October 9, 2024, 8:11 am | Read time: 3 minutes
The honey gourami—also known as the honey dwarf gourami—is the smallest member of the labyrinth fish family, which, in addition to their gills, possess a labyrinth organ. This organ allows them to breathe atmospheric oxygen.
Origin
The honey gourami is originally native to the tributaries of the Ganges and Brahmaputra in northeastern India and Pakistan. Despite its small size, it is also fished there as a food fish.
Appearance
The male honey gourami reaches a length of about four centimeters, while the female can grow slightly larger, measuring up to five centimeters. Male honey gouramis are black from the head over their belly to just before the end of their anal fin. Their body sides, anal fin, and other fins are orange-red, and the upper part of the dorsal fin is yellow. When the fish feel uncomfortable, the coloration is significantly weaker. Female honey gouramis have a beige coloration with a greenish tinge and a brown longitudinal stripe from the eye to the tail fin.
There are three breeding forms of the honey gourami that differ in appearance. In the golden variant, the males are almost completely yellow. Only their rear dorsal fin and the anal and tail fins are reddish. The females are also yellow but have a brown longitudinal band. In the “Fire” variant, the body is more beige rather than golden, but it has the same fin coloration. The third breeding form is “Fire Red,” where the entire fish is red.
Behavior
Male honey gouramis are territorial during the nest-building period and often chase the females out of their territory. Unlike other labyrinth fish, male honey gouramis build a large, loose bubble nest consisting of a single layer of saliva-coated air bubbles. Once this nest is complete, the male lures a female under the nest by displaying its black belly.
After spawning there, the male collects the fish eggs with its mouth and spits them into a cluster. After one to two days–depending on the water temperature–the larvae hatch. For the first 24 to 48 hours, the male keeps them closely together and defends the nest until the young fish swim freely and the male’s brood care instinct fades.
Diet
The honey gourami is an omnivore. Its diet should primarily include dry food. This should be supplemented two to three times a week with live or frozen food. Many labyrinth fish do not tolerate red mosquito larvae well and can even develop a fatal intestinal inflammation from them. Therefore, this feeding should be avoided.
Keeping and Caring for Bitterlings in an Aquarium or Garden Pond
How to Keep and Care for Sticklebacks in an Aquarium or Garden Pond
These 5 ornamental fish are suitable for beginners
Proper Care & Maintenance
Honey gouramis should always be kept as a pair. The larger the aquarium, the more pairs can live in it. An aquarium should have an edge length of about 60 cm and hold around 54 liters of water.
The tank setup should provide sufficient hiding places and a good structure. This includes dense plantings in places where females can retreat if they feel too harassed. Floating plants can also provide security for the fish. However, care should be taken to ensure that part of the water surface remains free so the fish can build their bubble nest there.
The water temperature should be between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius, with a pH value between 6 and 7.5.