Honey Gourami Care and Breeding Guide

The Honey Gourami is a small tropical fish that is ideal for aquarium keeping. It is also scientifically known as Trichogaster Chuna. The fish belongs to the popular Gourami family but it isn’t as popular amongst aquarists as the Dwarf Gouramis are. The reason this is that the fish is not so popular may be due to the fact that they appear plain in a retail setting than other Gouramis do. However, not so many people know about the fish and therefore few don’t understand the fact the fish can actually turn dramatically and exhibit excellent physical features when kept in favorable conditions.

The secret to keeping the fish successfully in the aquarium mainly depends on the conditions you provide for them there. If you set for them ideal conditions that they find conducive, they will develop colors that are stunning and amazing. So, basically, the trick with Honey Gouramis is just proper care and feeding and you will definitely get the best results with them.

Appearance of Honey Gourami

The fish shows orange colored body and can grow to a maximum length of seven centimeters. Just like with many other varieties of Gouramis, the males here are more brightly colored than the females. The males have got a brighter orange color near their throat area and the brightness will even increase when it is breeding time. This phenomenon helps the male to court the attention of the female during breeding time. The males will also have their undersides becoming rather darker during times of breeding. The dorsal and anal fin ends of the females appear rounded in shape while those of the males appear sharpened. The males of the fish are thinner compared to the females who are a little larger in size. A close look at the fish will let you see a unique dark brown stripe that starts close to the eye and marks the body.

Habitat

The fish lives in freshwaters and is native to India (north eastern parts of the country) and Bangladesh. The fish is mostly found in rivers, lakes and ponds where it dwells in areas of thick vegetation but of softer waters. In the wild the fish is most commonly found in the upper and middle levels of the water. The fish is adapted to a kind of hardy life because most of the time, its habitat that is the rivers and ponds get ravaged by drought and flooding but it still manages to survive. Indeed it is a tough fish that can manage to survive in a variety of water conditions as long as it is provided with ideal food.

The conservation status of the fish was published for the first time in 2006 and its status is considered to be of least concern.

Tank requirements

Honey Gourami is a hardy fresh water fish that is easy to keep in the aquarium thanks to the tough habitat it has endure in the wild. This is not to say that you don’t have to take good care of it when keeping it in the aquarium. In fact, for better results, you will have to keep the tank conditions favorable for it so you can enjoy watching its true colors that makes it be referred to as ‘honey’.

Below are some basic tank requirements for the fish that will help you getting started with his fish:

• They are a community fish and therefore the minimum size of the tank ideal for the fish should be at least 10 gallons or more.
• The fish is highly adaptable and will readily adjust to the temperature of the tank but on average the temperature in the tank should be 70 – 82°F.
• The fish is better to be placed in soft water and the ph of the water in the tank should be 6.0 – 7.5.
• The tank should also be well aerated with aquarium air pump for the fish so that it can get sufficient oxygen.
• You may also need to renew at least 20-25% of the tank water in order to ensure that the fish doesn’t suffer from oxygen deficiency and poisoning from its waste.

Also putting in plants in the tank will go a long way in making the fish find places they can hide when conflict arises from the dwellers in the tank. Just ensure that you place the plants in the tank in such a way that the middle and upper part of the tank have room for the fish to swim in.

Feeding

They are omnivorous fish, that is, they feed on small insects as well as plant parts that they come across in the wild. Feeding the honey Gourami in the tank is quite easy because it will feed on live, frozen, and artificial food. You can also feed the fish flakes to them and they will gladly eat. The other live foods that you can give the fish include; blood worms, brine shrimp, and corethra.

To help keep the tank clean and hygienic for the fish, just ensure that you clear any food particles that are left by the fish after a meal. Such food particles if left in the tank for long may just act bacteria brooding haven.

Breeding

Breeding the Honey Gourami is not complex because you can easily distinguish the male from the female. The male usually have brighter coloration with a deep blue abdomen. The female for her part is slightly larger in size to the male but with a paler color.

In the wild the fish will make their nests on the foam just near the surface of the water. It is the male that usually builds the nest from the bubbles on the water when spawning is just about to occur. In a bizarre show of dance, you will see the male dancing and swinging just near the female. Once the eggs have been laid and fertilized during a spawning session, the male will take care of them. This is why it is best for you to remove the female once spawning is finished because the male will take of the eggs until they hatch.