Honey Gourami: All You Need To Know

What Is Honey Gourami?

The Honey Gourami is a freshwater fish that hails from the Trichogaster species. They come from the Gourami family. Male Honey Gourami species are Trichopodus chuna species. Females, in contrast, are Trichopodus sota species. You can call them Trichogaster as a whole.

You can see these types of fish in the areas of India, Bangladesh, and even Nepal. The water environment that it likes requires thick plants with no mineral content. The Honey Gourami also likes to swim in the top or middle area of the water.

You might know their distant relative called the Dwarf Gourami. Honey Gourami fish species are not as famous as other fish species. But they are fish species that are quite easy to take care of.

The Honey Gourami is an easy-going fish. They get along pretty much with other types of fish species of the same size and temperament. This article outlines everything you need to know about this honey-colored fish! It is perfect if you want to add the Honey Gourami to your aquarium collection.

Appearance And Size

As the name suggests, the Honey Gourami fish has a yellow-colored body that depicts a honey color. Other species have a range of colors from yellow to a bright orange (and almost red) hue. Male Honey Gourami have a brighter hue as compared to their female counterparts.

Honey Gourami are small fish species. They are around three inches or seven centimeters long! You can see a bright orange hue around the neck part of the Honey Gourami. During mating season, the females’ neck region glows even brighter. This signals that she is ripe for mating with another male Honey Gourami.

Male Honey Gourami are quite different from the female species. You will notice a darker color of the male’s underside. Male Honey Gourami also have a brighter orange color, especially in the fins area. You will notice that males have longer and a pointer fin.

The Honey Gourami have different color varieties. The sunset Honey Gourami has an exciting red color that is a great addition to your fish collection! There is also Honey Gourami that has a deep yellow color that looks like it is gold.

Similarities With Other Fish

Most people confuse the Honey Gourami with the Dwarf Gourami. While both hail from the Gourami family, the two species are different types of fish. Fish enthusiasts often confuse them because of the similarities in color. But it is important to remember that Dwarf Gourami have brighter colors. They come in bright red and blue colors. Honey Gourami, in contrast, has a pale yellow to bright orange color. Another important distinction is the placement of their eyes and mouth. The Honey Gouramis eyes are closer to their mouth as compared to the Dwarf Gourami.

Other fish enthusiasts also get confused with Honey Gourami and Sunset Thicklip Gourami. Again, both fish species hail from the Gourami family. But take note that they are different types of species. The sunset thick lip gourami is bigger than the Honey Gourami. They can grow as big as four inches long! What more is that the thick lip gourami also has a bright red-orange color.

Typical Behavior

The Honey Gourami is an active and playful fish. They need similar companions in their tank so they can be happy and healthy. Otherwise, they will feel sad and refuse to eat. Honey Gourami are peaceful creatures. They socialize with their tank mates but do not cause any trouble. They are also curious creatures that roam around the tank and want to know everybody’s business. If you are thinking of buying a Honey Gourami fish, it is best to get them in bundles. In that manner, they will feel safe and happy socializing with their species.

Another behavioral feature of the Honey Gourami is that they get scared. If they see a bigger fish in the tank, they will hide and refuse to come out. I recommend you choose your tankmates with care. Choose fish species that are the same size and temperament as the Honey Gourami.

Honey Gourami are labyrinth fish types. This means that they prefer to be in the middle of the top of the aquarium. They need to go to the surface to get oxygen.

Honey Gourami are playful and peaceful fish species. They also have very few care requirements. Get a bunch of them to put in your tank, and you are good to go!

Lifespan

The average lifespan of the Honey Gourami is from four to eight years. Several factors contribute to their lifespan. This includes the care level, quality of food, and tank environment.

Feeding and Diet

Honey Gourami eat both meat and plants. In the wild, their diet consists of small insects and plants. It is quite easy for them to catch insects because they are shoaling fishes. They prefer to be on the top part of the water.

It is best if you feed your Honey Gourami with food rich in protein in a tank or controlled environment. This includes algae, brine shrimp, and even bloodworms. These protein-rich food sources will give your fish the needed energy to be active.

Based on research, it is best if you feed your Honey Gourami fish twice a day. Overfeeding them will cause them to bloat and be lazy.

Tank Mates

Honey Gourami are easygoing fish. They are sociable and peaceful creatures. It will not be difficult for you to find proper tankmates for your Honey Gourami. They prefer fish species that are of the same size and temperament. They like being with their kind, so I recommend you get another Honey Gourami in the same tank.

Do not, under any circumstance, put a larger or more aggressive fish in the tank with the Honey Gourami. Your Honey Gourami will get scared and go into hiding. Aside from other Honey Gourami, here are possible tankmates for your fish:

• Rainbow Fish
• Snails
• Sparkling Gourami

Common Health Issues

Honey Gourami are prone to skin infections. You need to check their water level and change the water. The common health issues of these types of fish are the following. This section also tells you prevention measures.

Velvet Disease

The velvet disease is a common skin disease among many aquarium fish types. This is because of a parasite (called Oodinium) living in fish gills and mouths. A tell-tale sign is a brown powder coating in the area. Because of this symptom, the velvet disease is also known by many names. This includes gold dust disease or rust disease.

The most common cause of velvet disease is stress. Hence, you need to make your Honey Gourami healthy. You can do this by pairing them up with their species so they can be active and sociable. Other factors can lead to velvet disease for your honey gourami. These include having a filthy tank and poor water quality. Other factors are not having ideal water temperature, and long-term neglect.

The tell-tale sign that your Honey Gourami has velvet disease is gold powder coating. You can see this in your fish’ gills and mouth area. Advanced symptoms include the following:

• Difficulty in breathing through the gills moving in a labored manner.
• Loss of appetite where you can see that your fish is losing weight.
• Skin peeling off.

If you see any of the signs above, go to a veterinary doctor immediately.

There are many ways for you to prevent velvet disease. This entails keeping your Honey Gourami happy and healthy. I recommend that you follow the steps below:

1. Change the water. I recommend changing at least 30% of the water in your tank every week.
2. Check your tank’s water conditions. This includes the substrate, temperature, pH levels, and nitrate levels.
3. Raise the temperature of the water to 29 degrees. This will allow the Oodinium to end their life cycle faster.
4. The parasite thrives in well-lit areas. Remove the lights in your aquarium during treatment.
5. Sprinkle aquarium salt. This aids in mucus production which is effective in removing parasites.

Constipation

Constipation happens when your fish has difficulty digesting certain types of food. As a result, they cannot perform functions that expel waste from their system. The main cause of constipation in fish is their food source.

Fish experts say that commercial fish feeds are one cause of fish constipation. It is because they have low-quality ingredients. This includes frozen feeds. Other types of food that are rich in protein can also be a cause of constipation. This includes beef and liver types of food.

Do remember that constipation can also be a symptom of more complex fish disease. This includes Hexamita infections due to insufficient fiber in the fish diet. As you know, fiber is an important aspect of good digestive functions, even for fishes.

Even though constipation is not a big deal for many people, it can be a serious condition for your Honey Gourami. When left untreated, it can lead to a more serious condition called swim bladder disease. The symptom of this serious disease is staying at the bottom of the aquarium tank. This is devastating for your Honey Gourami because they love to be on the surface of the tank. They need oxygen to survive.

To treat constipation, you must ensure that your Honey Gourami has the right diet. Introduce fiber in their diet. Fiber helps to improve their digestive functions. Great food you can introduce to them peas. Make sure to blanch them. They are a great source of fiber for your Honey Gourami. Other vegetables you can feed to your fish are lettuce, spinach, and carrots. If all else fails, you can introduce Epsom Salt to your Honey Gourami. The Epsom Salt is a muscle relaxant that will encourage your fish to expel waste.

Ich

Ich is another common skin condition for fishes. Bacterial infections cause this condition due to improper tank and water conditions. Another reason why fish develop ich is that they feel stressed. Hence, you need to make your Honey Gourami happy and stress-free.

When fish feel stressed, they have a lower immune system. This means that they cannot fight off the parasite if they encounter ich and will be sick. So how do you know if your fish has ich? Here are the symptoms:

• Powdered spots in your Honey Gourami’s body.
• Clamped fins.
• Fish goes to the surface and gasps for air.

Here is how you can treat Ich if you see that your Honey Gourami has the symptoms above.

1. Remove the carbon filter in your tank set-up.
2. Raise the temperature from 2 to 4 degrees Celsius as compared to the normal temperature.
3. Add aquarium salt.
4. Add medication.

Hole in the Head

Parasites cause this because of tank substrates. If you see a hole in the head of your Honey Gaurami, go see a vet as soon as possible.

Tank Requirements

I recommend you have at least a pair of Honey Gourami if you want them to be happy, safe, and thrive in your aquarium. For one pair, you can have at least a 20-gallon tank size. Each new fish you will add needs a five-to-ten-gallon water space.

Honey Gourami wants a vegetative environment, so you must have plenty of plants in your tank. You can also add hollowed spaces in your tank so your fish can play around. I also recommend that you have a sand substrate for your tank. To prevent skin infections, you can change at least 15% of your tank’s water every week.

Other water requirements for your fish are as follows:

• The pH level of Honey Gourami should be from 60 to 8 pH levels.
• It is best if you keep the ammonia and nitrite levels at undetectable levels. This is so your Honey Gourami can thrive.
• The water temperature should be at 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

Conclusion

Honey Gourami are fish types that are easy to maintain. They are peaceful, loving fishes and can get along with the same-size fishes. They have an easy-care rule which makes them perfect for beginner aquarists. This article outlines everything you must know about Honey Gourami. This includes its care and tank requirements.