TankBud

Variety of Dwarf gourami

Powder blue dwarf gourami

Trichogaster lalius

One of 3 varieties of Trichogaster lalius · See all varieties →

Also known as Powder Blue Gourami

FreshwaterFish

Powder blue dwarf gourami (Trichogaster lalius)

Varieties · Trichogaster lalius

See all 3 →

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
6.0–7.5
Adult size
3 in
7.5 cm
Minimum tank
10 gal
38 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Bubble nester · Hard
Rarity
Common
Family
Osphronemidae

Overview

The powder blue dwarf gourami drops most of the red barring, leaving a near-solid pale blue fish. Some individuals keep thin reddish stripes, and retailers note that the amount of striping varies from fish to fish. It is a fish for keepers with a little experience.

Did you know

The powder blue dwarf gourami shares a health problem with the other color forms, since dwarf gourami iridovirus is widespread in farmed stock. Australian surveys have repeatedly found it in imported and shop fish, at rates reported around 20 percent. The hobby press often quotes 22 percent, and some shops stopped stocking the species over it.

Caring for the powder blue dwarf gourami

Keep one male powder blue dwarf gourami, alone or with a couple of females, in 10 gal (38 L) or more. Two males in the same tank will fight. Dense planting and some floating plants give the fish cover, so they feel secure.

These fish like warm, calm water with little surface current. Hold it at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. They breathe air at the surface, so keep a gap under the lid and avoid strong filter flow.

Feed flakes, micro pellets and frozen foods for a varied diet, and add small live foods, which they will pick at. The powder blue dwarf gourami is peaceful, safe in a community tank, and swims in midwater, often near the top.

The color is a male trait, so shop tanks hold males. A powder blue female is a plainer, silvery fish, and the females of the different forms look much alike. Males build a floating bubble nest and guard the eggs. Breeding them is hard.

Good to know

The powder blue dwarf gourami's blue is structural. Iridophores stacked with guanine crystals reflect it, which is why the fish shifts between pale blue and near-white as it turns. Selection here works on the red side, thinning the pigment that draws the wild bars rather than adding any blue. Because the color sits in the males, judging a line means judging its males. Shops list it as the powder blue dwarf gourami or just the powder blue gourami.

In the wild

The powder blue is a farm line, selected from dwarf gourami stock for blue coverage and against the wild red bars. Wild fish wear alternating red and blue stripes, so this is a partial version of the natural palette rather than a new color. Most stock reaching Western shops is bred in Southeast Asia. The breeder and the date the line was fixed are not on record.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The powder blue dwarf 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

Common questions

Is a powder blue dwarf gourami a different species from the dwarf gourami?

No. A powder blue dwarf gourami is a variety of the dwarf gourami, Trichogaster lalius, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.

What size tank does a powder blue dwarf gourami need?

A powder blue dwarf gourami needs at least 10 gal (38 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What does a powder blue dwarf gourami eat?

A powder blue dwarf gourami eats a varied diet of flakes, micro pellets and frozen foods. It will pick at small live foods as well.

How big does a powder blue dwarf gourami get?

An adult powder blue dwarf gourami reaches about 3 in (7.5 cm).

How can you tell a male powder blue dwarf gourami from a female?

Males carry the pale blue color, so shop tanks hold males. A female is a plainer, silvery fish.

How does a powder blue dwarf gourami breed?

The powder blue dwarf gourami is a bubble nester. The male builds a floating nest and guards the eggs, and breeding is hard.

Related species