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Malay combtail gourami

Belontia hasselti

Also known as Java combtail

FreshwaterFish

Malay combtail gourami (Belontia hasselti)
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Care at a glance

Temperature
70–79°F
21–26°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
7.9 in
20 cm
Minimum tank
45 gal
170 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Egg layer
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Thailand, Sunda Islands

Overview

The Malay combtail gourami is a large, sturdy gourami with a bold personality, for a big tank. It is a good choice once you have moved past beginner fish.

Did you know

The Malay combtail gourami gets its name from its tail. The fin rays reach beyond the webbing to form a comb-like edge.

Caring for the Malay combtail gourami

Give a Malay combtail gourami at least 45 gal (170 L), since adults need space to avoid squabbling. Furnish the tank with driftwood, hardy plants and a soft substrate, with floating cover to soften the light. Plenty of wood, plants and broken sight lines help keep the peace.

Keep the temperature at 70 to 79°F (21 to 26°C) and the pH at 6.0 to 7.5, in soft to moderately hard water. Keep the flow gentle, and leave a warm, humid gap beneath the lid.

It is an unfussy eater, taking pellets, frozen bloodworm, prawn and other meaty foods along with some greens. The Malay combtail is mostly peaceful but can be pushy at feeding time or when spawning. Give it robust, similar-sized tank mates rather than timid ones. Keep it singly, as a pair or in a group, with room to establish territories.

Unusually for a gourami, males often skip the bubble nest or build only a loose one. They guard a raft of floating eggs at the surface. Home breeding is not widely recorded.

Good to know

The Malay combtail gourami belongs to the gourami family Osphronemidae and is also known as the Java combtail. As a labyrinth fish, it takes air from the surface.

In the wild

Belontia hasselti is found from Thailand through the Sunda Islands. It lives in slow streams, ponds, ditches and swampy pools, often among dense plants.

Common questions

What size tank does a Malay combtail gourami need?

A Malay combtail gourami needs at least 45 gal (170 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Malay combtail gourami need?

A Malay combtail gourami is comfortable at 70–79°F (21–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.

What does a Malay combtail gourami eat?

A Malay combtail gourami is an unfussy eater. It takes pellets, frozen bloodworm, prawn and other meaty foods, along with some greens.

How big does a Malay combtail gourami get?

An adult Malay combtail gourami reaches about 7.9 in (20 cm).

How does a Malay combtail gourami breed?

Male Malay combtail gouramis guard a raft of floating eggs at the surface. Unusually for a gourami, they often skip the bubble nest or build only a loose one, and home breeding is not widely recorded.

Related species