Three-spot (blue) gourami care
Trichopodus trichopterus · South-east Asia
Three-spot gouramis (blue, gold and opaline gouramis are color forms) are hardy but grow to about 6 inches and males turn territorial.
- Tank size
- 29 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 82 °F (22 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- Alone (one male per tank)
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Adult size
- 6 in
- pH
- 6 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 5 to 19 dGH
- Lifespan
- 4 to 6 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 29 gallon
30¼ × 12½ × 18¾ in outsideHow to keep three-spot (blue) gouramis
Three-spot gouramis (blue, gold and opaline gouramis are color forms) are hardy but grow to about 6 inches and males turn territorial. One male in a 29 gallon or larger tank with robust tankmates works best.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, pellets, frozen foods. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Top of the tank.
Three-spot (blue) 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.
Bristlenose pleco
6 in · 29+ gal · 73–81 °F
Siamese algae eater
6 in · 29+ gal · 72–80 °F
Rosy barb
6 in · 29+ gal · 64–77 °F
Electric blue acara
6 in · 40+ gal · 72–82 °F
Firemouth cichlid
6 in · 40+ gal · 75–84 °F
Yoyo loach
6 in · 40+ gal · 75–82 °F
Scissortail rasbora
6 in · 40+ gal · 72–79 °F
Vampire shrimp
6 in · 29+ gal · 74–84 °F
Keep apart
Betta: Bettas fight with gouramis, their close relatives.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
African dwarf frog: African dwarf frogs are slow and get bullied or outcompeted by three-spot (blue) gouramis.
Demasoni cichlid: Demasoni cichlids belong with other Lake Malawi cichlids, not with three-spot (blue) gouramis.
Red zebra cichlid: Red zebra cichlids belong with other Lake Malawi cichlids, not with three-spot (blue) gouramis.
Auratus cichlid: Auratus cichlids belong with other Lake Malawi cichlids, not with three-spot (blue) gouramis.
What a three-spot (blue) gourami tank needs
A tank of 29 US gallons or more (such as the 29 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 29 gallon three-spot (blue) 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 29 gallon three-spot (blue) gourami tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm Pro 100W
Three-spot (blue) 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 three-spot (blue) 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 29 gallon tank · Heaters for a 29 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 three-spot (blue) gourami problems
- Males bully other gouramis and slow fish.
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: Trichopodus trichopterus. 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.
- Three-spot (blue) gourami Peter Jung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bristlenose pleco André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Siamese algae eater aleander2137, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rosy barb Kkonstan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Electric blue acara 5snake5, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Firemouth cichlid H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Yoyo loach Orishas92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Scissortail rasbora Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Vampire shrimp Ray eye, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- African dwarf frog Stuart Halliday, CC BY 3.0, 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
- Auratus cichlid Vlad Butsky from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, 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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