Dwarf Gourami: The Complete Care And Breeding Guide

The Dwarf Gourami is a colorful, bold little fish that often makes an appearance on the starter lists of beginner aquarists.

Native to South Asia, it has a pleasant reputation as a hardy and relatively easy to keep fish that would make a welcome addition to just about any aquarium.

Let’s delve a little deeper into their behavior, requirements, and just about everything you else you need to know about this pretty and highly adaptable fish to find out what makes them so popular.

Species Overview

Dwarf Gourami (Trichogaster Ialius) are freshwater fish readily found in South Asia, often in the river, rice fields, ponds, and lakes. Following importation, some can now be found in the freshwater wilds of other far-flung parts of the world, such as the USA, Singapore, and even Colombia.

They can be found in a wide array of colors and are peaceful in temper, but are active fish that can be found swimming and occupying all heights of aquariums when kept in tanks.

Fun fact about the Gourami species? They are classified as part of the order Anabantiformes. This order of species has an interesting anatomical quirk that means they possess an organ that behaves similar to a lung, allowing it to take in oxygen directly from the air, unlike most fish.

On average, they can grow to 3.5 inches, but slightly larger ones have been noted in the wild, depending on the environment.

Dwarf Gourami Behavior

What makes Dwarf Gouramis so popular is that they have even-keeled temperaments, making them good starter fish and usually peaceful tank mates.

They are not aggressive fish, unlike their larger-sized standard Gourami cousins in the fish world. This isn’t to say that they won’t chase down another fish in the tank, but it would be unlikely for them to exhibit any nipping behavior or bullying.

They are a schooling fish and like to keep company (dependent on tank size) with other Dwarf Gouramis and tend to leave the quiet and more passive fish alone.

As for eating habits, they are omnivores and succeed well in the tank with both artificial and live food sources as well as plants to nibble on.

In the wild, they hunt for airborne insects that fly close to the water surface. Using a water spray, they will target their dinner and hope to send it flailing to the surface to become their next easily accessible meal. Worth noting if you have any warm weather flying pests in the house!

They should be pretty active swimmers, and for one to be relatively sedentary would not be the norm. All ‘layers’ of the tank are prime territory for the Dwarf Gourami to explore, but they do often find coves and other safe havens and will be protective of them.

Dwarf Gouramis are not fond of loud noise and can become quite introverted, shy, and hide if their environment is not ideal. As with all fish, a newly re-homed Dwarf Gourami will require time to adapt to its new surroundings and establish itself in the tank hierarchy.

Keeping the environment peaceful and not disturbing them during this period will assist in the adaptation phase and make the transition smoother.

Dwarf Gourami Lifespan

The average Dwarf Gourami can expect to live up to and around the 5-year mark. However, this is hugely dependent on maintaining excellent water quality and observation for the common diseases that can affect this species. More on those a little later!

Some say there has been a decline in the uptake of Dwarf Gouramis in recent years by fish enthusiasts because of these non-treatable diseases. Still, you shouldn’t let this dampen your enthusiasm for this colorful member being in your fish community.

Varieties Of Dwarf Gouramis

There is a wide variety of Dwarf Gourami, but some of the most popular types to be found in hobbyist tanks are:

• Blue Dwarf Gourami, a brilliant blue with reddish-brown trim along their sides and fins
• Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami, bright blue with no other tones usually present
• Flame Dwarf Gourami, bright red with orange gradient, and fins a mix of both
• Neon Blue Dwarf Gourami, glowing bright blue with red stripes across the body
• Honey Dwarf Gourami, a modest orangey-red, a more muted color variety

Dwarf Gourami Appearance

They should have a rounded shape but not appear ‘fat’ or tubular and are more of a gently flattened ovoid profile. A Dwarf Gourami in a robust, healthy condition should have striking, vibrant patterns with close-knit scales that densely cover the body.

Dwarf Gourami Habitat And Tank Requirements

Wild Dwarf Gourami like slow-flowing rivers, pools, ponds, creeks, anything freshwater can throw at them in general, except for fast rushing water conditions.

Because their environments have changeable temperatures due to rapid and sometimes violent rainfall during the monsoon season, they are pretty well adapted to water temperature changes.

In an ideal world, they get a lot of natural light, warmth, and nutrient-rich waters to inhabit, and they adore densely planted areas with abundant vegetation. So what do you need for your tank to make Dwarf Gourami feel right at home?

Tank Conditions

Deep and dark-colored substrate (tank bottom base material) is what will ideally show off your Dwarf Gourami’s flashy color scheme and will highlight how beautifully brilliant they are naturally.

The type of substrate is less critical, so pick your choice of sand or gravel and invest more in the more critical components.

Aeration is ideal, and lighting shouldn’t be too bright. A dimmed aquarium light should do the trick if kept on for 8-10 hours per day. As they like slow-moving water, a medium-powered filtration system is adequate, and you can adjust accordingly based on plant density and content as well as the number of fish involved.

Hiding and nesting is natural to them, so you will want to include fine leaf floating plants or drifting plants to encourage species-appropriate behavior.

Feel free to add other permanent non-living decorative pieces to give them other havens to utilize as they wish.

Water quality is vital to having success with Dwarf Gouramis as a hobbyist. You should expect to change up to 30% of the tank water every week to ensure they thrive. This is extremely important for their overall vitality and to help them grow as large as they should for the tank size they inhabit.

Water conditions should be noted and maintained as follows:

• pH of 6-8
• Water hardness between 10-20 dGH
• Temperature between 77-78.5 ºF (25-26ºC)

Tank Size

For a 10 gallon tank (38L), you should be able to accommodate two or three Dwarf Gouramis happily. However, each additional fish added successfully to the mix should be afforded an extra 5 gallons (19L) of territory.

Happy and healthy fish need a species-appropriate density, especially in a tank environment with no alternative escape!

Choosing Tank Mates For Dwarf Gourami

It’s essential to take stock of what is best for the fish species you choose to care for as an aquarist when considering tank mates.

Educating yourself and doing the homework necessary to have a harmonious environment is key to being their caretaker.

With that said, because Dwarf Gourami are typically a friendly bunch, it makes matters much more accessible in this department. Hurray!

Ideally, you would be looking for tank mates with similarly unaggressive behavior, possibly similar sized or smaller.

As they often surface, a mid or bottom-level tank inhabitant would be the best type of match. Territories can be maintained more peacefully if everyone isn’t vying for the same three-dimensional turf space.

Remember to consider species that require similar water conditions to ensure that the chemistry is compatible. Reputable retailers should be able to advise if you are uncertain about bringing a new breed to the tank party!

Some excellent fish tank mate pairings would include:

• Bottom-dwelling Gouramis such as the Sparkling Gourami
• Plecos, who as a bonus will help keep your aquarium cleaner
• Mollies
• Catfish (Otocinclus)
• Plates
• Rasboras
• Swordtails
• Tetras
• Loaches

You may also wish to consider other fish’ activity levels and keep more sedate swimmers as part of the group. Ultra-fast swimming and darting behavior-type fish will likely intimidate and complicate matters for your tank community.

It’s also a good idea to add other types of species to your habitat like Mystery Snails or Amano Shrimp, which also partner well.

A final consideration is the gender ratio for your Dwarf Gourami group. The accepted ratio is a few females for each male to keep things civil and avoid unnecessary competition.

Common Health Issues Of Dwarf Gourami

There are two well-known culprits responsible for the early demise of many a Dwarf Gourami.

Sadly, neither one is treatable, and your best bet is to be thorough about where you source your fish from and scrutinizing their appearance and behavior when making your selection.

Dwarf Gourami Disease

The first is Dwarf Gourami Disease, commonly known as DGD in the fish community. It is unique to the species and is viral with no known treatment.

It is usually spotted by fading color and fin degradation, resulting in fins coming off in their entirety. Abdominal swelling may also accompany these indicators and be quite noticeable.

Water quality is the critical element here that can help prevent this disease from forming and taking root in your tank. While one fish getting it does not mean it will spread to the rest, it is a parameter that you can control to the best of your ability to prevent the disease.

Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus

Almost always fatal, Dwarf Gourami Iridovirus is a highly infectious disease with no known treatment and can wipe out your Dwarf Gourami population.

Movements of infected fish will be minimal, and they will act lethargic. Other observations include pale coloration, loss of appetite, lesions, and abdominal swelling.

There is little an aquarist can do except to be careful about selecting members for your tank based on visual observation, activity levels, and perhaps avoiding purchasing recently imported fish who have yet to present symptomatically.

Breeding Dwarf Gouramis

Choosing to breed your own Dwarf Gourami can be a fun and rewarding venture, even for new hobbyists looking to try their hand and experience the process.

But the first decision you need to make is whether to isolate a potential pair or allow nature to take its course in your existing tank. The latter option needs to ensure that you have fish that don’t already cause ‘personality clashes’ in the tank to be successful.

People often use a separate tank that needs the same conditions as you would expect, but with a thick layer of sand as a preferred substrate and only 4-6 inches of water.

Dwarf Gourami are mature and can reproduce from six months, and males can often be found forging ahead with nests for a potential mate. From the time of moving the pair to a breeding tank, a slightly increased temperature by a few degrees will help spearhead the process. Weak filter flow is a must as their nests are delicate.

Once the female has spawned, the male will catch the eggs and place them into the nest. After this has taken place, move the female back to the main tank.

You should expect larvae to appear after 25-30 hours, and they remain in the nest for a couple of days. The male can then be moved back to the main tank once the fry begins to leave the nest, and your job will be to maintain an adequate and constant food supply until they reach 0.6-0.8 inches in length, at which stage they may move to the big tank. With such a bright and colorful freshwater fish, the choice to entertain Dwarf Gourami in your aquarium, either as a beginner or a fish-keeping pro, is a satisfying choice to make.

Not only do they brighten up your aquatic landscape, but they are amicable and cause little in the way of temperament clashes for a harmonious tank community.

Have a go with including the Dwarf Gourami in your home habitat, and you won’t be disappointed.