Pearl gourami

Trichopodus leerii

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–86°F; 24–30°C
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 4.7 in; 12 cm
Minimum tank: 29 gal; 111 L

Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: Bubble nester · Medium
Rarity: Common
Family: Osphronemidae
Origin: Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra

Overview

The pearl gourami is a peaceful, social fish for a planted community tank. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

Pearl gouramis have long, threadlike pelvic fins that they use almost like feelers, touching objects and tank mates as they move. The fins are sensitive to taste and touch, so the fish feels its way through the tank.

Caring for the pearl gourami

Keep pearl gouramis in a tank of at least 29 gal (111 L). Plant it densely, add some floating cover up top and keep the flow calm. They breathe air at the surface, so leave a gap between the water line and the lid.

Keep the water at 75 to 86°F (24 to 30°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. They eat flake, small pellets and frozen foods such as bloodworms and brine shrimp.

Pearl gouramis are peaceful and get along with most calm community tank mates. They swim in the middle and upper water. They are social and fine alone or in a group. A group ideally has more females than males.

The male builds a bubble nest at the surface and guards the eggs and fry. Breeding them is moderately difficult.

Good to know

The pearl gourami is a member of the Osphronemidae, the gourami and betta family. With good care, it commonly lives 4 to 5 years.

In the wild

Pearl gouramis come from slow, heavily planted lowland waters in Malaysia, Thailand and Sumatra. The water there is often soft and a bit acidic.

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Tank mates

The pearl gourami is a 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