Kissing gouramis are some of the largest gourami fish that people buy. They aren’t the absolute largest gouramis around, but they will grow to be between 8 and 12 inches.
When the kissing gouramis are kept in captivity, they usually grow to be just a bit over eight inches long. They have earned the name kissing gouramis because of how they kiss.
It’ll certainly look like the gouramis are kissing from time to time. However, kissing isn’t necessarily what they’re actually doing.
Continue reading to learn why kissing gouramis “kiss” each other. You’ll gain a greater understanding of what these fish are really doing.
These Fish Aren’t Actually Kissing
The first thing to know is that kissing gouramis aren’t actually kissing when they lock lips. It might look sweet when you aren’t paying too much attention, but the action of locking lips is an aggressive one.
You see, kissing gouramis will do this to fight for dominance. They’re not kissing so much as they’re aggressively locking up with one another.
Sometimes this fighting can get pretty bad, too. It’s possible that two kissing gouramis might injure each other when they’re wrestling in this way.
Usually, the kissing isn’t going to wind up killing another gourami fish. However, this can happen for certain reasons.
For example, one especially aggressive kissing gourami could keep locking up with a less aggressive gourami. This might cause the gourami so much stress that it will eventually die.
The aggressive act of locking up isn’t what’s killing the gourami in this case. It just leads to the gourami dying from related stress and other issues.
Will Kissing Gouramis Do This to Other Fish?
Yes, kissing gouramis have been known to do this to other fish. These gouramis can be pretty aggressive overall.
As far as gouramis go, they’re among the most aggressive. It can be hard to find good tank mates for kissing gouramis as a result.
Only some fish will wind up being able to withstand the aggressive nature of the kissing gouramis. If you put incompatible fish in the tank with these gouramis, then they might wind up getting hurt.
The kissing gouramis are actually considered to be semi-aggressive fish. You shouldn’t underestimate how aggressive these fish can be, though.
Kissing gouramis are actually on the large side when it comes to gouramis as well. These fish can grow to be between 8 and 12 inches in length depending on various factors.
These gouramis might try to latch onto other fish in the tank. They will injure the other fish, and this can be a huge problem.
It isn’t impossible that the kissing gouramis will wind up killing other fish. You certainly want to avoid such issues, and this means carefully picking appropriate tank mates for the kissing gouramis.
Conversely, you could just keep the kissing gouramis by themselves in a fish tank. They’ll still lock up with each other to establish dominance, but things shouldn’t get too bad overall.
Understand that gouramis can be just fine in a large community tank. It’s simply about finding the right tank mates for them.
Can Other Gouramis Live with Kissing Gouramis?
It isn’t a good idea to put other gouramis in the same tank as the kissing gouramis. Since kissing gouramis are so aggressive in comparison to many other gouramis, it wouldn’t end well.
Typically, two different types of gouramis aren’t going to be able to get along. All gouramis are at least a bit territorial, and they will see other groups of gouramis as threats.
This is why it’s not recommended to keep two different types of gouramis in the same fish tank. If you were to put other gouramis in the tank with a kissing gourami, then there would be a lot of fighting.
A kissing gourami would likely severely harm or kill many of the less aggressive gouramis. You care about your fish and you don’t want any of them to come to harm.
Don’t put kissing gouramis in the same tank as other gouramis. It’s fine to want to own multiple types of gouramis, but they should be kept in their own separate tanks.
Are Kissing Gouramis Easy to Care for?
One good thing about these types of gouramis is that they’re pretty hardy overall. You shouldn’t have a hard time taking care of kissing gouramis even if you’re a beginner.
This means that you can buy kissing gouramis and expect them to do well even if you make a few mistakes. These aren’t the type of fish that will die immediately when you mess up the water parameters just a bit.
If you’re looking for an interesting type of fish to own, then kissing gouramis will make sense for your fish tank. It can be an especially easy experience when you keep kissing gouramis in a tank by themselves.
Adding fish to a community tank can be a good experience as well. Just keep in mind that many of the tank mates for the kissing gouramis might not be as hardy.
Final Thoughts
You’ve learned that kissing gouramis don’t actually kiss each other. Some people mistakenly think that these are romantic fish that are showing each other affection.
While that’s a cute idea that makes the fish sound more appealing, the act of kissing is actually an aggressive one. Kissing gouramis look like they’re kissing, but they’re really locking lips in an aggressive struggle to establish dominance.
Sometimes this kissing can lead to one or both of the fish getting injured. It’s even possible that a less aggressive and strong kissing gourami could get stressed by being bullied by the larger dominant kissing gourami.
Sadly, kissing gouramis will try to do this to other fish as well. This can make it a bit tougher to find tank mates for these gouramis.
Despite this, there are still many good tank mates for kissing gouramis. They can work well in a large community aquarium so long as you do the necessary research.
Don’t put kissing gouramis in the same tank with other gouramis, though. This would end badly.
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.