If you want to have a Gourami fish or already have one or more specimens. you must inform yourself well about this species and the care you should give them. This is essential since this type of fish requires more attention than usual, both in its natural environment and diet.
So, if you want to be updated on everything related to Gourami fish care, keep reading this post. This article will explain the history of feeding and much more about Gourami fish.
History of the Gourami Fish
Osphronemidae is the name of a fish family, also known as gouramis. It is well known that Osphronemus gourami is detected and bred for consumption. However, the economic importance of this family of fish is linked more than anything to aquarium keeping.
This is because the most popular aquarium fish come from this family. Some of them are Betta splendens, or Siamese fighter, Macropodus opercularis, also known as the paradise fish, and Colisa lalia, or dwarf cola.
Gourami fish are native to the Asian continent. Gourami is found in Pakistan, India, Korea, and the Malay Archipelago. They are also present in different aquatic environments, generally in ponds, temporary bodies of water with low oxygen concentrations, and some lagoons.
Characteristics of the Gourami Fish
The first thing you notice when encountering a gourami fish is its peculiar mouth. It protrudes from its body and is a unique characteristic of this species. On the other hand, the jaw has an extra joint, which increases the angle at which its mouth opens. This, in turn, makes food much more accessible to this fish.
They also have lips that give the impression of being placed, as if they were going to kiss. Each of these lips has small teeth. As for their body, it is flattened laterally, and both the female and the male can reach up to about 30 cm in length once they have reached maturity.
We also have to mention their pectoral fins. As far as their color is concerned, the most common ones we can find them in are silver-green and pink.
Some specimens have spots or blotches. Natural specimens are usually green in color. They have brown fins and dark lateral stripes that run all over their bodies. There is also a mutated variety created especially for the aquarium industry.
Feeding the Gourami Fish
The Gourami fish is omnivorous, so feeding it is especially simple. It prefers live food, and if you do so, it will be quite a spectacle, apart from the fact that doing so helps it improve its reproductive capabilities.
If you do not have this type of food, you can opt for other types of food, for example, processed foods, since they get used to digesting them very quickly. As for plant-based food, you can give them seaweed because this is one of the “dishes” in their diet for which they have a special preference.
However, specialized pet stores will offer you items specially prepared for this kind of fish, so don’t worry.
Gourami Fish Care
The first thing we will say is one of the essential things you should take care of, is that your pond must hold at least 100 liters of water. In this one, you can have, at most, a pair of medium—or giant-sized fish. However, if you only plan to house one specimen of the dwarf variety.
However, if you want to keep a pair, a pond of at least 75 liters will be perfect.
The temperature should be around 23 to 27ºC. Of course, if you want them to produce offspring, the temperature has to be stable around 28ºC. The water must be soft and have an acidic pH between 6.0 and 7.5.
Since we are speaking about a shy aquatic species, it prefers tranquility and is easily scared by other fish.
We must provide a good environment for it. It is sufficient for it and spaces that serve as hiding places, such as logs, algae, plants, and stones.
Therefore, the care we take with the environment of the fish tank is also extremely important to keep these animals in perfect condition. When they are not hidden, they are always found swimming in the highest area of the aquarium.
On the other hand, getting a filter appropriate for your pond’s water capacity, a thermostat to regulate the temperature, and a kit for measuring the pH will be very important.
Compatibility of Gourami with other fish
As we said before, this shy species of fish likes to have its own space and be quiet. For this reason, Gourami is not suitable for sharing the pond with other types of fish.
In fact, it is not advisable to mix several specimens of the same species and even less. So to put together several males and females. since this would cause fights to win territory. The only way for these to live jointly. We have a pond with much more space than the one we mentioned.