Have you been thinking about buying some gouramis for your fish tank sometime soon? They could be excellent fish to add to your community fish tank under the right circumstances.
Of course, there are many different types of gouramis that you should consider. If you’ve never bought any gouramis before, then there’s a chance that you don’t know much about them yet.
Below, you’ll be able to learn all about various different types of gouramis. All of the most popular gouramis for aquariums will be listed so that you can figure out which ones you’re interested in.
After you’ve read through the information, it’ll be easier to make a choice. You can decide which fish will work out best for your home aquarium.
1 – Dwarf Gouramis
Dwarf gouramis are probably the most common type that you will be familiar with. These gouramis have become incredibly common because of how easy they are to take care of.
They’re some of the smaller gourami fish, and this makes them far less aggressive and territorial. For this reason, these fish make some of the best community tank fish that you can find.
It’s recommended to keep these fish in pairs. Male gouramis will be more colorful when they have a female in the tank with them.
This is because the male will be trying to impress the female. The female won’t be quite so colorful since it will be rather silvery.
Even so, it’ll bring out the best of the male from an aesthetic perspective. Plus, many people want to encourage the gourami fish to breed.
You can expect these fish to grow to be between two and three inches long at maturity. They’re very easy to take care of, too.
It’s said that these fish can do well in a 10-gallon tank. However, many enthusiasts recommend keeping them in a 20-gallon fish tank to give them a little more space.
2 – Pearl Gouramis
You’ll find that pearl gourami fish are sold in many different pet stores. They’ve become staples in many freshwater aquariums because of how gorgeous they look.
These are certainly among the prettiest gourami fish that you can own. If you’re looking for fish that will look amazing in your new aquarium, then you might wish to go with pearl gouramis.
Pearl gourami fish will wind up growing to be between four and five inches. Since they’re larger than the dwarf gouramis mentioned above, it makes sense that they will need a larger fish tank.
It’s recommended to purchase a 30-gallon aquarium or something even larger for these fish. This will ensure that they have enough space so that they don’t get stressed.
You’ll also like that these fish are relatively peaceful. They do a good job of getting along with many other types of fish.
It makes it fairly easy to find tank mates for them. If you’re looking for fish for a community fish tank, then you’ll be pleased with the options that you’ll have available to you to go alongside pearl gouramis.
These fish don’t really bully other fish. This is partially because they have small mouths, and they won’t try to eat many other fish except for young fry.
Ideally, you’ll want to keep a single male and female together in a fish tank. If you go with pearl gouramis, then you’re very likely going to be pleased.
3 – Giant Gouramis
Giant gouramis are so large that they will be impractical for many fish tank owners. Unless you have a lot of space in your home that you can dedicate to this hobby, it’s not going to be easy.
Enthusiasts say that giant gourami fish need a 200-gallon tank or something even larger. This means that you’ll have to spend a fair bit of cash to get a very large fish tank.
These fish can grow to be between twenty and twenty-eight inches long in your fish tank. Giant gouramis are truly massive compared to the other gourami fish that are being discussed here.
You’re also going to need to be careful if you want to put these fish in community tanks. They can be decent community tank fish, but you’ll need fish that are large enough to survive and thrive alongside giant gouramis.
Oscar fish work out nicely, and there are many other large cichlids that should do well. It makes it so that you have options if you want to keep giant gourami fish in a large community aquarium.
Some people buy these gourami fish by mistake and don’t know how big they will get. They get sold when they’re only three or four inches long, but they just keep on growing.
This is one reason why it’s important to always buy fish from a reputable retailer. You want to have all of the information before you make a purchasing decision.
After all, it’d be terrible to buy a large fish such as this and then discover that you won’t have enough space to keep it happy once it reaches maturity. These fish can be a joy to have in a home aquarium, but they’re only going to be practical for those who are really dedicated to the hobby.
4 – Honey Gouramis
Honey gourami fish are another type of small gourami that will be very peaceful. Generally, these fish are going to grow to be around two and a half inches long.
They look really nice in fish tanks because they have an appealing honey-like color. Since they’re a bit smaller than even the dwarf gourami fish, they can be slightly shy.
The honey gouramis can do well in community fish tanks, but you’ll need to make good choices when it comes to tank mates. They will get stressed if put in a fish tank with fish that move very quickly.
These fish should be small enough to keep in a 10-gallon tank without it being a problem. If you’re interested in a community fish tank, then you’ll definitely need something larger.
Overall, honey gourami fish are going to be some of the best ones to buy. If you’re looking for beginner-friendly gouramis, then these might be the easiest to take care of.
For some, dwarf gouramis will be the better choice, though. It might come down to whether you’re happy with the types of fish that honey gouramis are compatible with.
5 – Kissing Gouramis
Kissing gouramis have to be brought up on any list that is talking about the most popular gourami types. These gouramis are certainly among the most well known.
These are pretty big gourami fish that will need a decent-sized fish tank. At maturity, they can grow to be between eight and twelve inches depending on a variety of different factors.
You’ll need to buy at least a 55-gallon fish tank to keep these fish in your home. They’re semi-aggressive fish, too, and this means that you’ll have to carefully research potential tank mates.
These fish are so aggressive that they will often spar with each other. They gained the name “kissing gouramis” because they will look as if they’re kissing when they lock up with each other.
They’ll try to bite tank mates as well. These fish are known to bite at angelfish and discus fish when they’re put in the same tank.
One good thing about caring for these fish is that they’re pretty easy. The care requirements for this fish won’t give beginners pause.
So long as you’re mindful that these fish can only be put in community tanks with particular types of fish, things should work out okay. Do the necessary research and you’ll be able to have a good experience.
6 – Sparkling Gouramis
Sparkling gouramis are even smaller than the honey gouramis mentioned earlier. They only grow to be one and a half and two inches long.
They’re so small that they will do just fine in a small 10-gallon fish tank. It makes them a good choice for fish tank owners who don’t have a lot of space in their homes.
It’s also nice that these fish are very peaceful. They won’t bother other fish, and you’ll just need to make sure to pick tank mates that won’t hurt them.
The male sparkling gourami fish are going to look the most interesting. They have red and blue spangles that truly make them stand out in an aquarium setting.
Males are also known for having blue iridescent eyes. Females are going to be pale brown and white.
You’re supposed to keep these gourami fish in pairs or small groups. Either buy a male and a female or purchase four to six fish.
The male gouramis will fight sometimes, but they shouldn’t fight to the death. If you wish to avoid fighting, then you could keep only one male in the tank and have the rest of the sparkling gourami fish be females.
7 – Blue Gouramis
Blue gouramis are often referred to as three spot gouramis. These two gouramis types are the same.
Some people get a bit confused by this, but you can find these fish being sold under either name. In the wild, you’ll find that these gourami fish can be found in colors such as opaline, gold, lavender, and blue.
Plain three spot gouramis are fish that you don’t see being sold in pet stores as often. This is because they aren’t as colorful and people don’t tend to buy them as much.
Blue gouramis are definitely the most popular type when it comes to this fish. They’re large fish that can wind up growing to be between six and eight inches in length.
The fairly large size of the fish makes it have an aggressive nature. It’ll wind up bullying certain types of fish.
A blue gouramis fish can still be a good community tank fish, but you’ll need to pick tank mates with care. Be sure to research which types of fish are compatible with these fish to have the best experience.
You’ll need to keep these gouramis in a 30-gallon tank or something larger. They’re very easy to care for even for beginners, and that makes them a good choice even if they’re a bit on the aggressive side.
8 – Licorice Gouramis
Licorice gouramis are not the most popular type of gourami fish on this list. Nonetheless, they are cool fish that are worth your consideration.
One of the reasons why these fish don’t garner as much attention as many of the others on the list is that they don’t stand out. Some even describe the appearance of these fish as drab in comparison to some of the colorful gouramis that you can buy.
Despite this, some people have really fallen in love with licorice gouramis. They’re a bit shy, but they can thrive in your fish tank if you get the water conditions right.
They like the pH balance of the water to be much lower than usual. It’s recommended to keep the pH balance between 3.5 and 4.0 to get optimal results.
This will make it tough to find tank mates for these fish. Regardless, you might have a good time with these fish if you choose to buy them.
They can be paired with Kuhli loaches as well as rasboras. Even blackwater fish such as cardinal tetras do well in community tanks with licorice gouramis.
These gouramis only grow to be around two inches long, and this means they can be kept in 10-gallon fish tanks. They’re a bit tough to care for, though, and it’s recommended to only go for these fish if you’re an experienced aquarium enthusiast.
9 – Chocolate Gouramis
Chocolate gouramis have a lot in common with the licorice gouramis mentioned above. These fish also grow to be approximately two inches long.
They’ll be able to be kept in 10-gallon tanks as well, and they need to have a very low pH balance. Just as with the licorice gouramis, they like the pH balance to remain between 3.5 and 4.0.
These fish are also super sensitive to water condition problems. If the parameters are off a bit, then there’s a good chance that this fish will get sick.
Many enthusiasts have problems with these fish getting pop eye and various types of fungal infections. They’re kind of hard to take care of overall.
One unique aspect of these fish comes into play when they breed. Male chocolate gouramis don’t build bubble nests, but they will instead be kept in the mouth of the female fish.
The male then guards the female for up to two weeks until the eggs hatch. It can be an interesting thing to observe in your home aquarium.
These fish aren’t recommended for beginners. It’s very likely that you’ll be better off going with some of the other fish that have been mentioned here already.
10 – Snakeskin Gouramis
Snakeskin gouramis are interesting because they have an aesthetically pleasing look. They aren’t very colorful, but they do look as if they have snakeskin.
The lack of color makes them less popular in many pet stores. Regardless, these fish have found a following among gourami fish enthusiasts.
They grow to be between six and eight inches long at maturity. In the wild, some of these fish will even reach ten inches long.
One appealing aspect of these fish is that they are easy to care for. Unlike the chocolate gouramis mentioned above, beginners won’t have any problems meeting the care needs of these fish.
You’ll need to keep these fish in a 30-gallon tank or larger, though. Since they get pretty big at maturity, it will require you to have sufficient space for them.
Thankfully, these are peaceful gourami fish that won’t bother tank mates. It makes them a good option for community aquariums.
11 – Moonlight Gouramis
Moonlight gouramis are pretty closely related to the blue gouramis mentioned earlier. However, these gourami fish are quite peaceful.
They reach about six inches in length at full growth. Both the males and females of this species will be silvery and iridescent.
This does make sexing the fish a bit more difficult than usual. Males will look slightly different, though, because they develop a blue-green hue.
Also, males have red tones on their pelvic fins. You’ll have a simple time taking care of these fish if you buy them.
Since they’re peaceful, they work well in community aquariums. It’s also nice to know that they’re among the easiest types of gourami fish to breed.
12 – Betta Fish
Technically, betta fish are supposed to be gouramis. This is because they’re classified in the same Osphronemidae family.
Of course, not many people think of these fish as gouramis. You’re never going to find these fish being sold as gourami fish at pet shops.
Regardless, you should know that these would be considered to be among the most popular gouramis in the world. They’re incredibly beautiful, and this has made many people want them for their fish tanks.
Betta fish grow to be two or three inches long when they’re mature. You can keep them in a 10-gallon fish tank since they aren’t very big.
These are semi-aggressive fish that will not get along with certain other fish. You might want to be careful when picking out tank mates if you don’t want to encounter problems.
Luckily, they’re really easy to take care of. If you’re looking for an easy fish to get used to caring for, then this will be a good option.
It just comes down to whether you think of these fish as gourami fish or not. They’re in the same fish family, but they’re definitely not usually spoken of when people bring up the gourami fish conversation.
13 – Paradise Gourami
Paradise gourami fish are often considered to be bully fish. They’re among the worst community tank fish that you will find in the gourami family.
They’re medium-sized fish that will only grow to be between three and four inches long. Despite not being very big, they’re very aggressive.
In some ways, you can compare the aggression of a paradise gourami to a betta fish. They also happen to have long, showy fins as the betta fish do.
If you want to keep these fish in a community aquarium, then you’ll want to pick out the tank mates carefully. You can find tank mates for these fish that should be able to do well enough.
It’s also going to be crucial to give the fish enough space to move. If you put the fish in a larger tank, then it’ll be less likely to pester its tank mates.
Keep all of this in mind so that you don’t wind up having the paradise gourami fish bully its tank mates severely. These fish are pretty, but they can make you frustrated sometimes due to how aggressive they are.
General Gourami Care Advice
No matter what type of gourami fish you want to buy, it’s going to be important to care for it to the best of your ability. To get good results, keeping an eye on the water parameters will be wise.
Many types of gourami fish are hardy enough that they can survive a few mistakes. The ones that are supposed to be easy to care for won’t need to be coddled quite as much.
The tougher fish will have very precise water parameter requirements. Making mistakes with these fish will make it more likely that the fish will get sick and die.
As a general rule, you want to ensure that you pay attention to the water parameters whether the fish is hardy or not. This allows you to adjust anything that’s wrong so that you can get it back in the right range.
Always keep an eye on the pH balance of the water as well as the temperature. Use chemicals to adjust the pH balance if necessary.
Do water changes every week to keep the water clean. It’s best to change out 15% of the water on a weekly basis.
Final Thoughts
Learning about the popular types of gouramis should make it easier for you to pick out which ones you like. There are so many amazing types of fish that you could buy.
Some of them won’t be good choices for beginners, though. If you’re new to keeping aquariums in your home, then sticking with the fish that are described as easy to care for will be smart.
As you gain experience, you can try to raise some of the more complicated gouramis. These fish are fantastic and you’re surely going to love having gouramis in your fish tank no matter which ones you choose.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.