Variety of Three spot gourami

Gold gourami

Trichopodus trichopterus

One of 3 varieties of Trichopodus trichopterus · See all varieties →

FreshwaterFish

Gold gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus)

Varieties · Trichopodus trichopterus

See all 3

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–86°F
24–30°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
5.1 in
13 cm
Minimum tank
30 gal
115 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Osphronemidae

Overview

Gold gouramis run amber to honey with the two body spots faded or gone and the dark banding showing only faintly. Tone varies a lot between suppliers, from pale straw to a deep orange-gold, so a shop tank rarely looks uniform. A lavender or amethyst fish sitting alongside them is a gold crossed to a blue, not a third line.

In the wild

The gold line was fixed in captivity from the blue three-spot and no wild population looks like it. Which farm established it, and when, is not recorded in a source worth citing, so it is a hobby line of uncertain origin. Shop stock reaches stores through ornamental farm breeding rather than wild collection.

Good to know

Gold reduces the dark pigment that would otherwise form the flank spots and banding, leaving the yellow layer to carry the fish. It holds well enough that gold pairs give gold fry, though depth of color varies within a spawn. Crossed to a blue fish it produces the lavender or amethyst gourami.

Did you know

Cross a gold to a blue and you get the lavender, or amethyst, gourami that shops sell under its own name. It is not a separate line, just the two put together, and some sellers give opaline rather than blue as the other parent.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Gold gourami is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

Is a Gold gourami a different species from the Three spot gourami?

No. A Gold gourami is a variety of the Three spot gourami, Trichopodus trichopterus, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.

What size tank does a Gold gourami need?

A Gold gourami needs at least 30 gal (115 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

How big does a Gold gourami get?

An adult Gold gourami reaches about 5.1 in (13 cm).

Related species