Honey gourami care
Trichogaster chuna · Ganges and Brahmaputra basins, India and Bangladesh
Honey gouramis are the gentlest gourami: about 2 inches, happy in a 10 gallon or larger planted tank at 72 to 82 °F, and calm enough for shrimp and small tetras.
- Tank size
- 10 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 82 °F (22 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- Alone or in a pair
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 2 in
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 4 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 4 to 8 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 10 gallon
20¼ × 10½ × 12 9/16 in outsideHow to keep honey gouramis
Honey gouramis are the gentlest gourami: about 2 inches, happy in a 10 gallon or larger planted tank at 72 to 82 °F, and calm enough for shrimp and small tetras. Keep one, or a pair or small group in 20 gallons and up.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, micro pellets, small frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Top of the tank.
Honey 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.
Rummy-nose tetra
2 in · 20+ gal · 75–82 °F
Silvertip tetra
2 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Harlequin rasbora
2 in · 10+ gal · 72–81 °F
Cherry barb
2 in · 20+ gal · 73–81 °F
Panda corydoras
2 in · 15+ gal · 68–77 °F
Otocinclus
2 in · 20+ gal · 72–79 °F
Amano shrimp
2 in · 10+ gal · 68–80 °F
Ghost shrimp
2 in · 5+ gal · 65–80 °F
Keep apart
Betta: Bettas fight with gouramis, their close relatives.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Red-tail dwarf puffer: Red-tail dwarf puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Everglades pygmy sunfish: Everglades pygmy sunfish belong in a tank of their own.
Axolotl: Axolotls belong in a tank of their own.
Electric blue crayfish: Electric blue crayfish belong in a tank of their own.
What a honey 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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Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Small
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small fish. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
hygger AquaFall Aquarium Filter, S
Rated by the maker for 7–10 US gal, which covers a 10 gallon honey 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 honey gourami tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 50W
Honey 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 honey 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.
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 honey gourami problems
- They are shy at feeding time; make sure food reaches the surface where they eat.
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 chuna. 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.
- Honey gourami Antoon Dommerholt (Dutch Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rummy-nose tetra PierangeloGatto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Silvertip tetra Filtropat; cropped by Kyknos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Harlequin rasbora NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry barb Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Panda corydoras Chronotopian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Otocinclus CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amano shrimp Stefanie Leuker, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ghost shrimp Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red-tail dwarf puffer Neale Monks (English Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Everglades pygmy sunfish Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Axolotl LoKiLeCh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Electric blue crayfish Dirk Rohlfs, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf gourami Quatermass (English Wikipedia), Public domain, 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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