Gouramis have long been considered to be popular freshwater aquarium fish. These fish are great additions to just about any type of freshwater tank.
Most gouramis are going to be relatively simple to take care of. This has helped to make them great options for those who are getting used to keeping aquariums in their homes.
If you’ve recently purchased some gouramis for your fish tanks, then you’re probably learning what you can about them. There are a lot of things that you’ll want to know such as how long gouramis are expected to live.
Are gouramis fish that will live for quite a long time? Or should you only expect them to live for a few years?
Keep reading to learn about the lifespan of gouramis. You’ll get all of the information that you need to know so that you can have a good experience caring for these fish.
How Long Do Gouramis Live in Captivity?
Exactly how long your gourami fish are going to live will depend on how you care for them. If you do your best to care for the fish optimally, then you’ll be able to get them to live for several years.
On average, it’s said that gourami fish can live between three and five years in captivity. Some types of gourami fish might be able to live for longer than that, though.
When it comes to figuring out how long your gouramis are going to live, it’s wise to look at specific information about the type of gourami fish that you have. This will give you the best idea of what to expect.
Below, you’re going to find information about how long the various popular types of gouramis live. You’ll also get the answers to a few common questions about gouramis that pertain to this topic.
How Long Can Gourami Live Out of Water?
You may or may not know that gouramis are capable of surviving outside of water for a little bit of time. In the wild, these fish live in very shallow water compared to other types of fish.
As such, they’ve developed an organ that allows them to breathe oxygen at the surface of the water. This is known as the labyrinth organ.
Due to the fact that gourami fish have this organ, they’re able to survive for a little bit when placed outside of water. Some say that gourami fish can live between six and eight hours outside of water.
There is a caveat to this that you need to know about, though. You would need to keep the fish moist for it to live for many hours outside of water.
It’s also important to know that there is no reason why you should place a gourami fish outside of water. The fact that it can technically survive outside of water for a little bit of time doesn’t mean that it’ll be a good thing for the fish.
You should never try to take a gourami fish out of water to test this ability that they have. Doing so would be needlessly cruel.
How Long Do Dwarf Gourami Fish Live?
It should be possible to keep dwarf gourami fish alive for quite a while in your fish tank. If you’re doing a good job caring for these fish, then they should live between four and six years in your aquarium.
There have also been many cases where dwarf gouramis have lived longer than six years. This is possible when you take care of the fish to the best of your ability.
Overall, dwarf gouramis are very easy to care for. Even beginners should be able to get good results when they start keeping these fish.
If you’re someone who is looking for good fish for your first freshwater aquarium, then dwarf gouramis will be an excellent choice. These are hardy fish that are very fun to keep in your fish tank.
How Long Do Honey Gourami Fish Live?
Honey gourami fish will be another common and popular type of fish that will appeal to beginners. These fish are actually even easier to take care of than the dwarf gourami fish mentioned above.
They’re actually going to be able to live for a bit longer on average. A honey gourami fish will typically live between five and eight years in an aquarium setting.
When you do a great job of caring for these fish, they’re going to thrive in your fish tank. They’ll be able to survive for many years when you pay attention to their needs.
If you’re looking for a gourami fish that will live for quite a long time, then choosing honey gouramis will make sense. They’re very popular fish that will look great in your home.
How Long Do Giant Gourami Fish Live?
Giant gourami fish are a lot different from the other gouramis that have been mentioned so far. These are huge fish that have to live in large aquariums.
They can grow to be between 20 and 28 inches long at maturity. To keep one in your home, you’ll need to buy a 200-gallon fish tank or something even larger.
Most people won’t have enough room to keep giant gourami fish in their homes. Unless you’re a very dedicated enthusiast, you might wish to pick out a smaller gourami fish for your home aquarium.
That being said, it’s good to know that giant gouramis can live as long as 20 years. These fish might even live slightly longer than that when cared for exceptionally well.
How Long Do Kissing Gourami Fish Live?
Kissing gouramis are very aggressive fish that are also considered to be pretty big. They aren’t nearly as large as the giant gouramis mentioned above, but they’re still much bigger than dwarf gouramis.
Their aggressive nature makes them harder to keep in community fish tanks than some other gouramis. They can still be good community tank members when you pick out proper tank mates, though.
On average, kissing gourami fish will live between five and seven years in captivity. If you’re caring for the fish well, then it should live much closer to seven years.
Luckily, these are another type of gourami fish that will be simple to take care of. These should be good fish for beginners and anyone who happens to be interested in gouramis.
How Long Do Sparkling Gourami Fish Live?
Sparkling gouramis are some of the smallest gouramis that you can find. These little fish will only grow to be between one and a half and two inches long.
They’re incredibly peaceful fish that should get along well in a community tank setting. Typically, people keep sparkling gouramis in pairs or in small groups of four to six.
The average lifespan of a sparkling gourami is between four and five years. If you’re doing your best to watch the water parameters, then there’s a good chance that these fish will live to be very close to five years old.
These are some of the best gouramis to buy when you don’t have room for a big fish tank. Their small nature makes them very pleasing additions to smaller aquariums.
How Long Do Blue Gourami Fish Live?
Blue gouramis are known for being fairly aggressive fish. They will sometimes bully other fish when you put them in community aquariums.
As such, you’re going to need to pick out the tank mates for these fish carefully. Otherwise, you can encounter many different problems.
Blue gourami fish will be easy enough to keep alive for a good while. The average lifespan of a blue gourami fish is said to be five years.
You’ll likely really enjoy owning blue gouramis if you choose to buy some. They live for a decently long time, and they look really pretty, too.
How Long Do Pearl Gourami Fish Live?
Pearl gouramis are especially interesting because of how beautiful they are. These are considered to be some of the best gouramis to purchase when owning beautiful fish is your goal.
You might worry that these fish will be delicate due to looking so nice. That isn’t the case because pearl gouramis are considered to be pretty hardy.
They’re easy to care for and they also have a relatively peaceful nature. Pearl gourami fish will be another stellar option for beginners.
A pearl gourami fish should be able to live between four and five years in your fish tank. So long as you take care of the fish well, it’ll be more likely to live close to five years.
How Long Do Paradise Gourami Fish Live?
Paradise gourami fish are another aggressive type of gourami fish. They’re aggressive enough that you’ll need to be more careful about which fish you put in an aquarium with them.
It’s still easy enough to keep these fish in good health. Thankfully, they’re hardy enough that they can handle beginners that will make a few mistakes.
These fish live for quite a bit longer than most gouramis. You can expect your paradise gourami fish to live for eight or nine years.
If you do an excellent job caring for the fish, then it might even live a little bit longer than that. Some have lived to be ten years old, but this isn’t a common occurrence.
How Long Do Snakeskin Gourami Fish Live?
Snakeskin gourami fish are an interesting type of gourami fish to look at. These aren’t the most common gouramis to find in pet stores.
They look rather neat since they look as if they have snakeskin. Since they aren’t colorful, they don’t stand out as much in pet stores where people are looking to buy flashy fish.
These fish could be a good addition to your aquarium, though. Many gourami fish enthusiasts think that snakeskin gouramis are amazing.
A snakeskin gourami fish will usually live between four and six years. Doing your best to care for the fish will ensure that they stay alive as long as possible.
How Can You Extend Their Lifespan?
If you want your gouramis to live for as long as possible, then you need to ensure that you care for them well. Truly, keeping them alive for longer periods of time will involve caring for them very carefully.
This means that you need to pay attention to the water parameters while feeding the fish well. Getting the water conditions right will be of the utmost importance.
Remember to look up specific information about the gourami fish that you’re caring for. Each gourami fish will have a preferred temperature range and pH balance.
Monitor the water conditions so that you can keep things in the right range. Also, make an effort to feed your fish very well.
Give them high-quality foods and ensure that they have the proper nutrition. You don’t want to overfeed the fish, but you do want to ensure that the fish are fed properly.
Remember to give the gouramis enough room to comfortably live, too. Giving the fish aquariums that are the right size will be imperative when you want them to thrive.
Final Thoughts
Different types of gouramis will have different lifespans. Some gourami fish will be able to live for a very long time, but others might only live for around four or five years.
Now that you have a better idea of how long the many types of gouramis will live, you’ll be able to choose which gouramis appeal to you the most. If you’re looking for a gourami fish that can live for a long time, then you’ll have several choices.
If you already own gouramis, then you’ll at least know exactly how long you can expect the fish to live under ideal circumstances. Now you just need to do your best to keep caring for the fish properly.
Gouramis are great fish that will bring beauty and life to your aquarium. Keep caring for them well and you’ll be able to enjoy having them in your fish tank for a long time.
Be sure to tell your friends and family what you’ve learned about gourami lifespans. This information will help anyone who is interested in purchasing gourami fish in the near future.
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.