Blood Red Gourami

Honey Gourami is a type of freshwater fish in the gourami family. 

Honey gouramis can be found in northern India, Bangladesh, and Nepal on occasion.

Honey Gourami fish are great for inexperienced fishkeepers who are just getting started.

Sunset honey gouramis, red honey gouramis, red flame gouramis, and any combination of the above are all names for honey gouramis.

Hamilton and Buchanan first described the honey gourami, Trichogaster chuna, in 1822, mistaking males and females for two separate species. Males were known as Trichopodus chuna, while females were known as Trichopodus sota. They are now all known as Trichogaster.

Trichogaster is derived from the Greek words thriks, which means “hair,” and gaster, which means “stomach,” and refers to their long, narrow ventral fins.

All of the aquarium fish available are professionally manufactured. You will rarely locate a wild species in your tanks.

In recent years, several ornamental variants have been selectively selected to improve the color of dwarf gourami (Colisa lalia) and honey gourami. Because they resemble each other, these two species are sometimes confused.

Remember not to confuse this fish with the dwarf gourami; even though the word ‘dwarf’ appears in their names, they are not the same species.

Dwarf gouramis are normally red and blue, and honey’s eyes are typically closer to their mouth than dwarf species.

This species should not be confused with the sunset thick lip gourami, which is larger (growing to 4 inches) and more orange.

II. You would love the fish because…

They are frequently confused with the Dwarf Gourami due to their similar shape and size. Knowing their scientific Latin names (given above) can help identify the various types when buying and selecting these fish.

The Honey Gourami has a slimmer body and smaller dorsal and anal fins. The ventral fins are thread-like and thin.

Males and females are various hues, like most fish. Initially, they are all silvery grey to light yellow, with a light brown horizontal stripe running from behind the eye to the caudal peduncle.

Males will grow vivid honey-yellow or reddish-orange coloring whereas females will retain this hue throughout their lives. The ventral side of the fish (face, throat, and belly) will turn dark blue/black, while the main body will turn honey-orange.

The Honey Gourami is the smallest fish in the Trichogaster genus, measuring 1.5′′ for males and 2′′ for females. They have been recorded growing up to 3′′ on rare instances.

III. Is this fish species peaceful or hostile?

Honey Gourami is generally considered to be a non-aggressive community fish.

IV. Species compatibility

Neon Tetra, Cardinal Tetra, Mollies, Chili Rasboras, Zebra Danios, Harlequin Rasboras, Otoclinus Catfish.

V. How to feed this species?

They feed small bug larvae, crustaceans, and other invertebrates in the wild, similar to betta fish. They are not picky eaters and will consume flakes, nano pellets, Repashy gel food, freeze-dried meals, frozen foods, and live foods.