The Honey Gourami is one of the smallest and most peaceful labyrinth fish, featuring beautiful honey-gold coloring and ideal for small aquariums.
Overview
Trichogaster chuna, commonly known as the Honey Gourami, is one of the smallest and most peaceful members of the Osphronemidae family. This charming fish originates from the slow-moving rivers, backwaters, and rice paddies of India and Bangladesh, where it inhabits areas of dense aquatic vegetation.
Adults reach a size of 5–7 cm and live for 4 to 6 years with proper care. Their most distinctive feature is a magnificent honey-gold coloration that becomes especially intense in males during the spawning period: their body takes on a rich orange-amber hue while the throat and belly darken to a deep blue, almost black. Females are more modestly colored in light beige and silver tones with a characteristic dark horizontal stripe.
Like all gouramis, Trichogaster chuna possesses a labyrinth organ — a specialized supplementary breathing apparatus that allows them to absorb oxygen directly from atmospheric air. Because of this, the fish periodically rises to the surface to take a gulp of air. This adaptation makes Honey Gouramis resilient in conditions with low dissolved oxygen.
Compared to their close relative, the Dwarf Gourami, the Honey Gourami is even more peaceful and shy, making it an excellent choice for beginner aquarists and small community tanks.
Tank Requirements
A pair or small group of Trichogaster chuna can be comfortably housed in an aquarium of at least 80 liters. Optimal water parameters are: temperature 24–28°C, pH 6.0–7.5, and general hardness (GH) 5–20 dGH.
The aquarium should be densely planted with live plants, including floating species such as water lettuce, salvinia, or riccia. Floating vegetation serves multiple purposes: it creates the subdued lighting these fish prefer, provides support for the males' bubble nests, and gives a sense of security. Good choices for rooted plants include cryptocorynes, anubias, and vallisneria.
Water flow should be minimal — in nature, Honey Gouramis inhabit still or slow-moving waters. Strong currents cause them stress. A lid on the aquarium is essential: labyrinth fish breathe atmospheric air, and a temperature difference between the water and the air above the surface can lead to respiratory issues.
Decorations such as driftwood and stones create additional hiding spots and visual barriers, helping shyer individuals feel comfortable.
Feeding and Diet
In the wild, Trichogaster chuna are omnivorous fish that feed on small invertebrates, insect larvae, and plant matter. In the aquarium, they are undemanding eaters and readily accept most types of food.
The staple diet can consist of high-quality flakes or small granules for tropical fish. To maintain health and vibrant coloration, the diet should be regularly supplemented with live or frozen foods: brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms, and tubifex. Bloodworms are particularly beneficial for stimulating the males' breeding coloration.
It is important to note that Honey Gouramis have small mouths, so all foods should be of fine particle size. Feed twice daily in small portions that the fish consume within 2–3 minutes. A fasting day once a week is beneficial — it improves digestion and overall condition.
Care and Maintenance
The Honey Gourami has a below-average care difficulty level, making it ideal for beginner aquarists. Nevertheless, stable water parameters are crucial for the health of these fish.
Weekly water changes of 20–25% are essential. The fresh water must be the same temperature as the aquarium water — sudden temperature fluctuations are harmful to labyrinth fish. Filtration should be effective but produce minimal current — a sponge filter is ideal.
Regularly test water parameters for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Honey Gouramis are sensitive to elevated levels of nitrogenous compounds. A healthy fish is active, displays vibrant coloration, and has a good appetite. Faded coloring, loss of appetite, or constantly hovering at the surface are signs of water quality problems.
Honey Gouramis are best kept in pairs or small groups of one male with two or three females. Multiple males in the same aquarium may compete, though serious conflicts rarely occur.
Compatibility
Trichogaster chuna is one of the most peaceful aquarium fish, with an aggression rating of 2 out of 5. However, precisely because of their shyness, tank mate selection requires careful consideration.
Excellent companions for Honey Gouramis include other calm, small fish: neon tetras, cherry barbs, rasboras, pygmy corydoras, and kuhli loaches. They coexist beautifully with Ram Cichlids, as both species occupy different water layers.
Avoid keeping Honey Gouramis with large or overly active fish that would intimidate them and push them away from food. Stay away from fin-nipping barbs that may target the gouramis' long, thread-like ventral fins. Housing them with other gourami species is also not recommended — the Dwarf Gourami and Pearl Gourami may display territorial behavior toward the smaller Honey Gourami.
Breeding
Breeding Trichogaster chuna at home is a fascinating and quite accessible process, rated 2 out of 5 in difficulty. These fish build bubble nests — a behavior characteristic of labyrinth fish.
To stimulate spawning, raise the water temperature to 27–28°C, soften the water, and provide generous feedings of live foods for one to two weeks. Set up a breeding tank of at least 20 liters with floating plants and lower the water level to 15–20 cm.
A male ready to spawn develops stunning coloration — his body turns a deep orange while the throat and chest darken to a deep blue. He constructs a bubble nest from tiny air bubbles bound together with saliva, typically anchoring it beneath the leaf of a floating plant. The building process can take anywhere from several hours to a couple of days.
Once the nest is complete, the male invites the female with a characteristic courtship dance. Spawning occurs beneath the nest: the male embraces the female, and she releases a batch of eggs, which he fertilizes and carefully places into the nest. This process repeats several times.
After spawning, the female should be removed. The male assumes full responsibility for the clutch: he repairs the nest, retrieves fallen eggs, and guards the offspring. The fry hatch within 24–36 hours and become free-swimming after 2–3 days. At this point, the male should also be removed.
First foods for the fry are infusoria and microworms. After one week, they can be transitioned to brine shrimp nauplii. The fry grow slowly but develop steadily with good feeding and regular water changes.