Gourami Fish

I am extremely fond of this variety of fish. They remind me of the three spot Gourami I owned about a few months back. He was my companion for the past 3 years. What makes him stand out in my memories is his stubborn aggressive nature. I don't know why he loved attacking all the other fish. He would attack them till they were half dead or dead. Then, he would swim gracefully at peace. I tried separating him from the others by placing a glass partition within the tank. However, it made no changes whatsoever. Whenever I sympathized with his 'Oh, I so lonely' looks and removed the partition, he would be back doing what he did the best - bullying the others. Many fish were introduced and many fish left for their heavenly abode from my fish tank. But, Mr. Gourami (as I like to call him), remained a constant member of my tank. He grew considerably big in size and was very healthy. Suddenly, one fine evening, I saw him swim rather slowly and I knew it was time for the inevitable. However, he kept chugging for a day or two, and finally bid his final goodbyes. These fish are all the same, they leave a mark on your minds with their strong personalities.

It is considered to be a peaceful fish. But, when it is ticked off, it will shred the fins of other fish, such that they have no option, but to die. They tend to get aggressive when the fish tank is too crowded or when there are more than two male members in one tank. In my case, Mr. Gourami was aggressive with the new fish introduced, till they did not find a way to make peace with him. If they failed, they were obviously bumped off by Mr. Gourami. Are you ready for such exciting moments in your fish tank? If yes, then you should read a bit about caring for this fish. This will help you increase the life span as well as the life span of other aquarium fish.

Types
These are called labyrinth or anabantoids fish. They are graceful swimmers and sport unique coloration and body patterns. They are semi-aggressive in nature and do well in a community tank with like-minded fish. There are various types. They love living in shoal of mixed groups. But, make sure you bring home one male and one female of each type. Or else, your fish tank may turn into a watery battle ground. The following is a list of types of these fish.

Pear Gourami
The most attractive and hardiest of all varieties of these fish, they are highly adaptable in nature and do fine in an aquarium with subdued lights and dark substrate.

Banded Gourami
These are sturdy fish that love to eat a lot of vegetable matter. They are also called rainbow Gourami fish.

Kissing Gourami
This one is the current member of my fish tank. The males tend to lock their mouths together when trying to challenge each other. This gives them an appearance of kissing. They have really small sharp teeth that is used for eating algae.

Moonlight Gourami
These are shy members of their species and have a distinct body shape that makes them look different from the other Gouramis.

Dwarf Gourami
These are tiny fish as the name suggests. They love living in a sociable environment and come in different colors.

Blue Gourami
The blue Gourami or the three spot Gourami are the most popular varieties of all. They tend to change their color according to their moods. You will see them darken their skin color when spawning. They are one of the largest Gourami species.

Care Tips
You will need to keep a Gourami in a minimum tank of 10 gallons. They love swimming in freshwater or soft water. The aquarium tank should be heavily planted and covered with floating aquarium plants. The water temperature should be about 24 to 26 C. The pH should be neutral or slightly acidic. They love plants like the Java fern, Vallisneria and Cryptocoryne plant. You need to use a fine colorful substrate for your aquarium. They are not very fussy when it comes to food. They eat almost all food types like flake foods, worms, brine shrimp, even fresh vegetables like lettuce and peas. You need to take care of their diet or they will be prone to many diseases.

Breeding Gouramis is rather simple as you can easily differentiate between males and females. The males have slender bodies and angular fins as compared to the females. You need to select just one male and one female for breeding. Place them in a tank with water filled about 6 to 8 inches in a tank. Place a lot of vegetation; loose gravel or pebbles will do. The male will use these pebbles or loose gravel to build his bubble nest. When he is ready, he will persuade the female to lay eggs in the bubble nest. This is the time when the male is highly aggressive. Thus, place plenty of plants so that the female can hide from him. Once the spawning is complete, remove the female fish from the tank. The male will behave as a good father and tend to his eggs and fry. When the eggs hatch, feed the fry newly hatched brine shrimp and infusoria.

These fish are compatible with danios, mollies, silver dollars, etc. However, they tend to be aggressive towards betta fish, goldfish. This is because they are attracted to the long tails, bright colors and floating fins. They feel these fish will pose as competitors when they try to impress their females. The female Gouramis generally do not bother other fish and mind their business. Their life span is about 4 years in captivity. So, you can hope for a few years of healthy relationship with your fish. Keep the above care tips in mind and you too will have many memories of these lovely fish just as I do.