Thick-lipped gourami care
Trichogaster labiosa · Southern Myanmar
Thick-lipped gouramis are calm, slightly shy gouramis: males are marked with thin red and blue stripes, females are silvery.
- Tank size
- 20 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 82 °F (22 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- Alone or in a pair
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 3.5 in
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 2 to 10 dGH
- Lifespan
- 4 to 6 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 20 gallon long
30¼ × 12½ × 12¾ in outsideHow to keep thick-lipped gouramis
Thick-lipped gouramis are calm, slightly shy gouramis: males are marked with thin red and blue stripes, females are silvery. Keep one, or a male with a female, in a planted 20 gallon or larger tank with floating plants and gentle flow, away from fin nippers that pull at their thread-like fins.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, small pellets, bloodworm and brine shrimp. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Top of the tank.
Thick-lipped 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
Five-banded barb
3.5 in · 29+ gal · 74–84 °F
Bolivian ram
3.2 in · 29+ gal · 72–80 °F
Zebra pleco
3.2 in · 20+ gal · 79–86 °F
Indian glassfish
3.1 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
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
Keep apart
Silvertip tetra: Silvertip tetras nip long fins like those of thick-lipped gouramis.
Tiger barb: Tiger barbs nip long fins like those of thick-lipped gouramis.
Betta: Bettas fight with gouramis, their close relatives.
American flagfish: American flagfish nip long fins like those of thick-lipped gouramis.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Amazon puffer: Amazon puffers nip long fins like those of thick-lipped gouramis.
What a thick-lipped gourami tank needs
A tank of 20 US gallons or more (such as the 20 gallon long) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 10
Rated by the maker for up to 20 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon thick-lipped 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 20 gallon thick-lipped gourami tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 100W
Thick-lipped 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 thick-lipped 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 20 gallon tank · Heaters for a 20 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 thick-lipped gourami problems
- Barbs and other fin nippers damage their thread-like fins.
- Shy in a bare tank; plants and floating cover bring them out.
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 labiosa. 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.
- Thick-lipped gourami Oliver Gorski, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Five-banded barb NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bolivian ram HenryC88, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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
- 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
- Silvertip tetra Filtropat; cropped by Kyknos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Tiger barb Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- American flagfish nat_t (iNaturalist), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amazon puffer O. Schneider, 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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