TankBud

Combtail gourami

Belontia signata

Also known as Ceylonese combtail, Red combtail

FreshwaterFish

Combtail gourami (Belontia signata)
H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
4.7 in
12 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Bubble nester · Medium
Rarity
Common
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Endemic to Sri Lanka (central and southern river systems: Mahaweli, Kelani, Kalu, Nilwala drainages)

Overview

The combtail gourami is an aggressive, predatory gourami that does not belong in the usual community tank. It is best kept by someone with some experience.

Did you know

The combtail gourami takes its name from its tail. The rays of the caudal fin extend past the webbing into separate points, giving the back edge a ragged, comb-like look.

Caring for the combtail gourami

Keep a single combtail gourami or one bonded pair, never a group, in at least 53 gal (200 L). Choose a tank with a long footprint, a soft sandy substrate and plenty of cover from driftwood, roots and branches. Keep the lighting dim and add floating plants up top. It gulps air at the surface, so leave a small warm, humid gap between the water and the cover glass.

Run the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, gentle flow and efficient filtration. Feed it as a carnivore, mostly on larger live and frozen foods.

The combtail gourami is aggressive and tends to hold the middle of the water column. Males are aggressive toward their own kind, including non-breeding females. It is also predatory toward smaller or similarly shaped tank mates, which may be bullied, injured or eaten. Choose any companions with caution.

Combtail gouramis are bubble nesters, and breeding them is moderately difficult. Despite the aggression, breeding pairs are attentive parents. Both the male and female guard the nest and tend the eggs and fry together.

Never release a combtail gourami into local waters, since outside Sri Lanka it is a non-native predatory fish. Check your local rules before keeping one.

Good to know

The combtail gourami belongs to the family Osphronemidae, the same anabantoid group as other gouramis. It breathes air at the surface through an accessory organ called the labyrinth. Most adults stay smaller, but the species can reach close to 18 cm. It is also sold as the Ceylonese combtail or red combtail.

In the wild

Combtail gouramis are endemic to Sri Lanka. They live in the central and southern river systems, including the Mahaweli, Kelani, Kalu and Nilwala drainages.

Common questions

What size tank does a combtail gourami need?

A combtail gourami needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a combtail gourami need?

A combtail gourami is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a combtail gourami eat?

A combtail gourami is a carnivore. Feed it mostly larger live and frozen foods.

How big does a combtail gourami get?

An adult combtail gourami reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).

How does a combtail gourami breed?

Combtail gouramis are bubble nesters and attentive parents. The male and female guard the nest and tend the eggs and fry together, and breeding is moderately difficult.

Related species