Dwarf gourami care
Trichogaster lalius · Slow rivers and ponds of India and Bangladesh
Dwarf gouramis are colorful centerpiece fish for a 10 gallon or larger planted tank at 77 to 82 °F.
- Tank size
- 10 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 77 to 82 °F (25 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- Alone (one male per tank)
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 3.5 in
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 4 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3 to 4 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 10 gallon
20¼ × 10½ × 12 9/16 in outsideHow to keep dwarf gouramis
Dwarf gouramis are colorful centerpiece fish for a 10 gallon or larger planted tank at 77 to 82 °F. Keep one male per tank (or a male with females in a larger tank) with calm schooling fish. Floating plants make them bolder.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, small pellets, frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Top of the tank.
Dwarf 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.
Clown pleco
3.5 in · 20+ gal · 73–82 °F
Zebra pleco
3.2 in · 20+ gal · 79–86 °F
Indian glassfish
3.1 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Kuhli loach
4 in · 20+ gal · 75–82 °F
German blue ram
3 in · 20+ gal · 78–85 °F
Cockatoo dwarf cichlid
3 in · 20+ gal · 75–84 °F
Black skirt tetra
3 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Bamboo shrimp
3 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: dwarf gouramis need 77 to 82 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Betta: Bettas fight with gouramis, their close relatives.
Reticulated hillstream loach: No shared temperature: dwarf gouramis need 77 to 82 °F, reticulated hillstream loaches 68 to 75 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: No shared temperature: dwarf gouramis need 77 to 82 °F, fancy goldfish 64 to 74 °F.
Crystal red shrimp: No shared temperature: dwarf gouramis need 77 to 82 °F, crystal red shrimp 62 to 76 °F.
What a dwarf gourami tank needs
A tank of 10 US gallons or more (such as the 10 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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hygger AquaFall Aquarium Filter, S
Rated by the maker for 7–10 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon dwarf gourami tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 5–15 gal
Rated by the maker for 5–15 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon dwarf gourami tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 50W
Dwarf gouramis need 77 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 dwarf 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 77 to 82 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 10 gallon tank · Heaters for a 10 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common dwarf gourami problems
- Dwarf gourami iridovirus is common in farmed stock: lethargy, loss of color, sores. There is no treatment; buy from a seller with healthy stock and quarantine.
- Two males fight; keep one.
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 lalius. 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.
- Dwarf gourami Quatermass (English Wikipedia), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra pleco Peaceinpianos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Indian glassfish opencage, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kuhli loach Iidkk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black skirt tetra emptyvi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bamboo shrimp Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Reticulated hillstream loach Spiketooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Crystal red shrimp DirkBlankenhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
- Sparkling gourami BEDO (Thailand), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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