Threestripe croaking gourami

Care at a glance

Overview

A group is happy in a 45 litre planted tank at 22 to 28 C with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Feed small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, artemia, and micro worm, moving on to fine dried foods once settled. It is peaceful and works in a nano community with small rasboras and pygmy corydoras. Provide floating plants and calm water so it can build bubble nests.

In the wild

Occupies sluggish ditches, marshes, and floodplain pools that are warm, still, and rich in vegetation. It stays among plant stems and floating cover in the upper half of the water. Like other labyrinth fish it gulps air, so it copes in low-oxygen conditions. The water is usually soft and slightly acidic.

Good to know

Trichopsis schalleri was described by Ladiges in 1962 and belongs to the family Osphronemidae. It is the middle-sized croaking gourami, larger than the pygmy Trichopsis pumila but smaller than Trichopsis vittata. Both sexes can make an audible croaking sound using specialized pectoral fin tendons.

Did you know

The croaking sound it makes during courtship and squabbles is loud enough to be heard from outside the tank.

Related species

• 

  Pygmy gourami

  Trichopsis pumila

  1.6 in (4 cm)15 gal (55 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Croaking gourami

  Trichopsis vittata

  2.8 in (7 cm)25 gal (95 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)

• 

  Chocolate gourami

  Sphaerichthys osphromenoides

  2 in (5 cm)17 gal (65 L)79–88°F (26–31°C)

• 

  Honey gourami

  Trichogaster chuna

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

• 

  Ornate paradisefish

  Malpulutta kretseri

  2 in (5 cm)12 gal (45 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
• Balunga Betta

  Betta balunga

  2 in (5 cm)16 gal (60 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)