gourami?
A, This question comes up all the time, so much so that there is a pinned post on the Honey Gourami Forum which I will link here: Honey Gourami vs. Sunset Thicklip Gourami | Honey Gourami Forum | 494747
If the Gourami has a orange or red body and a clear tail it is almost always a Thick Lipped Gourami.
Q, Are "Fix" products safe for Gourami?
A, I'm honestly not sure. Although it has been stated online that it’s not safe for labyrinth fish there is no scientific data to either support or debunk it. The primary ingredient "tea tree oil" leads me to suspect it could very well be dangerous as well as the product "Bettafix" which is just a more diluted version aimed towards Bettas. Of course this could just be marketing but there is enough to concern me into not using it.
Q, What is Dwarf Gourami Disease?
A, It's generally believed to be an Iridovirus found in Gourami which often shows up with a very high mortality rate among Dwarf Gourami/Trichogaster lalius. I firmly believe the root of the problem and reason it's so prominent in Dwarf Gourami is down to overbreeding resulting in poor genetics.
Q, Do Gourami need to use their Labyrinth organ?
A, Most commonly kept Gourami are obligative air breathers meaning they require access to the surface for oxygen. Species like Betta Splendens are Facultative air breathers and mostly rely on their gills to breath only using their labyrinth organ when conditions require it.
Q, Can I keep Angelfish and Gourami together?
A, I wouldn't recommend it as they both like to be in a similar space in the tank this can lead to aggression from both sides as both can be quite intolerant of similar sized fish in each others space. Smaller Gourami are often nipped at and are not suitable.
Q, Can Gourami jump?
A, Yes!! A lid is often a good idea when keeping Gourami, some are more likely than others such as Betta sp. and members of the Macropodus genus(Paradise fish).
Q, How big does my tank have to be to keep this Gourami....?
A, This depends completely on the species which vary quite a bit.
Here is my recommendation for a few common species:
Honey Gourami, 10+ gallons for a group
Thick Lipped/Banded 30+ gallons for a group
Pearl/Moonlight 40+ gallons for a group
Three Spot/Blue/Gold 50+ gallons, 4ft in length
Q, What do Gourami eat?
A, Primarily insectivores they will eat lot's of little insects and other invertebrates as well as plant matter.
Q, What is the most peaceful Gourami?
A, This comes up a lot as people don't typically want aggressive fish in their aquarium but the fact is most if not all Gourami are capable of being aggressive. What's important is identifying "why?" they are being aggressive in the first place. When in breeding mood even the little Honey Gourami(Trichogaster Chuna) can be the big boss of the tank though still unlikely to cause any real harm and in that sense would win the title of being "most peaceful". If you want to keep Gourami be prepared for aggressive behaviour but keep in mind it's not always a bad thing and can be quite important for the fish themselves.
Q, Can you keep different Gourami species together?
A, You can, however, it's rarely going to benefit the fish and will quite often have a negative effect on one species. It's in my opinion better to keep one species of Gourami per aquarium.
Q, Can you keep Gourami with other species of fish?
A, You sure can, Gourami are quite popular in community aquariums. Different species do better than others and I would suggest not keeping fish that are larger, too boisterous or renowned for being overly nippy while building the aquarium to suit the Gourami(not too strong a flow, lot's of plant/surface cover, not too bright).
Q, Is my Gourami male or female?
A, This can be important to get right as having too many males can end badly.
There is a few different ways but it largely depends on species. One way that is fairly universal is the shape of the body. Females are more rounded and males are typically longer in the body.
Juveniles are usually impossible to tell apart and age/size of when you can tell ranges wildly and can be as little as 3-4 months for one species and over 8 months for others.
Q, Are Gourami social?
A, Yes, yes a thousand times yes!! Most are, and most benefit greatly from having multiple conspecifics to socialize with. It's very important to keep this in mind when you build a Gourami tank.
Q, Are Gourami aggressive? Are male Gourami more aggressive than females?
A, They can be and how aggressive ranges from species to species but as mentioned earlier it's important to identify "why?" as there is often a reason for it whether it's due to breeding or food competition makes a big difference. It's also important to understand some aggression in normal and just a part of social behaviour. Males are typically more aggressive or rather have more reason to be.
Q, My Gourami has suddenly started to hide from me, what is wrong?
A, This seems to be a common occurrence as Gourami mature and don't have others to socialize with. Adding them to a group often solves this issue. Keep in mind this can also indicate a health issue.
Q, My Gourami are being aggressive towards each other!
A, This can be because of an imbalance of males, lack of food, lack of space or not enough individuals. While Gourami are social keeping just two can cause a lot of issues as the more dominant fish will bully the other.
Q, How do Gourami Breed?
A, First the male will build a raft of bubbles called a "bubble nest". Once he has built his bubble nest he will try to attract a female often showing amazing vibrancy in colours, some preform a sort of dance to try and entice a female under a nest. Once there they will embrace in a wrap were the female will release eggs, the male will fertilize while catching them. This can happen a few times.
After this the females job is done, the male will place the eggs into the nest and guard them until they hatch, he will then proceed to raise the fry until they are strong enough to swim off on their own.
These are the basics of the process and the most common way Gourami species breed, these are called "nest builders or bubble nesters", some species are mouth brooders and will raise the fry inside their mouths!
Q, Is my female full of eggs?
A, When females are full of eggs they become more plump around the midriff. Bloat typically looks more unnatural and can be accompanied by damaged looking scales called Pinconning.
The swim bladder is further back on the body towards the tail, infections can cause it to swell.
It's always a good idea to post a thread with lot's of pictures if you think there might be something wrong.
Q, Can different species hybridize?
A, Yes actually, species genetically close to each other like ones in the Trichogaster Genus have been reported to hybridize. This is one of the most common reported hybridization.
Q, Are my Gourami breeding or fighting?
A, This can sometimes look similar. Spawning will always take place in the presence of a bubble nest.
Feel free to ask more general questions about Gourami that can be added to the list. If you have a topic you would like personally answered I would suggest creating a thread of your own after looking through the archive(Gourami forums) or searching your question via the search bar in the top right corner.
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