Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Labyrinth Fish > Dwarf Gourami

Dwarf Gourami

Dwarf Banded Gourami Family: Osphronemidae

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Colisa lalia Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   The Dwarf Gourami is a very popular aquarium fish, being one of the most colorful and definitely the most striking of the gouramis!

   The Dwarf Gourami or Dwarf Banded Gourami are beautiful fish. They have long been one of the most popular aquarium fishes. Not only are they hardy but they stay fairly small, reaching only about 2 inches. Being a peaceful fish makes them a good addition to a community tank but they can be a little timid, especially if housed with fish that pester them.

   Characteristic of all the Labyrinth fishes, the Dwarf Gourami is a bubble nest builder. However it is unique in that it will use bits of vegetation in its nest; such things as leaves, twigs, roots, peat fibers, and other debris. These fish are very desirable for a smaller aquarium but be sure to give them with lots of plant cover not only for nest building, but also to provide plenty of places to hide.

   The Dwarf Gourami has been developed into a number of beautiful hybrids that are also readily available today. This was accomplished by breeders selectively pairing specimens with the most desirable characteristics, and thereby strengthening those characteristics in their offspring. Today's varieties are the result of generation after generation of these improvements. These hybrids are recognized by a variety of names, some of which are: Powder Blue (Blue)Dwarf Gourami, Neon Blue (Rainbow) Dwarf Gourami, and the Flame (Fire Red/ 'Blood' Red) Dwarf Gourami. (The Dwarf Gourami has also been crossed with the Thick-lip Gourami Colisa labiosa, however all these hybrids developed into sterile males.)

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Dream Aquarium Build your own aquarium The Coolest and Funnest Screensaver in the World.

Distribution:
   The Dwarf Gourami or Dwarf Banded Gourami was described by Hamilton, F. [Buchanan] in 1822. It is found in waterways and paddy fields of the tropical Far East; India, west Bengal, Assam, and Bangladesh. They typically inhabit areas with thick vegetation, such as the wetlands of the Ganges river; Jumna, Bramaputra, and the Baram river in Borneo.

Status:
   The Dwarf Gourami or Dwarf Banded Gourami are not endangered.

Description:
   The body of the Dwarf Gourami is somewhat compressed. The fins are rounded and relatively large. The ventral fins are threadlike and extremely sensitive. Males are easily distinguished, having a bright orangish red background with bluish green vertical striping extending onto the fins and a blue-green belly. Females have a light gray background and are less colorful. This fish has a labyrinth organ, a part of the fish which allows it to absorb atmospheric oxygen directly into the bloodstream.

Size - Weight:
   Two inches (5 cm) is a good length for this gourami to reach in the aquarium, though males can get slightly larger up to a maximum of two and a half inches (6cm).

Care and feeding:
   Since the Dwarf Gourami are omnivores, these fish will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a quality flake or pellet food as the base to the diet. Supplement this with live foods such as white worms, blood worms, brine shrimp, or any other suitable substitute. Vegetable tablets can be offered as well.
   These gouramis are hardy fish. Although the labyrinth organ allows the fish to survive in oxygen depleted water, it is a common misconception that this makes water changes unnecessary. This is hardly the case as these fish will suffer the same tissue damage from built up toxins as any other fish. Regular water changes are a must with 25% weekly being recommended.
   Dwarf Gouramis enjoy an aquarium that gets a good amount of light, but the tank should be decorated in a manner that provides plenty of hiding places for this shy fish to live happily. They appreciate dense vegetation and the cover of floating plants. They can be housed in smaller aquariums. The minimum size is 5 gallons for a single fish, but more than one will need a larger tank.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will swim in all areas, but particularly in the middle and top portions of the aquarium

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   It is desirable to keep the tank in a room with a temperature as close as possible to the tank water, or risk damaging the labyrinth organ.
   Temperature: 75-82° F (24 -28° C)
   Hardness: 5 -19° dH
   Ph: 6.0 - 8.0

Social Behaviors:
   Dwarf Gouramis are a good community fish. They are timid, however, and may take a bit of time to become comfortable in an aquarium and come out of hiding. Keep them with other peaceful fish.

Sexual Differences:
   The male Dwarf Gourami is much more colorful and has a pointed dorsal pennant, they also generally have a smaller belly than the female. The female actually has very little color at all. Pairs will generally swim together.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   Like most fish in this family, Dwarf Gouramis are bubble nest builders. They do go a little farther in their nest building than most gouramis however, and will weave in bits of plants and debris into their nest structure. Their eggs as well as the fry, are lighter than water and float to the top.

Buy Dwarf Gourami From LiveAquaria.com

See the description of how to breed these fish in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Availability:
   The Dwarf Gourami is readily available. Males start at about $5.00 USD and females at $3.00 USD.

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Latest Comments
These fish have a great personality! Callum 2008-11-12
I had a male and female dwarf gourami for 7 months until they both died mysteriously. My female died when I was in florida and I came back tp see her body on the ground with lots of holes. The male died the dumbest way, he swam up next to my filter tube and a plant, got stuck and died. I miss them a lot and am hoping to get some more soon, and maybe even a three spotted gourami. eric 2008-08-14
Just want to warn everyone that some dwarf gouramis are aggressive. I had two that liked to attack other fish, and they beat up a firemouth before one killed the other. The remaining one attacked my spotted climbing perch and pair of kribensis (and continued harassing the firemouth). When I kept them in a more peaceful tank they attacked guppies, otos, zebra danios, cory catfish, and ate two ghost shrimp. There were also a few disappearances, but I cant say it was my dwarfs. They also liked to rip up and eat my plants. These fish are very good at catching diseases so make sure your water quality is excellent. Other than that, they were great fish and resilient, surviving a two day move. They interacted with people (they liked to bite anything that was put into the tank) and seemed to watch TV. I will probably get another, but I will be more careful with tankmates. bob 2008-01-09
These fish are extremely hardy. I went to my parents for a week, forgetting to turn on the light to the aquarium before i left, and all my other tropicals froze. My red fire dwarf gourami is the sole survivor, which is kinda upsetting given I had the angel and cory cat for 2 yrs (got the cory same time as the gourami), as well as having had 2 silver dollars and a pleco in the tank. He is very shy and prefers to be near the bottom of the tank. Laura 2007-11-25
These are for sure some of the best fish ever! I had two (not sure of the sex) and they were great until the freak accidents started happening. My first got stuck in between the wall of the tank and the rocks. I dont see how it could have possibly gotten in there, and the rock didn't fall? Then my other gourami jumped out of the tank, but how, through the glass lights? So i think that my gouramis are cursed, but i dont want to put anyone off buying them! These are awesome fish, full of life, energetic and great for the kids. Danielle 2007-11-22
Some of the coolest comments:
the dwarf gourami is a very interesting looking fish, probably the first fish that catches your eye at a fish store, and though you are tempted to buy it there are a few things to look out for. gouramies, like bettas, catch disease very easily so one thing you should do before buying them is make sure the tank you are going to put them in is very clear. give them good filtration and plenty of hiding spots. before you decide to buy them, always check the tank at the store. if the tank is dirty or if there is any dead fish there don't buy them. they are a labyrinth fish so no airpump is needed. you should have a heater, the perfect temperature for these guys is 77 degrees. they will hide for the first few days, whether it be behind a plant or in a cave and are slow movers. they are best kept with tetras, guppies, and other slow movers. they should be kept in singles or in groups of 4 or more, if kept in 2 or 3 the dominant one will make the others hide in a corner all day. they love freeze-dried brine shrimp and blood worms. they are a very good fish, just watch out for fungal infections. that seems to be the biggest illness with these fish. Dave 2006-05-07
i found my female dwarf gouramis to be aggressive towards each other, my larger female chases the smaller one to the corner of my 90ltr aquarium so i removed her into a 10 gal tank and she gets on fine. My male dwarf gourami is a striking fish he is beautiful, it is not a good idea to put him into an aquarium with females as they become aggressive, only mix them if you are intending to breed them. Thier aquarium needs to be heavily planted and provide them with hiding places. My male gets along with my other fish (blackmoor, ghost carp, 4 leopard danios, 2 small fantails adding platys, corydoras and other fish soon). i had to remove my other female because she bullied my small gourami and started nipping the fins of my blackmoor. i recommend keeping one female or one male on their own with other fish of the same size. T. Morris 2006-05-02

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Author: Clarice Brough, CFS

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