Banded gourami care
Trichogaster fasciata · Ponds, rivers and rice fields of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar
The banded gourami is a hardy, somewhat shy labyrinth fish: greenish, with orange and blue bars slanting down its sides.
- Tank size
- 30 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 82 °F (22 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- Alone or in a pair
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 4 in (males; females 2½ to 3 in)
- pH
- 6 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 4 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 4 to 6 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 30 gallon
36¼ × 12⅝ × 16¾ in outsideHow to keep banded gouramis
The banded gourami is a hardy, somewhat shy labyrinth fish: greenish, with orange and blue bars slanting down its sides. Males are the brighter fish and grow to about 4 in, with pointed back and anal fins. Keep one, or a pair, in a 30 gallon or larger planted tank at 72 to 82 °F with calm tankmates; it breathes air at the surface, so leave a gap under the lid.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, small pellets, frozen and live foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Top of the tank.
Banded gourami tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Kribensis
4 in · 29+ gal · 75–80 °F
Kuhli loach
4 in · 20+ gal · 75–82 °F
Upside-down catfish
4 in · 29+ gal · 72–79 °F
Zebra loach
4 in · 29+ gal · 73–79 °F
Keyhole cichlid
4 in · 30+ gal · 72–80 °F
Butterfly goodeid
4 in · 30+ gal · 70–75 °F
Molly
3.9 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Rusty cichlid
4.3 in · 40+ gal · 75–79 °F
Keep apart
Betta: Bettas fight with gouramis, their close relatives.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Convict cichlid: Convict cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as banded gouramis.
Jewel cichlid: Jewel cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as banded gouramis.
Demasoni cichlid: Demasoni cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as banded gouramis.
Red zebra cichlid: Red zebra cichlids are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as banded gouramis.
What a banded gourami tank needs
A tank of 30 US gallons or more (such as the 30 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20
Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 30 gallon banded gourami tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 30 gallon banded gourami tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Fluval E100
Banded gouramis need 72 to 82 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding banded gouramis.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 82 °F.
We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common banded gourami problems
- It is sometimes sold as the giant gourami, the name of a different fish that grows to 18 in: check the label for Trichogaster fasciata.
- Boisterous tankmates make it hide; give it plants and floating cover.
- Bettas fight with gouramis, their close relatives.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Trichogaster fasciata. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Banded gourami Sandipan Das, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kribensis André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kuhli loach Iidkk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Upside-down catfish John P. Friel Ph.D., CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra loach Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Keyhole cichlid D.W., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Butterfly goodeid Przemysław Malkowski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Molly LPA74, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rusty cichlid Gerard Delany, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict cichlid S. Olkowicz, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Jewel cichlid NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Demasoni cichlid lee Nachtigal, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red zebra cichlid Maha Dinesh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf gourami Quatermass (English Wikipedia), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Honey gourami Antoon Dommerholt (Dutch Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pearl gourami h080, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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