Pygmy gourami
Trichopsis pumila
Also known as Sparkling gourami, Sparkling dwarf gourami
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–82°F
- 22–28°C
- pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Adult size
- 1.6 in
- 4 cm
- Minimum tank
- 10 gal
- 38 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Bubble nester · Hard
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Osphronemidae
- Origin
- Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam
Overview
The pygmy gourami is a small, somewhat shy fish for a calm, planted community tank. It takes a little more care than the easiest fish.
Did you know
Pygmy gouramis make a soft croaking or clicking sound, usually during courtship or disputes. In a quiet room you can sometimes hear it, which is why they are also called croaking gouramis.
Caring for the pygmy gourami
Keep pygmy gouramis in a small group or a pair, in a tank of 10 gal (38 L) or more. Plant it densely, add floating cover and keep the flow calm. Leave warm air space above the water, since they breathe from the surface.
Give them soft, slightly acidic water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C), with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Feed small foods such as micro pellets, flake, and live or frozen brine shrimp and mosquito larvae.
Pygmy gouramis are peaceful, and they swim in the middle and upper water. Keep them only with small, calm tank mates, as boisterous fish will outcompete them.
The male builds a bubble nest and tends the eggs until they hatch in a day or two. Breeding them is hard.
Good to know
The pygmy gourami is a small member of the Osphronemidae. It is a labyrinth fish, able to breathe air. Its populations are stable, and it is listed as least concern.
In the wild
The pygmy gourami lives in shallow, heavily vegetated waters across Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. These waters are often tea-colored from tannins and dimly lit.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The pygmy 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.
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
FreshwaterBrackish2.4 in (6 cm) · 10 gal (38 L)64–82°F (18–28°C)
Neon tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
Freshwater1.5 in (3.8 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)70–77°F (21–25°C)
Pygmy cory
Gastrodermus pygmaeus
Freshwater1.3 in (3.3 cm) · 10 gal (38 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
Sicklefin livebearer
Girardinus falcatus
Freshwater2.6 in (6.5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)
Chopstick snail
Stenomelania torulosa
Freshwater2 in (5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Salt and pepper cory
Hoplisoma habrosum
Freshwater1.4 in (3.5 cm) · 10 gal (38 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a pygmy gourami need?
A pygmy gourami needs at least 10 gal (38 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a pygmy gourami need?
A pygmy gourami is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.5.
What does a pygmy gourami eat?
A pygmy gourami eats small foods such as micro pellets, flake, and live or frozen brine shrimp and mosquito larvae.
How big does a pygmy gourami get?
An adult pygmy gourami reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).
How does a pygmy gourami breed?
Pygmy gourami males build a bubble nest and tend the eggs until they hatch in a day or two. Breeding them is hard.
Related species
2 in (5 cm)12 gal (45 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Threestripe croaking gourami
Trichopsis schalleri
2 in (5 cm) · 12 gal (45 L)
2.8 in (7 cm)18 gal (67 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Croaking gourami
Trichopsis vittata
2.8 in (7 cm) · 18 gal (67 L)
1.6 in (4 cm)11 gal (40 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Chukai betta
Betta tussyae
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1.6 in (4 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Spadetail licorice gourami
Parosphromenus filamentosus
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1.5 in (3.7 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)Swamp licorice gourami
Parosphromenus paludicola
1.5 in (3.7 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)
1.8 in (4.5 cm)16 gal (60 L)79–86°F (26–30°C)Crossband chocolate gourami
Sphaerichthys selatanensis
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