Overview Synonyms Labrus trichopterus, Trichopus trichopterus, Trichopus sepat, Trichogaster trichopterus, Osphromenus siamensis, Osphromenus insulatus Distribution A captive bred colour form Maximum Size 15cm (6") Temperature 23-30°C Water Parameters Will acclimatise to a wide range of conditions. pH: 6-8, dH: 5-20 degrees. Compatibility Community with no long-finned fish Lighting No special requirements Sexual Dimorphism Males have a longer and more pointed dorsal fin. Feeding Flake, granules and frozen foods Description Care Gold Gouramis are a domesticated strain of Blue gourami and are a familiar sight in community set ups. Males are inclined to be rather competitive with one another and show the marbled pattern seen in other forms when at their most assertive. These fish have long been used as a larger accent fish amongst smaller shoaling species and the key to successful cohabitation is to keep them occupied. Although gouramis are often sold as pairs, these are not monogamous fish and males will court females in the knowledge that they'd leave his territory if they weren't interested. In the confines of an aquarium this is not an option, so add multiple females to spread the male's attention. The sexes can be easily distinguished by the shape of their dorsal fin - small and rounded in females, long and pointed in males. As this fish comes in many colour forms such as Blue, Opaline, Three-spot, Gold and White (a very pale strain of gold) these can all be mixed if you so desire. To allow them to avoid one another on occasion, the aquarium should be over 90cm/36" in length, with a good amount of aquatic planting to provide shelter and break the sightlines. Like most gouramis, the hair-like pelvic fins are equipped with taste buds and are used extensively to investigate their environment and one another.  Feeding An omnivorous species which should be offered a varied diet consisting of a good quality flake food, green flake food, and frozen foods such as mosquito larvae, brineshrimp etc. This species should also be allowed to graze on soft fine-leaved plants. Breeding This egg-laying species can be bred successfully in the aquarium. Males build a bubble nest at the waters surface and initiate spawning. As soon as the eggs have been fertilised, the male usually gathers them up and places them in the nest. The female should be removed immediately after spawning has ceased as the male will continually try and drive her away, causing her much stress in the closed environment of an aquarium. The male will tend to the eggs until they hatch and the fry are free-swimming.

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Trichogaster trichopterus sumatranus Ladiges, 1933COMMON NAME: Blue gourami.DESCRIPTION: A subspecies with a powder blue background colour; as far as can be determined, this is a wild colour mutation. First imported in 1933, it quickly became popular as an aquarium fish. Today it is kept more commonly than most other forms of the species. There are hardly any marks at all on this fish, except for the two body spots, but even these look more or less washed out in adult specimens.BREEDING FORMS of trichogaster trichopterus.Several specially bred color forms of T. trichopterys have come into the aquarium trade during the last few decades. In most cases it is not possible to determine whether a particular color form was bred out of the original described form or from the blue subspecies. T. t, sumatranusThese forms should just be given common names and no attempts to taxonomically classify them, as has done in much of the aquarium literature, should be attempted. Designations such as var. variety) or forma (form) should not be usedfor such breeding forms, since their origins or derivations are really unknown. The best known of the breeding forms are the gold gourami and the silver gourami.GOLD GOURAMIThe gold gourami has a golden yellow background colour with either black or reddish brown eyes. Most specimens show a clearly conspicuous marble pattern. It is usually assumed that this breeding form was developed from a xanthistic (yellow-colored) mutation of the originally described form.SILVER GOURAMIThe silver gourami has a silver background colour. There are some individuals that have a clear marbled pattern and others in which this pattern is only weakly apparent. Nothing is known about the origin of thefirst specimens. In contrast to the gold gourami, the silver gourami has not had much distribution in the aquarium trade.COSBY, OR MARBLED, GOURAMIThe Cosby gourami, or marbled gourami, was probably developed in the United States. The original specimens seem to have been Trichogaster tricbopterussumatranus, When they first colour up thehave a few dark blue spots on a powdery light blue background. Asreplaced by a dark marbled pattern. These striking marked fish are very popular in the aquarium hobby.This color form has been designated with all kinds of pseudo-scientific names, such as Trichogaster cosby, "Trichogaster sumatranus, var. cosby," or Trichogastersumatranus forma cosby."Labyrinth Fish Pinter (1984) p86Picture https://www.thesprucepets.com/blue-gourami-1381023

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The dwarf gourami is a peaceful and shy fish. If you have a pair of them, the two fish will swim together. Dwarf gouramis are considered labyrinth fish, which means they breathe the air with a lung-like labyrinth organ and need to have access to the water's surface. If you proceed to breed this species, their complex bubble nests display impressive construction instincts. Species Overview Common Names: Dwarf gourami, flame gourami, powder blue gourami, red gourami, sunset gourami Scientific Name: Trichogaster Ialius Adult Size: 2 inches Life Expectancy: 4–6 years Characteristics Family​ Belontiidae Origin India, West Bengal, Assam, and Bangladesh Social Peaceful Tank Level Top, mid-dweller Minimum Tank Size 5 gallons Diet Omnivore, will eat algae Breeding Egglayer, bubble nest Care Intermediate pH 6.0 to 7.5 Hardness 4 to 10 dGH Temperature 72 to 82 F (22 to 28 C) Origin and Distribution Originating in India, West Bengal, Assam, and Bangladesh, the dwarf gourami are native to thickly vegetated waters. They are often found together with other gourami species in the genus Trichogaster (also known as Colisa). In the river plains of northern India, larger species of gouramis are one of the most common food fish and are sold dried or as fish-meal in many markets. Colors and Markings Its common name "dwarf" fits this fish well, as it is one of the smallest of the gouramis. Males are slightly larger than females and have a bright orange-red body with turquoise-blue, vertical stripes that extend into the fins. Females remain a duller, silvery blue-gray color and never achieve the male's brilliant colors. Several color variants have been developed by selective breeding at fish farms, including solid light blue (powder blue), neon, rainbow, and red/blushing. Powder blues are predominately blue with only a little red showing on the body. Neons display a brighter blue pattern than the standard variety. Rainbows have especially brilliant orange-red bodies with blue stripes, in addition to a green-gold metallic sheen. Reds (flame gouramis) are almost solid red throughout the body with solid blue dorsal fins. Tankmates This species is usually peaceful and can be kept with other species that are not too large or aggressive. Other brightly colored species can sometimes cause male gouramis to become aggressive as they are mistaken for rivals. Peaceful, small schooling fish are suitable tank mates as well as most bottom-dwelling fish. Some potential tankmates may include dwarf cichlids, cardinal tetras, or neon tetras. Dwarf Gourami Habitat and Care Dwarf gouramis are well suited to smaller aquariums as well as community aquariums. Gouramis can be skittish when subjected to noise and should be kept in a quiet location. Provide plenty of vegetation, including floating plants that cover only part of the surface of the water, as these labyrinth fish need access to the surface of the aquarium to breathe air. Dwarf Gourami Diet and Feeding In nature, gouramis eat small insects and larvae from the surface of the water and graze on algal growth on rocks and plants. In captivity, they will eat flake food, freeze-dried food, frozen foods, and vegetable tablets. To maintain good health, supplement their diet with periodic feedings of live foods such as worms. Live foods should also be used to condition breeder pairs. Gender Differences Males are generally larger than females and more vividly colored. As males reach maturity, they develop elongated dorsal and anal fin tips that come to a point. In females, these fins are shorter and rounded. Breeding the Dwarf Gourami Lowering the water level to 6 to 8 inches and raising the water temperature to 82 degrees Fahrenheit will trigger spawning. Vegetation is essential as male gouramis construct bubble nests out of plant materials, which they then bind together with bubbles. Nests are very elaborate and sturdy, reaching several inches across and an inch deep. For aquarium plants, Limnophila aquatica, Riccia fluitans, Ceratopteris thalictroides, and Vesicularia dubyana are good choices for the breeding tank. You can also offer peat fiber as a building material. Once the nest has been built, the male will begin courting the female, usually in the afternoon or evening. He signals his intentions by swimming around the female with flared fins, attempting to draw her to the nest where he will continue his courting display. If the female accepts the male, she will begin swimming in circles with the male beneath the bubble nest. When she is ready to spawn, she touches the male on either the back or the tail with her mouth. Upon this signal the male will embrace the female, turning her first on her side and finally on her back. At this point, the female will release approximately five dozen clear eggs, which are immediately fertilized by the male. Most of the eggs will float up into the bubble nest. Eggs that stray are collected by the male and placed in the nest. Once all the eggs are secured in the nest, the pair will spawn again. If more than one female is present in the breeding tank, the male may spawn with all of them. The spawning sessions will continue for two to four hours and produce between 300 and 800 eggs. Upon completion, the male will place a fine layer of bubbles beneath the eggs, assuring that they remain in the bubble nest. At this point, the female(s) should be removed from the tank to reduce stress on the male. The male will then take sole responsibility for the eggs, aggressively defending the nest and surrounding territory. In 12 to 24 hours the fry will hatch and continue developing within the protection of the bubble nest. After three days they are sufficiently developed to be free-swimming. Remove the male from the tank once the fry have left the bubble nest, or he may consume the young. Feed the fry on micro-foods such as infusoria, rotifers, or commercial fry food for the first week. After a week, they can be fed freshly hatched brine shrimp and finely ground flake foods.

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