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Colisa chuna, the Honey Gourami Related Articles: Anabantoids/Gouramis
& Relatives, Genera
Ctenopoma & Microctenopoma,
Betta splendens/Siamese
Fighting Fish,
Related FAQs: Dwarf
Gouramis,
Dwarf Gourami
Identification, Dwarf Gourami Behavior,
Dwarf Gourami Compatibility,
Dwarf Gourami Selection,
Dwarf Gourami Systems, Dwarf Gourami Feeding,
Dwarf Gourami Disease,
Dwarf Gourami Reproduction, & FAQs on: Gouramis 1,
Gouramis 2,
Gourami Identification,
Gourami Behavior,
Gourami Compatibility,
Gourami Selection,
Gourami Systems,
Gourami Feeding,
Gourami Disease,
Gourami Reproduction,
Betta splendens/Siamese
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Honey Gourami ID 10/17/08
Hello
Crew,
I had read great things about the Honey Gourami: small, peaceful,
reasonably hardy, and beautiful, so when I came across these at the LFS, I sort
of impulse bought this pair of fish. They were labeled as 'Honey Gourami, Colisa
sota, but after bringing them home and doing some more research, I don't think
these are really Honey Gouramis. I read on WWM and other sites that these bright
red fish may be hybrids
or sports of another species.
<Indeed; suspect
that is the case here. In any event, not a "wild-type" fish of any species. Not
pure Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia) or Honey Gourami (Trichogaster chuna) either.
There are fish sold as "red honey Gouramis" and these are of unknown genetics
and maybe even different fish in different countries.>
I've compared my fish
to pictures of C. lalia, fasciata, labiosa, and sota, and they look close but
not exact.
<Agreed, certainly not the wild-type of any of them. They have a
too-long body (to my eyes) to be Colisa lalia or Trichogaster chuna. Actually
look like some sort of hybrid with Colisa fasciata because of the length of the
body.>
My questions are: What species are they? Are these hybrids? Will
hybrids reproduce?
<Some hybrids will breed without problems. It's a case of
"try it and see".>
One has a pointed spear-shaped dorsal tip, and the other's
is shorter and rounded. However, looking at them with a light behind, they both
have identically shaped viscera and swim bladders (at least to my eyes, and I
don't really know what to look for). How are they sexed?
<Likely the one with
longer fins is the male.>
Do I have a pair? Are females generally not
sold/available?
<In some markets (e.g., the US) female Dwarf Gouramis aren't
sold, but certainly here in England male and female Gouramis of all types are
available.>
Their color did not fade in the bag on the way home, nor in the
white bucket that I put them in to acclimate. They remain as bright red as they
were at the LFS. Does that mean they are artificially colored?
<May be
enhanced somewhat by using colour-enhancing food, but the basic colouration has
been bred into them.>
I hope I didn't buy injected, dipped or otherwise dyed
fish.
<Nope.>
Thank you,
Nathan
<Cheers, Neale.>
Angelfish, Gourami, and Compatibility - 02/07/2007
Hi my name is Sharon Goglin.
<Hi Sharon, my name is Sabrina Fullhart.>
I am 10 years old and pretty much a beginner with fish.
<Wonderful!>
I have a big Marbled Angelfish and a Gourami with an orange-red tail.
<Uh-oh! The Gourami with the orange-red tail is probably a very young
Osphronemus laticlavius; this is the giant red-tail Gourami. Here is a little
bit of information about them: http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=16572&genusname=Osphronemus&speciesname=laticlavius
. This is the only Gourami that I know of off the top of my head that has an
orange-red tail. This fish will get HUGE - 50 centimeters (20 inches)
long! Also, they are notoriously aggressive.>
I put these fish together and they keep pecking at each other, and I don't know
if they are really hurt.
<One or the other will be in time.>
But every time I look at them they keep going at each other. I don't have
another tank, and my mom or dad won't buy another one because I have 5 (I'm an
animal freak!).
<Well, a tank big enough for a 20 inch fish would need to be over a hundred
gallons anyway - and though your Gourami will take a long time to get that big,
he will, eventually.>
And I want to put my Gourami in the other 4 tanks but I don't know if they are
compatible with Male Bettas, Female Bettas, Guppies, or Goldfish.
<If the goldfish are very large, and in a very large tank, he might be okay with
them, but only for a while. I would really recommend trading him back to the
fish shop for something more compatible with your other fishes.>
Are Angelfish and Gourami even compatible?
<Not really, for the most part. Trichogaster leeri, the Pearl Gourami, would be
a much safer option. These are much more "relaxed" and not as aggressive as
some other Gourami species. Dwarf Gourami are usually less aggressive, as well,
and some are very, very pretty.>
How do I stop the pecking?
<They will only stop when one is removed from the tank, unfortunately.>
I NEED HELP!
<Well, you're off to a good start, looking here and researching!>
Thanks, -Sharon
<Thank you for writing to us, Sharon! All the best to you, -Sabrina> |
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Angelfish, Gourami, and Compatibility - 02/08/2007
Hi! It's me, Sharon again!
<Hi, Sharon!>
Is this the kind of Gourami you had in mind?
<Nope, not at all! This is Trichogaster chuna, usually called the Honey
Gourami. This little fellah should stay rather small - under three
inches for sure, probably closer to two. They're often great community
fish, but sometimes the males are very aggressive. If the tank is large
enough (say, 30 gallons or so), the angelfish and the Gourami might
eventually stake out their territories and stop trying to fight, but if
either of them seems to be getting hurt at all, you really will need to
take one or the other out. The Gourami would not do well with goldfish,
since goldfish like cooler water, but female Bettas or guppies might
make good tankmates, IF the tank is big enough for him to not feel
"crowded."
This is exactly what my fish looks like!
<They're very pretty, aren't they? One of my favorites!>
Thanks Again, -Sharon
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina> |
Red honey Gourami,
Trichogaster chuna, gen. care - 11/20/07
Hello Crew,
<Hello Mark.>
Currently I have 20 gallon moderately planted tank with following fish:
2 golden rams
6 harlequin Rasboras
4 Oto cats
I'd like to add 2 Gouramis, preferably honey.
I've never kept Gourami before and I'd like to ask few questions:
Do I have space to add any fish?
<In terms of water quality, yes. But the Rams may take exception to competition
for space at the bottom, and will beat the life out of small Gouramis.>
Are Gouramis and rams compatible?
<In my opinion, no. I don't personally consider labyrinth fish (climbing perch,
Gouramis and Bettas) to be compatible with cichlids. They demand similar
resources, but cichlids tend to be more aggressive. There are exceptions to
this, but as a rule, I personally recommend keeping one or the other except in
really big tanks.>
Will Gouramis destroy my plants?
<No.>
What is red honey Gourami?
<It's a tank-bred variant of Trichogaster chuna, or maybe a hybrid between
Colisa lalia and Trichogaster chuna, or even a plain vanilla Trichogaster chuna
that's been "juiced" up with colour-enhancing foods. Opinions vary. In any
event, they're cranked out of Southeast Asia and have a less than stellar
reputation of hardiness and longevity.>
Are they hardy fish?
<No. Even plain vanilla Trichogaster chuna are delicate fish in anything other
than soft, acid water. Fancy varieties would be a notch or two down from even
that.>
What kind of fish would you recommend for my tank if Gourami is a bad choice?
<I'd perhaps look for things to live at the *top* of the tank, where the Rams
won't be going. Small livebearers, such as Endler guppies, aren't an option
because you need soft, acid water for Rams. The high temperatures Rams need
(26-30 C) cross Danios off the list, too. But certain killifish such as
Aplocheilichthys normani might be an option, as would Nomorhamphus spp.
halfbeaks. Hatchetfish can work very nicely in well-maintained tanks, though
they are somewhat delicate at first and tend to be nervous unless kept in
reasonable numbers (six at least).>
Thank you for your help,
Mark
<Cheers, Neale.>
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