Gourami: gear and buying guides
Gouramis, such as the pearl or blue gourami, are labyrinth fish that breathe air at the surface. Calm but sometimes territorial between males, they need a planted tank of at least 100 L, heated between 24 and 28 °C, with a still surface and temperate air above the water. Their slow swimming calls for quiet tankmates.
Profile : 8 to 12 cm as an adult depending on the species, 100 L minimum, water between 24 and 28 °C.
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Species profile
- Lifespan
- 4 to 6 years
- Adult size
- 12 cm
- Minimum tank
- 100 L
- Water temperature
- 24 to 28 °C
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Temperament
- Calm and composed but territorial between males, it enjoys a still surface and quiet tankmates.
- Health watch
- white spot disease in stressed fish · gourami disease (Iridovirus) in fragile strains
🩺 The health watchpoints on this page are for information only: only a veterinarian can examine your animal and make a diagnosis.
Gourami gear, family by family
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Food
An omnivore: floating flakes and pellets as a staple, with brine shrimp, daphnia and some plant matter. It also hunts small insects fallen onto the surface.
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Care & grooming
Soft to moderately hard, slightly acidic to neutral water with a 20 to 25 percent weekly change. A lid keeps the air above the water warm and humid, essential for its labyrinth organ.
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Toys & enrichment
Floating plants such as water lettuce soften the light and support the males' bubble nests. Dense plant cover lets females escape persistent courtship.
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Bedding & habitat
A tank of at least 100 L, richly planted, with almost no surface current. Keep a single male per medium-sized tank to avoid territorial fights.
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Travel & safety
Bag transport with a generous volume of air, essential since it breathes at the surface. Keep the bag warm and acclimate gently for 30 minutes.
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Accessories
An adjustable-flow filter angled to keep the surface calm, a 100 to 150 W heater and a full lid. Around 130 to 220 euros of equipment for a 100 to 150 L tank.
🧴 Water care for a Gourami: 24 to 28°C, pH 6 to 7.5
The Gourami’s water: its real parameters
The Gourami’s water contract has four clauses: 24 to 28°C, pH between 6 to 7.5, zero detectable nitrite, nitrates capped at 25 mg/L. A drop-test kit (NO2, NO3, GH, KH, pH) beats any strip — and the nitrogen cycle, three to four weeks before any fish, is non-negotiable.
Water changes and tank upkeep
10 to 20% of the volume weekly, with water pre-heated to tank temperature: thermal shock stresses more than imperfect water, gentle substrate siphoning as you go and filter media rinsed in tank water, never under the tap: chlorine sterilises your filter.
Health: what stalks the Gourami
The Gourami watch-sheet: white spot disease in stressed fish and gourami disease (Iridovirus) in fragile strains. Before any treatment, the reflex is a water test — pouring medicine into loaded water is treating the fever by breaking the thermometer. Well kept, a Gourami lives 4 to 6 years.
Quick answers
- What water parameters for a Gourami?
- 24 to 28°C, pH 6 to 7.5, zero nitrites and nitrates under 25 mg/L — checked with drop tests, not by eye.
- How often should a Gourami tank get water changes?
- 10 to 20% weekly, water brought to temperature, filter rinsed only in tank water. Consistency beats volume.
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🏠 The Gourami tank: 100 L, hardware and start-up
100 litres minimum: why that number
For a Gourami reaching 12 cm as an adult, plan 100 real litres — and remember a big tank is more STABLE, hence easier, than a small one: parameters drift slowly, leaving time to correct. This volume suits a sturdy standard cabinet — just verify perfect levelness.
Hardware: filter, heater, lighting
The Gourami tank’s technical trio starts with filtration — three to five volume turnovers per hour, a heater around 1 W per litre set to 24 to 28°C, backed by an independent thermometer — built-in thermostats sometimes lie, and lighting on a timer at 8 to 10 hours a day: any longer and the algae win.
Substrate, plants and start-up
Nutrient substrate under fine sand or quartz, robust plants (anubias, vallisneria, Java moss) and wood to structure the territory. Then patience: a complete nitrogen cycle (3 to 4 weeks, nitrites back to zero) before the first Gourami — the step every hurried beginner pays for dearly.
Quick answers
- What tank size for a Gourami?
- A real 100 litres minimum — below that, parameters drift too fast to catch.
- Does a Gourami need a heater?
- Yes, about 1 W per litre set to 24 to 28°C, with an independent thermometer double-checking the thermostat.
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🧳 Transporting a Gourami: bagging, acclimatisation, moving
Bringing home or moving a Gourami
The bagging rule: double thickness, one-third tank water to two-thirds air, kept dark in a cool box that protects from swings away from its 24 to 28°C comfort zone. A trip under two hours needs nothing more.
Acclimatisation: the critical step
On arrival, float the bag 20 minutes to equalise temperature, then add tank water in small doses over 30 to 45 minutes, and release with a net without pouring bag water into the tank. In this species, a botched transfer is paid for in bouts of white spot disease in stressed fish. Keep the light unit off until the next day: a freshly arrived Gourami settles better in half-light.
Moving an entire aquarium
A house move takes planning: fish in bags or covered buckets, filter media kept damp and warm in a cool box (your bacteria are gold), plants in wet bags, and the tank restarted the same day with as much original water as possible. The tank itself travels EMPTY: glass stressed by a few leftover litres cracks at the first corner.
Quick answers
- How long can a Gourami handle transport?
- A few hours easily in a proper bag, up to 24 hours in an oxygenated professional bag. Past two hours, protect the temperature above all.
- How do you acclimatise a Gourami safely?
- Float the bag 20 minutes, add tank water gradually over 30 to 60 minutes, release with a net, lights off the first day — and never pour bag water into the tank.
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🧰 Accessories for a Gourami: tests, upkeep and budget
Water tests: your dashboard
The first smart buy for a Gourami costs €15 to 30: the drop-test kit, out weekly for NO2-NO3 and at any doubt for GH, KH and pH. Then come the net sized for 12 cm, the substrate siphon and the dedicated bucket — never the cleaning one, whose detergent traces contaminate the water.
The Gourami specifics
a tight-fitting lid with no gaps: the species jumps, and every slot is a one-way exit.
The full budget, no surprises
An equipped 100 L setup (tank, filter, heater, lighting, substrate, decor, tests): expect €200 to 450 upfront, then €10 to 25 a month (food, electricity, conditioner). Second-hand often halves the tank price — only the filter and heater deserve to be new. Details on the full Gourami profile.
Quick answers
- Which accessories are essential for a Gourami tank?
- Drop tests, siphon, net, dedicated bucket, a tight lid (it jumps), an independent thermometer: the whole kit stays under €60.
- What budget for keeping a Gourami?
- €200 to 450 to set up an equipped 100 L tank, then €10 to 25 a month in routine costs.
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Guides to read
- Community aquarium or species-only tank: which is right for a first setup?Bedding & habitat
Community aquarium or species-only tank: pros, cohabitation risks and advice for choosing how to set up your first aquarium.
- Best easy aquarium plants without CO2 for beginnersToys & enrichment
Which aquarium plants can you choose without CO2 injection? A selection of hardy, easy plants for a beginner's planted tank.
- Budget for a first brackish water aquarium: the real cost to get startedBedding & habitat
How much does a first brackish water aquarium cost? Tank, filtration, salt and salinity monitoring, budgeted item by item.
- Changing filter media too often: the mistake that wrecks your aquarium's cycleCare & grooming
Why you should never replace all your filter media at once: nitrifying bacteria, replacement frequency and the right habits.
- Restarting a neglected aquarium: a step-by-step guideCare & grooming
How do you restart an aquarium that's been left neglected without endangering the fish? Steps, water changes and mistakes to avoid.
- GH, KH and pH: understanding and adjusting aquarium water hardnessCare & grooming
GH, KH, pH: what do these three readings actually measure, and how do you adjust aquarium water hardness without stressing the fish?
- Upgrading to a bigger aquarium: moving your fish without the stressBedding & habitat
How do you upgrade to a bigger aquarium without breaking the biological cycle or stressing your fish? Steps and mistakes to avoid.
- Aquarium electrical safety: GFCI protection and good habitsTravel & safety
Heater, filter, lighting near the water: what electrical precautions keep an aquarium safe for fish and people?