Honey Gourami Care Guide: Trichogaster chuna for UK Aquarists

The Honey Gourami (Trichogaster chuna) is one of the most rewarding small labyrinth fish in the UK hobby. Quiet, colourful, and genuinely easy to keep, it fills a niche that very few other species manage: a peaceful centrepiece fish for tanks as small as 40 litres. We stock Honey Gourami in our UK shop for good reason — they settle quickly, eat readily, and bring a warm golden glow to any planted aquarium. This is the complete honey gourami care guide I maintain for every batch that passes through the shop, covering honey gourami tank size, water chemistry, the labyrinth organ, honey gourami tank mates, diet, colour varieties, breeding, and the common mistakes I see beginners make. Every care claim in this guide is backed by cited sources — FishBase^[1] for scientific data, Seriously Fish^[2] for hobbyist-verified care information, and my own notes from years of keeping the species.

The Honey Gourami, Trichogaster chuna, is a small labyrinth fish native to the slow-moving rivers and flooded plains of northern India and Bangladesh. Its warm golden body, peaceful temperament, and modest tank requirements make it one of the most popular gourami UK species for community aquariums. Unlike its close relative the dwarf gourami (Trichogaster lalius), the honey gourami is significantly hardier and far less susceptible to the devastating iridovirus that plagues dwarf gourami imports. For UK aquarists looking for a healthy gourami that thrives in a planted setup, Trichogaster chuna is the smarter choice. Males in breeding colour display a striking deep amber to burnt-orange body with a dark navy throat, while females and juveniles show a softer honey-brown tone with a distinctive dark lateral stripe. Whether you want a gentle centrepiece for a nano gourami tank or a calm upper-level resident for a mixed community, the honey gourami delivers colour, personality, and easy care in one compact package.

Classification

• Order: Anabantiformes

• Family: Osphronemidae

• Genus: Trichogaster

  Trichogaster chuna belongs to the labyrinth fish family Osphronemidae, alongside bettas, paradise fish, and other gouramis. You may see older references using the genus name Colisa, but modern taxonomy places this species firmly in Trichogaster. The species is sometimes confused in the trade with the closely related Trichogaster labiosa (thick-lipped gourami), but true honey gouramis are smaller, slimmer, and have a distinctly different colour pattern.

The Labyrinth Organ: How Honey Gouramis Breathe Air

One of the most important things to understand about honey gourami care is the labyrinth organ. Like all anabantoids, honey gouramis possess a specialised breathing structure located above the gills that allows them to extract oxygen directly from atmospheric air. In the wild, this adaptation evolved in the warm, oxygen-poor waters of the Ganges and Brahmaputra floodplains, where dissolved oxygen levels drop sharply during the dry season.

In the aquarium, you will regularly see your honey gourami rise to the surface, take a gulp of air, and return to its usual position among the plants. This is completely normal and not a sign of distress. However, because the labyrinth organ needs access to warm, humid air above the water surface, a tight-fitting lid with no air gap can cause problems. A small gap between the water surface and the lid — just a centimetre or two — allows the fish to breathe comfortably without risking a chill from cold air. In cold UK homes, especially during winter, a drastic temperature difference between the room air and the tank water can damage the delicate labyrinth tissue.

This air-breathing ability is also the reason honey gouramis tolerate smaller, less heavily filtered tanks better than many comparably sized fish. They are not dependent solely on dissolved oxygen, so they can thrive in setups where a standard tetra or rasbora might struggle. That said, good filtration and water quality still matter — the labyrinth organ is a supplement to gill respiration, not a replacement.

Expert Tip

Keep a gap of warm, humid air between the water surface and the tank lid. In winter, cold room air entering an open-topped aquarium can shock the labyrinth organ. A covered tank with a small ventilation gap is the safest approach for all gourami species in UK homes.

Where Do Honey Gouramis Come From? Natural Habitat Explained

The natural Trichogaster chuna habitat lies in the Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins of northern India and Bangladesh^[1]. These are warm, slow-moving lowland waters — flooded rice paddies, vegetated ditches, shallow lakes, and the margins of larger rivers where the current slows and vegetation grows thick. The water is often tea-coloured from decaying organic matter, soft, slightly acidic, and crowded with floating and emergent plants.

This habitat tells you almost everything you need to know about setting up the perfect honey gourami aquarium. The species evolved among dense surface cover, gentle or zero flow, warm temperatures, and soft water. In the wild, honey gouramis spend most of their time in the upper third of the water column, weaving through plant roots and stems, picking at tiny invertebrates on leaf surfaces, and surfacing to breathe. Males stake out small territories among floating plants during the breeding season and build bubble nests at the surface.

For UK aquarists, the practical lesson is straightforward: a planted tank with floating cover, gentle filtration, and warm, stable water will bring out the best colour and most natural behaviour. The species does not need blackwater conditions, but it does appreciate tannin-stained water if you choose to add Indian almond leaves or driftwood. Most UK tap water in the Midlands and North falls within an acceptable range without modification, though southern hard water may benefit from blending with RO.

How to Set Up the Perfect Tank for Honey Gouramis

A good honey gourami tank setup prioritises surface cover, gentle flow, and warm, stable water over tank size alone. This is a species that uses the top third of the water column almost exclusively, so vertical space above dense mid-level planting matters just as much as footprint. If you are wondering about honey gourami minimum tank size, the practical answer is 40 litres for a single specimen or a pair, and 80 litres or more for a small group.

Tank Size Requirements

For a single honey gourami or a male-female pair, a 40-litre aquarium with good planting is sufficient. This makes the species one of the few genuinely suitable fish for nano gourami tanks. If you want to keep a group — say, one male with two or three females — aim for 80-100 litres with plenty of sight breaks. Two males in anything under 80 litres is asking for trouble, as the dominant fish will harass the subordinate relentlessly unless dense planting and hardscape break every line of sight.

Despite its small size, the honey gourami benefits from a tank with some horizontal length. A 60 cm long tank gives better results than a tall, narrow one because the fish patrols territories along the surface. Longer tanks also allow you to create distinct planted zones, which helps diffuse male-on-male aggression in larger groups.

Water Parameters

22-28 °C honey gourami temperature

6.0-7.5 honey gourami pH range

4-15 dGH Trichogaster chuna water hardness

Low nitrate honey gourami water parameters

The ideal honey gourami temperature is 24-26 °C for long-term care. The species tolerates a broader range of 22-28 °C, but the mid-twenties keep metabolism, colour, and immune function at their best. The best honey gourami pH sits between 6.0 and 7.5, with slightly acidic to neutral being ideal^[2]. Hardness tolerance is broader than many hobbyists expect — 4-15 dGH — which means that much of UK tap water is workable without heavy modification.

This adaptability is one of the key differences between the honey gourami and the more demanding blackwater species. While cardinal tetras need soft, acidic conditions, honey gouramis adjust to a wider window. That said, consistency matters more than hitting a magic number. Sudden swings in pH or temperature stress the fish far more than a stable pH of 7.2 versus 6.5.

Filtration — Gentle Flow Is Essential

This is where many beginners go wrong. Honey gouramis come from near-stagnant water. A powerful canister filter blasting current across the surface will stress them, push them into corners, and destroy bubble nests. Use a sponge filter, a gentle hang-on-back with the flow turned down, or an external filter fitted with a spray bar or lily pipe aimed at the glass. The goal is adequate biological filtration with minimal surface disruption.

If you already have a strong filter, baffle the outflow. A piece of sponge over the output, a spray bar turned toward the back glass, or a surface skimmer redirecting flow downward all work well. When the surface is calm, you will see males begin inspecting it for nest sites within days.

Substrate, Plants and Decor

Dark substrate brings out the best colour in honey gouramis. Fine sand or smooth gravel in brown or black tones provides a natural background that encourages the fish to display rather than wash out. Avoid sharp substrates — while gouramis rarely rest on the bottom, their long ventral feeler fins sometimes trail across the substrate.

Floating plants are the single most important element for this species. Amazon frogbit, salvinia, red root floaters, or water lettuce provide the shaded surface environment honey gouramis instinctively seek. Males will build bubble nests among floating plant roots, and the dappled light beneath floating cover reduces stress and boosts colour. Below the surface, stem plants, Java fern, Anubias, and Cryptocoryne species create mid-level cover and sight breaks.

Driftwood and dried Indian almond leaves add tannins that soften the water slightly and create a more natural atmosphere. The slight amber tint is not essential but does seem to settle newly introduced fish faster. Leave open swimming lanes in the upper water column so the fish can patrol and display — a tank completely choked with plants offers hiding but not the territory structure males need to feel confident.

Lighting Requirements

Moderate to subdued lighting suits honey gouramis best. Very bright overhead light with no floating plant cover makes them nervous and washed out. If your light is powerful for plant growth, floating plants naturally solve the problem by shading the upper water column where the gouramis spend their time. In setups with dimmer lighting, honey gouramis are noticeably more active and more willing to display in the open.

Pro Tip

Add floating plants before introducing your honey gourami. A bare surface with bright overhead light is the single biggest cause of hiding, stress, and colour loss in newly added fish. Even a handful of Amazon frogbit makes a dramatic difference to settling behaviour.

Colour Varieties: Wild, Gold, and Sunset

The honey gourami is sold under several colour names in the UK trade, which causes understandable confusion. All are the same species — Trichogaster chuna — but selective breeding has produced distinct colour forms.

Wild-Type Honey Gourami

The natural form shows a warm honey-brown body in both sexes. Females and non-breeding males display a prominent dark brown lateral stripe running from the snout through the eye to the caudal peduncle. When a male comes into breeding condition, this stripe fades and the entire body deepens to a rich amber or burnt-orange, while the throat and ventral area turn dark navy-blue to black. This colour transformation is one of the most dramatic in the small-fish hobby — the same fish can look plain one week and spectacular the next.

Gold Honey Gourami

The most common variety in UK shops is the selectively bred golden form, often sold simply as honey gourami. These fish display a bright, uniform golden-yellow body with less visible lateral striping than the wild type. Males in colour intensify to a deeper gold or light orange. This is likely what you will receive unless a retailer specifically labels the fish as wild-type.

Red or Sunset Honey Gourami

The sunset honey gourami (also called red honey gourami) is a more intensely selected line that produces deeper orange-red tones across the body. These fish can be stunning when settled and well-fed, but be cautious: some fish sold as sunset honeys are actually dyed or hormone-treated dwarf gouramis (Trichogaster lalius). A genuine sunset honey gourami is the same size and body shape as a standard honey — slightly smaller and slimmer than a dwarf gourami. If a fish labelled sunset or red honey is as large as a dwarf gourami and carries vivid neon stripes, it is almost certainly a different species.

Honey Gourami vs Dwarf Gourami: Which Should You Choose?

This is one of the most common questions in the UK gourami hobby, and the answer is unambiguous for most community setups: choose the honey gourami. Here is why.

The dwarf gourami (Trichogaster lalius) is a beautiful fish that has been devastated by decades of intensive farming in Southeast Asia. The result is that a very large proportion of commercially bred dwarf gouramis carry Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus (DGIV), a disease with no cure and a high mortality rate. Losses of 50% or more within six months of purchase are not unusual, even in well-maintained aquariums. The virus is systemic, untreatable, and can spread to other anabantoids in the same tank.

Honey gouramis are not affected by DGIV. They are hardier, less aggressive, and significantly less prone to the mystery wasting and bloating that plagues dwarf gourami imports. For a UK aquarist who wants a colourful, peaceful labyrinth fish without the coin-flip survival rate, the honey gourami is the clear winner.

If colour intensity is your top priority and you can source wild-caught or reputable-breeder dwarf gouramis, Trichogaster lalius does offer a more dramatic visual impact. But for reliability, longevity, and peaceful behaviour in a community, the honey gourami wins every time.

What Do Honey Gouramis Eat? Complete Feeding Guide

The honey gourami diet is omnivorous with a natural lean toward small invertebrates and surface foods. In the wild, Trichogaster chuna picks at insect larvae, tiny crustaceans, algae, and organic particles near the surface and among plant roots. In the aquarium, the best honey gourami feeding guide combines a quality small pellet or flake with regular frozen or live foods.

Staple Foods

A high-quality micro pellet or fine tropical flake makes a good daily staple. Honey gouramis have small mouths, so food particles should be appropriately sized — standard pellets designed for larger cichlids will be ignored or spat out. Feed small amounts once or twice daily, offering only what the fish can finish within a minute or two. Overfeeding is the most common diet mistake and quickly degrades water quality in the small tanks where this species is often kept.

Supplemental Foods

Frozen daphnia, baby brine shrimp, cyclops, and finely chopped bloodworm are excellent supplements. Offer these two to three times per week. These foods improve condition, enhance colour intensity, and are particularly important when conditioning fish for breeding. A honey gourami fed exclusively on dry food will survive, but one given regular frozen or live supplements will display noticeably richer golden colour and more active behaviour.

Surface Feeding Behaviour

Honey gouramis are natural surface feeders. They often pick food from the water surface film and from the undersides of floating plant leaves. This means sinking pellets can be less effective than floating flakes or foods that stay suspended in the upper water column. If you use a sinking food, watch carefully to ensure your gourami is actually eating — in a busy community, bottom-dwelling tank mates may consume sinking food before the gourami reaches it.

Feeding Warning

Honey gouramis are shy feeders in newly set up tanks. If kept with fast, greedy species like barbs or danios, they may be consistently outcompeted at feeding time. Feed at multiple points across the tank surface, or distract faster fish with food at one end while your gourami feeds at the other.

What Fish Can Live With Honey Gouramis? Compatibility Guide

The honey gourami temperament is genuinely peaceful — among the gentlest of all commonly kept tropical fish. This makes them excellent community fish, but it also means they are easily bullied or outcompeted by more boisterous species. The best honey gourami tank mates are calm, similarly sized fish that occupy different levels of the water column.

Ideal Tank Mates

Excellent companions include Corydoras catfish (any small species), kuhli loaches, ember tetras, cardinal tetras, harlequin rasboras, celestial pearl danios, otocinclus catfish, cherry shrimp, amano shrimp, and nerite snails. These species are all peaceful, stay small, and do not compete with honey gouramis for surface territory. Corydoras and kuhli loaches are particularly good choices because they occupy the bottom of the tank, leaving the upper levels free for the gourami.

Other small labyrinth fish can work in larger tanks. A honey gourami and a peaceful betta female sometimes coexist in a well-planted 80+ litre setup, but this is not guaranteed and requires careful observation. Sparkling gouramis (Trichopsis pumila) are usually compatible in tanks with enough space and cover.

Species to Avoid

Avoid keeping honey gouramis with fast, nippy, or aggressive species. Tiger barbs, serpae tetras, and Buenos Aires tetras will harass them and nip their ventral feeler fins. Large cichlids, even relatively peaceful ones, will intimidate them into permanent hiding. Male bettas are a risk — some ignore gouramis entirely, but others see them as rival labyrinth fish and attack. The safest rule is: if a potential tank mate is described as boisterous, nippy, or territorial, it does not belong with honey gouramis.

Avoid keeping honey gouramis with dwarf gouramis in the same tank. Beyond the social conflict risk between two surface-dwelling gourami species, the dwarf gourami iridovirus concern makes mixing them unwise — while DGIV does not typically infect honey gouramis, the stress of cohabitation with a more assertive gourami species is detrimental.

Community Stocking Examples

In a 60-litre planted aquarium, one male honey gourami with a shoal of 8-10 ember tetras and 6 pygmy corydoras creates a peaceful, colourful, and well-balanced community. In a 120-litre setup, a pair of honey gouramis with 12-15 harlequin rasboras, 8 corydoras, and a group of amano shrimp provides activity at every level. These combinations keep aggression minimal and let the gourami display naturally in the upper water column.

For shrimp keepers: adult cherry shrimp and amano shrimp are generally safe with honey gouramis. However, shrimplets (baby shrimp) will be eaten if found. If you are breeding shrimp in the same tank, provide very dense moss and plant cover for the young to hide in. The honey gourami is one of the more shrimp-compatible fish available, but it is still an opportunistic predator of anything small enough to fit in its mouth.

Compatibility Tip

Introduce the honey gourami last when stocking a new community. Letting other species establish themselves first reduces the chance of the gourami claiming the entire tank as territory. In established communities, adding the gourami after the other fish are settled produces the calmest introductions.

How to Tell Male from Female Honey Gouramis

Sexing honey gouramis is straightforward once the fish are mature, but can be confusing in juveniles and in the golden colour variety where natural markings are reduced.

Males

Mature males are brighter in colour and develop a pointed dorsal fin. In breeding condition, the body deepens from pale gold to a rich amber, honey, or burnt-orange, and the throat and belly turn dark navy-blue to almost black. Males are generally slimmer than females when viewed from above. The long ventral feeler fins may also appear slightly more vibrant in colour.

Females

Females retain a softer, more subdued colouration — typically honey-brown or pale gold — and display a more prominent dark brown lateral stripe than males in full colour. The dorsal fin is rounder. When carrying eggs, females appear noticeably fuller through the belly. In the golden colour form, females may look almost indistinguishable from males until breeding behaviour begins.

Juveniles

Juvenile honey gouramis of both sexes look similar: pale silvery-gold with a faint lateral stripe. Reliable sexing usually becomes possible at around 3-4 cm body length, when males begin to show the first signs of deeper colouration and dorsal fin shape divergence.

How to Breed Honey Gouramis: Bubble Nest Breeding Guide

Honey gourami breeding is achievable for moderately experienced hobbyists and is one of the most rewarding experiences the species offers. As a bubble-nest builder, the male constructs a floating nest of air bubbles and plant matter at the water surface, courts the female beneath it, and then guards the eggs and fry until they are free-swimming. The process is fascinating to observe.

Breeding Setup

While honey gouramis sometimes breed spontaneously in a well-maintained community tank, a dedicated breeding tank of 20-40 litres gives the best results. Set the temperature slightly warmer than usual — 26-28 °C — and ensure the surface is calm and covered with floating plants. Amazon frogbit and salvinia are ideal because their trailing roots give the male anchor points for the bubble nest. The water level can be lowered to 15-20 cm, as this concentrates the fry near the surface where they can easily reach air for their developing labyrinth organs.

Filtration should be a gentle sponge filter only. Any surface disturbance will destroy the bubble nest and discourage the male from building. A tight-fitting lid is important — the warm, humid air layer above the water surface is critical for bubble nest integrity and for fry survival during the first weeks of life.

Conditioning

Condition the pair with frequent small feeds of frozen daphnia, baby brine shrimp, and bloodworm for one to two weeks before introducing them to the breeding tank. A well-conditioned female will appear noticeably fuller through the belly. A ready male will intensify in colour — deepening from gold to amber with a dark throat — and begin building practice bubble nests even in the main tank.

Spawning Behaviour

The male builds a bubble nest at the surface, usually among floating plant roots. This can take a few hours to a couple of days. Once the nest is complete, he begins courting the female with displays — spreading his fins, darkening his colour, and swimming beneath her. If the female is receptive, the pair embrace beneath the nest in the classic anabantoid spawning wrap: the male curls his body around the female, and she releases eggs which he fertilises. The male then collects the eggs in his mouth and places them into the bubble nest. This process repeats multiple times over several hours, producing anywhere from 20 to 300 or more eggs.

Egg Care and Hatching

After spawning is complete, remove the female. The male guards the nest attentively, repairing bubbles and replacing any eggs that fall. He can become aggressive toward anything that approaches the nest, including the female who just spawned — this is normal paternal instinct. The eggs typically hatch within 24-36 hours at 27 °C. The male continues to tend the fry for another two to three days until they become free-swimming and begin to leave the nest.

At the free-swimming stage, remove the male. His parental role is over, and he may begin to eat the fry if left in place.

Fry Care and Growth

Newly free-swimming fry are tiny and need microscopic foods. Infusoria, commercially prepared liquid fry food, or paramecium cultures are appropriate first foods for the first three to five days. After that, newly hatched brine shrimp (Artemia nauplii) and microworms can be introduced. Growth is steady but slow — expect the fry to reach recognisable gourami shape at around four to six weeks and begin showing colour at two to three months.

Water quality in the fry tank must be kept pristine. Small, frequent water changes (10% daily) using water of matched temperature and chemistry prevent ammonia buildup without shocking the fry. Keep the water level low for the first few weeks and maintain the warm, humid air gap above the surface — the developing labyrinth organ is fragile, and fry that breathe cold air can suffer fatal damage.

Advanced Breeding Tip

If the male repeatedly destroys his own nest or eats eggs, check three things: surface agitation (even a trickle from a filter can be enough), temperature (below 25 °C discourages breeding commitment), and the presence of other fish that stress him. A calm, warm, private tank with floating plants almost always triggers successful nesting behaviour within a week.

Common Health Problems in Honey Gouramis and How to Prevent Them

A healthy honey gourami should display bright colour, clear eyes, intact fins, active surface exploration, and regular feeding. Faded colour, clamped fins, lethargy at the bottom of the tank, or refusal to eat are warning signs. The good news is that honey gouramis are robust fish — most health problems are caused by environmental issues rather than inherent fragility.

Common Diseases and Symptoms

Ich (white spot disease) is the most common ailment, showing as small white spots on the body and fins. It is usually triggered by temperature drops or stress from transport. Treatment involves gradually raising the temperature to 28-30 °C and, if needed, using a proprietary white spot remedy at the recommended dose.

Bacterial infections — fin rot, body sores, or cottony patches — most often follow poor water quality or physical injury. Maintaining zero ammonia and nitrite and keeping nitrate below 20 ppm prevents the vast majority of bacterial issues. If infection occurs, improve water conditions immediately and treat with a suitable antibacterial medication.

Velvet disease (Oodinium) appears as a fine gold or rusty dust across the skin, often visible when light hits the fish at an angle. It is more common in warm, poorly maintained tanks. Darken the tank and treat with a copper-free velvet remedy appropriate for labyrinth fish.

Unlike dwarf gouramis, honey gouramis are not commonly affected by iridovirus. This is their single greatest health advantage over Trichogaster lalius and a major reason to choose honeys for a community tank.

Prevention

Prevention is simple and effective: stable water parameters, regular water changes (20-25% weekly), a varied diet, and quarantining new additions for two to four weeks before adding them to an established community. Stress is the root cause of most disease in this species — maintain good conditions and avoid aggressive tank mates, and honey gouramis are among the hardiest small tropicals available.

Understanding Honey Gourami Behaviour in the Aquarium

Honey gouramis are among the most characterful small fish in the hobby. They are slow-moving, inquisitive, and often seem to watch what is happening outside the tank as much as inside it. Unlike tetras that move in constant, rhythmic schools, honey gouramis drift, hover, and explore individually — methodically inspecting plant leaves, investigating the water surface, and using their long ventral feeler fins to touch and probe their surroundings.

Those modified ventral fins are sensory organs, not just decoration. You will frequently see a honey gourami extend one or both feelers toward objects, plants, or even other fish. This is normal exploratory behaviour. The feeler fins are delicate, which is one reason to avoid sharp decor and fin-nipping tank mates.

Males are mildly territorial, especially during breeding condition. A male in colour will claim a patch of surface territory — usually around a bubble nest or a dense clump of floating plants — and chase away intruders. This aggression is directed mainly at other male gouramis and is usually expressed as brief chases and displays rather than physical damage. In a well-planted tank, subordinate fish simply move out of the territory, and the conflict ends.

Honey gouramis are not schooling fish and do not need to be kept in groups. A single specimen does perfectly well and often becomes the calmest, most confident fish in the tank. However, keeping a male-female pair allows you to observe the full range of natural courtship, nest-building, and colour display behaviour, which is one of the great pleasures of the species.

Why Buy from Tropical Fish Co?

When ordering a honey gourami for sale UK, what matters is the condition of the fish on arrival. Honey gouramis are hardy once established, but stressed, poorly handled imports can take weeks to settle and may arrive faded to pale silver. Our focus is to hold fish long enough that they are fully settled, feeding confidently, and showing colour before they are offered for sale.

Each batch is observed for feeding response, colour development, and any signs of disease before dispatch. We do not ship fish straight from the wholesaler to your door — they are quarantined and assessed first. This is particularly important with honey gouramis because mislabelling is common in the trade. We confirm species identity so that a fish sold as a honey gourami is genuinely Trichogaster chuna, not a juvenile dwarf gourami or a colour-treated impostor.

Shipping uses insulated packaging with heat packs during cold weather — critical for a tropical species that needs warm, humid air above the water. Tracked delivery reduces transit time and gives you visibility on when to expect your fish. Whether you are searching honey gourami buy online UK, buy honey gourami UK delivery, or Trichogaster chuna for sale, careful packing and honest species identification are what separate a good purchase from a disappointing one.

Why Choose Tropical Fish Co for Honey Gouramis

• Fish are quarantined, settled, and confirmed feeding before dispatch
• Species identity verified — no mislabelled dwarf gouramis
• Insulated packaging with seasonal heat protection for UK live-fish delivery

You Might Also Like

Build a complete peaceful community around your honey gourami. Corydoras catfish are the perfect bottom-dwelling companion — gentle, social, and they occupy a completely different zone in the tank. For mid-level colour, Cardinal Tetras and Neon Tetras make classic shoaling partners that thrive in similar warm, planted conditions. If you are setting up a smaller tank, Cherry Shrimp add movement and algae control without stressing your gourami. For fellow surface dwellers in a larger setup, consider Betta fish in a female group or sorority — though always with careful monitoring. And for the planted tank itself, our Live Plants for Beginners guide covers the floating plants and easy stems that honey gouramis love.

Answers to the most common questions

Are Honey Gouramis Good for Beginners?

Yes — honey gouramis are one of the best labyrinth fish for beginners. They tolerate a wide range of UK water conditions, only need a 40-litre minimum tank, and are genuinely peaceful with almost any calm community fish. They are significantly hardier and less disease-prone than dwarf gouramis.

Honey Gourami Tank Mates

The best tank mates are calm, small species: Corydoras, ember tetras, harlequin rasboras, cardinal tetras, kuhli loaches, cherry shrimp, and nerite snails. Avoid fin-nippers, large cichlids, and male bettas.

Honey Gourami Size

Honey gouramis typically reach an adult size of around 5 cm and live up to 5 years with good care. They are smaller than dwarf gouramis (~8 cm).

Honey Gourami Care

Honey gourami care is considered easy. They need a tank of at least 40 litres, temperature of 22-28 °C, and pH in the 6.0-7.5 range. Floating plants and gentle filtration are the two most important elements.

Honey Gourami Breeding

Breeding honey gouramis is achievable for moderately experienced hobbyists. Males build bubble nests at the surface among floating plants. A warm, calm, well-planted tank with a tight-fitting lid provides the best conditions. See the breeding section above for the full method.