Honey gourami
Trichogaster chuna
A small, very gentle honey-coloured gourami for calm tanks of 15 gallons with peaceful tank mates.
Key facts
- Body length
- 2.2 in without fins
- Minimum tank
- 17 gallons
- Group
- 4+
- Temperament
- Peaceful, shy
- Care level
- 1 / 5
- Lifespan
- Not well documented
- Diet
- Micro pellets, flakes, frozen and live daphnia and brine shrimp
- Origin
- Ganges and Brahmaputra basins, India and Bangladesh
- Hardier than62%
- Bigger than33%
- Calmer than68%
Water: their range vs yours
Honey gourami tank mates
- Neon tetraGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Harlequin rasboraGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Panda corydorasGets along in shared water.Good mates
- OtocinclusGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Cherry shrimpGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Black neon tetraGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Black widow tetraGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Blood parrot cichlidGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Bristlenose plecoGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Bronze coryGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Cardinal tetraGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Cherry barbGets along in shared water.Good mates
- Fancy guppyFancy guppy outcompetes the slow-eating Honey gourami for food; target-feed to make sure it eats.Risky
- AngelfishAngelfish eats small fish: Honey gourami.Risky
- Tiger barbTiger barb nips fins; Honey gourami is vulnerable (slow swimmer). Risk is reduced: the group is at least the recommended size.Risky
- Amano shrimpAmano shrimp outcompetes the slow-eating Honey gourami for food; target-feed to make sure it eats.Risky
- Chinese algae eaterChinese algae eater eats slow fish: Honey gourami (SF: присасывается к бокам крупных соседей, объедая слизь).Risky
- Clown loachClown loach outcompetes the slow-eating Honey gourami for food; target-feed to make sure it eats.Risky
- BettaBetta attacks fish with a similar shape or colour: Honey gourami.Avoid
- Blue dolphin cichlidBlue dolphin cichlid can eat Honey gourami: prey body depth 1.6 cm ≤ mouth 6.3 cm.Avoid
- Convict cichlidConvict cichlid can eat Honey gourami: prey body depth 1.6 cm ≤ mouth 3.8 cm.Avoid
- Dwarf gouramiDwarf gourami attacks fish with a similar shape or colour: Honey gourami.Avoid
- Iridescent sharkIridescent shark can eat Honey gourami: prey body depth 1.6 cm ≤ mouth 32.5 cm.Avoid
- Jewel cichlidJewel cichlid can eat Honey gourami: prey body depth 1.6 cm ≤ mouth 3.8 cm.Avoid
How we check
The numbers the tank model uses for honey gouramis: water as ideal and tolerated ranges, bioload from adult mass, space, flow and how they act on other species.
- Standard length
- 5.5 cm (SL)
- Adult mass
- 4.28 g
- Bioload at 25 °C
- 2.03 BU
- Min. water
- 54 L net
- Min. footprint
- 60 × 30 cm per group
- Group
- 4+ (best 6)
- Swims in
- top, middle
- Flow
- still
- Body / fins
- labyrinth, normal fins
- Diet type
- micropredator
- Fin nipper
- none
- Sensitive to
- —
Sources: Seriously Fish: Trichogaster chuna · FishBase: Trichogaster chuna
Care notes
Honey gouramis come from weedy still waters and flooded fields of the Ganges and Brahmaputra basins and stay around 2 inches. A group of four to six forms a loose hierarchy, with the dominant fish chasing others at feeding time.
They are slow and easily scared off food, so avoid territorial or pushy tank mates. A 15-gallon tank with floating plants, a lid and regular live or frozen foods suits them well.
Questions
What size tank does a honey gourami need?
At least 17 gallons (54 litres of water after decor). Adults reach about 2.2 inches without fins.
How many honey gouramis should be kept together?
Keep at least 4, ideally 6 or more: fewer feel exposed and hide or turn nippy.
What water do honey gouramis need?
72–81 °F, pH 6–7.5 and 2–15 dGH. Honey gouramis come from Ganges and Brahmaputra basins, India and Bangladesh.
How long do honey gouramis live?
Not well documented with good care.
What fish can live with honey gouramis?
Good tank mates include Neon tetra, Harlequin rasbora, Panda corydoras, Otocinclus and Cherry shrimp. Each is checked both ways for size, fin nipping, temperament, territory and shared water.