Variety of Three spot gourami
Gold gourami
Trichopodus trichopterus
One of 3 varieties of Trichopodus trichopterus · See all varieties →
FreshwaterFish

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.

Firemouth cichlid
Thorichthys meeki
Freshwater5.9 in (15 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Moustached danio
Danio dangila
Freshwater5.1 in (13 cm) · 32 gal (120 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Mini shark cat
Pseudeutropius brachypopterus
Freshwater4.3 in (11 cm) · 30 gal (112 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Orinoco angel pleco (L201)
Hypancistrus sp. L201
Freshwater5.9 in (15 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)79–86°F (26–30°C)
Forest halfbeak
Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus
Freshwater3.5 in (9 cm) · 34 gal (130 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Altus tetra
Brachypetersius altus
Freshwater2.6 in (6.5 cm) · 30 gal (112 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
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
5.9 in (15 cm)30 gal (115 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)Moonlight gourami
Trichopodus microlepis
5.9 in (15 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)
4.7 in (12 cm)30 gal (115 L)75–86°F (24–30°C)Pearl gourami
Trichopodus leerii
4.7 in (12 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)
9.8 in (25 cm)61 gal (230 L)72–86°F (22–30°C)Snakeskin gourami
Trichopodus pectoralis
9.8 in (25 cm) · 61 gal (230 L)
4.5 in (11.5 cm)29 gal (110 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)One-spot betta
Betta unimaculata
4.5 in (11.5 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)
3.9 in (10 cm)26 gal (100 L)70–81°F (21–27°C)Antuta betta
Betta sp. 'Antuta'
3.9 in (10 cm) · 26 gal (100 L)
3.9 in (10 cm)24 gal (90 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)Frail gourami
Ctenops nobilis
3.9 in (10 cm) · 24 gal (90 L)

