Description
The honey gourami is the smallest and most peaceful of the common gouramis: about 5 cm. Females, and males out of breeding colour, are a subtle honey tone; a courting male turns intense orange with a blue-black throat and belly. The most widely sold bred forms are now permanently red or gold.
It is the sensible alternative to the dwarf gourami for anyone wanting a labyrinth fish in a 60 cm tank: just as colourful and considerably less troublesome, both in temperament and health.
It is shy at first and appreciates a calm, well-planted tank. Once settled, it explores everything with its ventral filaments and stays in view at mid-height.
Behavior
Peaceful and shy. It can be kept as a pair or in a small group with more females than males; males display to each other without causing harm.
It lives well with small, calm fish: rasboras, small tetras, corydoras, otocinclus, kuhli loaches and adult shrimp.
Avoid housing it with blue gouramis and other large gouramis, tiger barbs and any fast or nipping fish that steals its food or stresses it.
Habitat
Trichogaster chuna lives on the Ganges and Brahmaputra plains of India and Bangladesh: ponds, ditches and shallow lakes with dense vegetation, warm water and almost no flow.
In the aquarium it wants plants, floating cover to diffuse the light and a calm surface for breathing and nesting.
Habitats
Fish sharing this habitat
These fish appear in one or more habitats linked to this profile. It doesn't mean they are directly compatible in an aquarium.
Details
🌊 Water parameters
🐠 Minimum tank size
Breeding
The male builds a bubble nest, often under a floating leaf, and tends the spawn alone. It is one of the gouramis with which breeding is simplest and least violent: the female is not usually attacked.
The fry are minute and need infusoria for the first few days.
Diet
A small-mouthed omnivore.
- Staple: fine flake or micropellets.
- Supplement: daphnia, brine shrimp and small mosquito larvae.
It eats slowly: with greedy tank mates, make sure it gets its share.
What about your tank?
Enter your tank's values to see only the compatible species that fit them. Litres apply to fish.
Compatible fish
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 24–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–25 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 27–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.2 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 26–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 6–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
Compatible invertebrates
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.5 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–25 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.8 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6–6.8 and 22–24 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5 and 27–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 6.5–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
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They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
Sources
- FishBaseFroese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2026. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
- Seriously FishSeriously Fish. Trichogaster chuna. Ficha de especie; consultada 2026-08.
FishBase gives a length of 13.7 cm that matches no other reference; the profile follows Seriously Fish at 5.5 cm.
Plan your next aquarium
Is this fish right for you? Plan a suitable aquarium before setting it up.