Three spot gourami

Care at a glance

Overview

The three spot gourami is a hardy, adaptable fish that is easy for beginners. It swims in the middle and upper water, feeling around with its long, thread-like pelvic fins.

Caring for the three spot gourami

Give a three spot gourami a planted tank of at least 30 gal (115 L), with floating cover and a soft substrate. Keep the water calm. Like other labyrinth fish, it breathes air at the surface, so keep a warm, humid gap under the lid.

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

A three spot gourami is fine alone, as a pair or in a small group. It is mostly peaceful and generally mixes well in a community tank. Adult males can turn territorial, so give plenty of space and cover and watch for bullying.

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

Good to know

The three spot gourami, Trichopodus trichopterus, is a member of the gourami family Osphronemidae. Shops sell it in blue, gold, opaline, lavender and other color forms. These are all selectively bred variants of the one wild species.

In the wild

Trichopodus trichopterus ranges from southern China across much of Southeast Asia. It lives in slow and still waters such as marshes, swamps, canals and rice paddies. In the wet season, it moves out into flooded areas.

Other named lines

The blue, opaline, gold and platinum gouramis in shops are all this species; the eye counts as the third spot.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Moonlight gourami

  Trichopodus microlepis

  5.9 in (15 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)

  5.9 in (15 cm)30 gal (115 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)

• 

  Pearl gourami

  Trichopodus leerii

  4.7 in (12 cm) · 29 gal (111 L)

  4.7 in (12 cm)29 gal (111 L)75–86°F (24–30°C)

• 

  Snakeskin gourami

  Trichopodus pectoralis

  9.8 in (25 cm) · 61 gal (230 L)

  9.8 in (25 cm)61 gal (230 L)72–86°F (22–30°C)

• 

  One-spot betta

  Betta unimaculata

  4.5 in (11.5 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)

  4.5 in (11.5 cm)29 gal (110 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)
• Green throat mouthbrooder

  Betta chloropharynx

  4.3 in (11 cm) · 21 gal (80 L)

  4.3 in (11 cm)21 gal (80 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Antuta betta

  Betta sp. 'Antuta'

  3.9 in (10 cm) · 26 gal (100 L)

  3.9 in (10 cm)26 gal (100 L)70–81°F (21–27°C)