Keeping Gourami
Gourami Background:The gouramis are a family, Osphronemidae. The fish are native to Asia, from Pakistan and India to the Malay Archipelago and north-easterly towards Korea.
Guide to keeping Gourami:
Gouramis, particularly tri-spot and dwarf, are often kept in the home aquarium. Gouramis have a lung-like labyrinth organ (similar to Betta fish) that allows them to gulp air and use atmospheric oxygen. This organ is a vital innovation for fishes that often inhabit warm, shallow, oxygen-poor water.
Most gourami exceed 5 inches in length and are fast swimmers needing large aquariums. However the attractive blue & red striped Dwarf gourami only reaches a length of just under 3 inches making it more suited to smaller aquariums. The male is brighter in colour to the female.
As it’s name suggests the Red Robin gourami is bright red in colour and grows to a similar size to it’s dwarf cousin.
Both types should be kept as a male & female pair with mild tempered fish. Fish with a tendency to nip fins should be avoided as they may injure the brightly coloured gourami.
