Honey Gourami

Trichogaster chuna

A gentle, honey-coloured gourami. Breeding males blush a deep orange with a dark throat.

A peaceful freshwater fish that grows to 5 cm, lives near the surface and needs 22–28 °C, pH 6.0–7.8 and an aquarium of at least 30 L.

Care at a glance

Water

Freshwater

Temperature

22–28 °C (72–82 °F)

pH

6.0–7.8

Adult size

5 cm (2.0 in)

Aquarium

30 L or bigger (8 US gal)

Temperament

Peaceful

Group size

Fine on its own

Swims

Top

Diet

Omnivore

Wild home

Ganges & Brahmaputra floodplains

Good to know

• Shy. Stressed without plants, rocks or caves to hide in.

Tank mates

Good company: Amano Shrimp, Black Skirt Tetra, Bloodfin Tetra, Bristlenose Pleco, Cardinal Tetra, Cherry Barb, Chili Rasbora, Corydoras, Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish, Ember Tetra.

Eaten by: Asian Arowana, Axolotl, Black Ghost Knifefish, Flowerhorn, Frontosa, Jack Dempsey, Motoro Stingray, Ornate Bichir, Oscar, Siamese Tigerfish.

Attacked by: Demasoni Cichlid, Flowerhorn, Jack Dempsey.

Eats the newborn fry of: Black Skirt Tetra, Bloodfin Tetra, Cardinal Tetra, Celestial Pearl Danio, Cherry Barb, Chili Rasbora, Crystal Red Shrimp, Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish, Ember Tetra, Endler's Livebearer, German Blue Ram, Ghost Shrimp and 10 more.

Its fry are eaten by: Angelfish, Bala Shark, Betta, Black Skirt Tetra, Bloodfin Tetra, Boesemani Rainbowfish, Cherry Barb, Clown Loach, Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid, Comet Goldfish, Congo Tetra, Discus and 24 more.

Grown ones eat their own newborn fry, so raise the young in another aquarium.

Colours and breeding

• Classic common
• Sunset Red uncommon

In Aquarius a grown male and female breed in a healthy tank. Their young are born about 0.3 cm long and take after one of the parents.

The care values are the ones Aquarius uses, based on how these animals live. Tank mates follow the game's rules: water type, temperature and pH, who can swallow whom, fin nipping, temperament and territory.