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
16 gal
60 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Family
Osphronemidae

Overview

Powder blue drops most of the red barring, leaving a near-solid pale blue fish with thin reddish stripes left on some individuals. Shops list it as Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami or just Powder Blue Gourami, and retailers note that the amount of striping varies from fish to fish. The color is a male trait, so shop tanks hold males, and a powder blue female is a plainer silvery fish.

In the wild

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.

Good to know

The 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, and the females of the different forms look much alike.

Did you know

The color forms come with a health footnote that has nothing to do with color. Dwarf gourami iridovirus is widespread in farmed stock, and Australian surveys have repeatedly found it in imported and shop fish at rates reported around 20 percent, with a figure of 22 percent often quoted in the hobby press. Some shops stopped stocking the species over it.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

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 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

How big does a Powder blue dwarf gourami get?

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

Related species