Honey Gourami: A Warm Splash of Colour for Small Tanks

In this guide

Overview

The honey gourami is a small, gentle labyrinth fish, with breeding males showing a warm honey-orange to reddish body, while females and non-breeding males stay a more muted tan. It reaches around five centimetres, making it one of the smaller gouramis and a genuine option for a modest tank.

Its calm, unassuming nature makes it a good alternative to the more commonly available dwarf gourami for a keeper who wants gourami behaviour without the same health concerns around commercial breeding stock.

Tank and water requirements

A single honey gourami or a calm pair does well in a tank of forty litres or more, with floating plants and some quiet, shaded areas. It is undemanding about water hardness and settles well into typical Indian tap water.

Being a labyrinth fish, it benefits from a lid with an air gap above the water rather than a fully sealed setup.

Diet and behaviour

A varied diet of small flakes, micro pellets and occasional live or frozen food suits it well. It is peaceful and shy rather than aggressive, and does best with calm, similarly sized tankmates rather than boisterous fish that might intimidate it.

Males display attractively to females and to each other without the sustained aggression seen in some other gourami species, making a small group workable in a large enough tank.

Buying tips

• Priced around sixty to one hundred fifty rupees per fish, somewhat less commonly stocked than dwarf or three spot gouramis
• A good, less health-troubled alternative to the dwarf gourami for a small to medium peaceful community tank
• Choose fish showing good colour and active swimming rather than pale, listless individuals

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