Thick-lipped gourami

Care at a glance

Overview

Do not house them with banded or dwarf gourami, since the three hybridize freely. This is one of the better community gouramis, calmer than the dwarf gourami, and it sits in the middle of the water column. Keep a small group in a tank of at least 75 liters, weighted toward more females, because males get a little territorial with each other. They are mostly peaceful and social, and water should run 22 to 28 C with a pH of 6 to 7.5. Feed a varied diet of small pellets, flakes, and frozen foods like daphnia or brine shrimp, and pick calm tankmates that will not nip or outcompete them at feeding time.

In the wild

Thick-lipped gouramis come from slow, warm waters in southern Myanmar, the kind of shallow, plant-choked pools and ditches with soft light and little current. To match that, give them a heavily planted tank with floating plants on top, a dark substrate, and gentle flow. They are a labyrinth fish that breathes air at the surface, so keep a tight lid that traps a warm humid layer above the water and stop them gulping cold dry air. Keep the water between 22 and 28 C with a pH from 6 to 7.5.

Good to know

This is Trichogaster labiosa, a labyrinth fish in the family Osphronemidae, growing to about 9 cm as an adult. It is a bubble-nester, with the male building a foam nest at the surface and guarding the eggs, and spawning it takes a bit of setup. Most fish in the trade are tank-bred, and the sunset and gold color forms are common. A healthy adult lives several years.

Did you know

Like other labyrinth fish, this gourami breathes air from the surface using a lung-like organ, which is why it gets by in the still, low-oxygen pools it comes from. That same habit is why the warm humid air under the lid matters, since a blast of cold room air at the surface can chill the organ and make the fish sick.

Related species

• 

  Banded Gourami

  Trichogaster fasciata

  3.5 in (9 cm)26 gal (100 L)70–82°F (21–28°C)

• 

  Dwarf gourami

  Trichogaster lalius

  3 in (7.5 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)

• 

  Honey gourami

  Trichogaster chuna

  2 in (5 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Pi betta

  Betta pi

  3.5 in (9 cm)26 gal (100 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Slender betta

  Betta bellica

  3.5 in (9 cm)20 gal (75 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)
• Eyespot betta

  Betta ocellata

  3.5 in (9 cm)24 gal (90 L)70–77°F (21–25°C)