Table of Contents
Introduction to Golden Gourami
Golden gourami is a beautiful and fascinating freshwater specie. Their scientific name is Trichopodus trichopterus. They are unique because of their beautiful bright golden color and long fins. It’s a popular choice among fish keepers due to its beautiful color and peaceful nature. It comes from the family of Osphronemidae. Another factor that makes it a popular choice is that it’s a community fish which means they are quite peaceful and won’t give you a tough time.
They have a lifespan of 4-6 years. They are also known as 3 spot gouramis because they have three spots on their bodies. They are native to Southeast Asia and Indonesia but interestingly they can’t be found in the wild because they are captive-bred. Now what is captive-bred? It means that a fish is specially bred for an aquarium and so gold gourami is a peaceful aquarium fish. Gold gourami like to swim in shallow water which doesn’t have strong water flow.
Now let’s move further and check out the complete care guide for golden gourami.
Appearance
Gold gourami has quite unique features. Their color is the most distinctive feature of them. They can have dark golden or bright orange and yellowish bodies. They have a striped pattern on their body which reaches their back. They can reach up to 6 inches in size. But if your aquarium is smaller then they won’t get that big. Their beautiful body color can change depending on two factors!! Their mood and tank conditions.
Golden gourami care requirements
Golden gourami is best for beginners as this fish won’t give you any tough time. Golden gourami are hardy species and also best for beginners. They are a popular choice among fish keepers because they can survive even if the oxygen and water temperatures change.
Now let’s move forward and check out their care requirements in detail.
Tank condition and requirements
Even though golden gourami are hardy species but they still need some care and to keep them safe from disease, you need to have ideal tank conditions.
Tank size
The minimum tank size for golden gourami is 15 gallons. But the best size for their tank is 50-60 gallons.
It’s good to have a big tank for them because they need lots of space to hide when they feel unsafe.
For tank setup
- First of all, set up a filter in the tank which has a gentle and slow flow. Make sure the current is not strong since gouramis don’t like strong flow so for this purpose you can use a sponge filter.
- Make sure the pH levels are accurate. You should keep a neutral pH level for gold gouramis. If you keep the pH level really low then the water will become very acidic which is not at all safe for the health of your fish.
- Golden gourami breath at the surface of the water so you should keep the water and room temperature at the same level.
- Substrate is not that important but you can add to give a base to your tank.
- You can also add plants to their tank. Some best plants for golden gouramis are Anubis, java fern, and Bolbitis.
- Golden gouramis like warm water so you need to setup a heater to keep the water warm. Some of the best heaters for golden gouramis are Hydor Theo Aquarium Heater and the Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Heater.
- The lighting of the tank should be dim so you should use a fluorescent tube light that has a daylight spectrum.
- Add some decorations in the tank as it will provide hiding spots for your golden gourami and they can hide in them if they feel unsafe.
Water parameters
| pH level | Between 6-8 |
| Temperature | 73° to 82° F |
| Water hardness | 5 to 30 dH |
It’s important to maintain these water parameters to keep your golden gourami healthy and happy in your tank.
Filtration system
The filtration system is important to keep the water in the tank clean. But the best thing about golden gourami is that they don’t produce much waste so a normal filtration system is enough for them.
According to my experience, the filter should be at least twice the size of your tank. For example, if you have a 20-gallon aquarium then the filter you use should be of 40-gallon tank.
I also recommend you use canister filters. They are expensive but they have many features like you can customize the filtration whenever you want.
Points to be noted
- Keep the tank clean every time. You can use algae scrape to remove algae from your tank. Then you can use a sponge to wipe the inner area of the tank.
- Make sure the water parameters are accurate
- Cleaning the filter is also very important as it removes debris and waste material from the water.
- You should also test the water to ensure that the water is safe for your golden gourami. The test kit is used to measure ammonia and nitrate levels in the water.
How can their mood get affected?
Their mood can affect due to many reasons like aggression and an unsuitable environment. If you keep your golden gourami with aggressive and larger species then they will become stressed out and this can change their body color. Also if the water parameters are not accurate, even then your golden gourami might change their body color. Your golden gourami can turn pale or black when it’s under stress.
Difference between male and female golden gourami
Male golden gouramis have long and pointed dorsal fins on the other hand female golden gourami have short and round fins.
Diet of golden gourami
Golden gourami are omnivorous so that means they can eat both veggies and meat. It’s important to have a balanced diet for them which includes flakes, pellets, veggies, etc
Flakes and pellets are basically their everyday food. You can also feed them vegetables like zucchini, peas, tomato, etc but make sure to boil, peel and mash the vegetables before feeding them to your fish.
Its also important to feed them protein-rich food like brine shrimps, bloodworms, etc
Why a balanced diet is important for golden gourami?
It’s important to maintain a balanced diet for your golden gourami. A healthy diet ensures the good health and safety of your fish. A good diet will make the immune system of your fish healthy and in this way, your pet will stay safe from disease and parasites.
Breeding of golden gourami
Breeding golden gourami is quite easy. Anyone can easily do it
For a successful breeding process make sure you are maintaining a proper diet for your golden gourami. Feed them a few times a day for the breeding process. When you feed them more then the female golden gourami will get filled up with eggs. But don’t overfeed them. You must feed them in a proper way by setting a diet schedule for them.
Also, you need a separate breeding tank which should be of at least 15 gallons. You can add floating plants and set a filter to keep the tank clean. The temperature of the tank should be around 80° F for the breeding process.
When the tank is ready then add your male and female golden gourami in the breeding tank. Then the male golden gourami will form a bubble nest at the surface and will then woo the female. If this goes well they will start mating and the eggs will start floating on the surface and will get stuck to the bubble nest.
After this, the male golden gourami will guard the nest. You should then remove the female golden gourami.
When you observe the eggs hatching, remove the male golden gourami from the breeding tank because if you don’t it might eat the fry.
Now everything is almost done. Feed liquid food to baby fry and start feeding them other food as they grow up
That’s it!! The complete process of breeding golden gourami is quite easy and simple.
Is golden gourami aggressive?
They are basically semi aggressive but they are peaceful and calm species. They can become semi-aggressive when they grow up.
But they are great community fish if you choose the right tank mates for them. Also, you should add the same size of fish with them as larger fishes can attack your golden gourami.
If you choose their tank mates wisely then this fish won’t get aggressive and will stay calm in your aquarium.
Ideal tank mates for gold gourami
While choosing tank mates for golden gourami, don’t add highly active fish with them because golden gourami are slow-moving fish so highly active fish are not really compatible with gold gourami.
Also, choose the same size fish as tank mates for golden gourami to keep them safe. Some of the best tank mates for gold gourami are
- Cherry barbs
- Mystery snails
- Plecostomus
- Dwarf Cichlids
- Guppies
Fishes to avoid
- Tiger barbs
- Blue tetra
Also, you shouldn’t add tiny fish with gold gouramis as they might attack tiny fishes which are smaller than them.
FAQs
Are gold Gouramis good community fish?
Yes, they are very good community fish. They are not very aggressive so they do really well in community tanks.
Are Golden Gouramis peaceful?
Yes, they are peaceful fish. They can get semi-aggressive sometimes if the environment is not suitable for them but if everything is up to their liking then they will remain peaceful.
Conclusion
Golden gouramis are colorful and beautiful fish that add colors to your tank. Their bright yellow color makes them shine in the water. So I definitely recommend you to keep golden gourami as your pet. They do really well in community tank and they are semi-aggressive so they are not gonna give you much tough time.
If you take good care of them and fulfil their requirements then they won’t get aggressive at all. Its also very easy to take care of them and is a beginner-friendly fish so you can definitely keep them as your pet
