Banded gourami

Care at a glance

Overview

The banded gourami is a hardy, mostly peaceful gourami that can be kept singly, as a pair or in a small group with room to spread out. It favours the middle and upper water and will use its long, thread-like pelvic fins to feel around plants and decor. Males can turn territorial as they come into breeding condition, so give plenty of planting to break up sight lines. It mixes well with other calm, similar-sized community fish. Feed a mix of quality flake or pellet, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp, along with some vegetable matter. Aim for a tank of at least 100 liters so a group has space.

In the wild

It ranges across Pakistan, northern India and Nepal, living in slow rivers, ponds, ditches and flooded fields, often among dense marginal plants. These waters are warm for much of the year but can cool in winter. A planted tank with plenty of surface cover, some floating plants and a soft substrate suits it. Keep the temperature between 21 and 28 degrees Celsius and the pH from 6.0 to 7.5. As a labyrinth fish it gulps air from the surface, so leave a warm, humid gap under the lid and avoid strong currents.

Good to know

Now placed in the genus Trichogaster within the gourami family Osphronemidae, this species was long known as Colisa fasciata. It grows to around 9 centimeters. Males build a floating bubble nest, often woven together with bits of plant, and guard the eggs and fry. Breeding is rated hard in the sense that conditioning a pair and rearing the tiny fry takes care and a steady supply of small live foods, though a settled pair will spawn readily under the right conditions.

Common questions

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