TankBud

Variety of Three spot gourami

Platinum gourami

Trichopodus trichopterus

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

FreshwaterFish

Platinum 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
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Bubble nester · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Osphronemidae

Overview

The platinum gourami is the white form, with a pale silver-white body and faint banding along the back. It is hardy and easy to keep, though fewer stores carry it than the gold or opaline.

Did you know

The platinum gourami is one of four names hung on the same species in most shops, alongside blue, gold and opaline. A platinum can spawn with any of them, because nothing but pigment separates them.

Caring for the platinum gourami

A platinum gourami needs at least 30 gal (115 L), planted, with floating cover over a soft substrate. Keep the water calm. It breathes air at the surface like other labyrinth fish, so leave a warm, humid gap under the lid.

Keep the temperature at 75 to 86°F (24 to 30°C) and the pH at 6.0 to 7.5. Feed a varied diet of flake or pellet, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp, with some greens.

Platinum gouramis are mostly peaceful and generally fit into a community tank. Keep one alone, as a pair or in a small group. They swim in the middle and upper water and feel around with their long, thread-like pelvic fins. Adult males can turn territorial, so give them space and cover and watch for bullying.

Males build a bubble nest and guard the brood. Breeding platinum gouramis is of medium difficulty.

Good to know

The platinum's white look comes from dark pigment cut back further than in the gold line, which removes the flank spots and most banding. References class it as the white morph of the species rather than an albino form. Tone varies between suppliers, from chalky white to a clear silver sheen. Color depth also varies within a spawn, so breeders sort for the cleanest fish. Some shops list a platinum lavender beside it as its own item.

In the wild

The platinum line was bred in captivity from the same blue three-spot stock as the gold and opaline. No wild fish looks like one. No reliable source names the breeder, country or decade behind it, so it is best treated as a hobby line of uncertain origin. The stock is farm-bred for the ornamental trade.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The platinum 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 platinum gourami a different species from the three spot gourami?

No. A platinum 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 platinum gourami need?

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

What does a platinum gourami eat?

A platinum gourami eats flake or pellet foods, plus frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp. Some greens round out its varied diet.

How big does a platinum gourami get?

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

How does a platinum gourami breed?

Male platinum gouramis build a bubble nest and guard the brood. Breeding them is of medium difficulty.

Related species