Kissing Gourami (Helostoma temmincki)

At first glance the Kissing Gourami or Helostoma temmincki may just look like a free loving hippy, but these freshwater fish are actually battling it out more like a couple of 300lbs football players would on the line of scrimmage.  You see, the Kissing Gourami's large lips aren't just for looks, the males of this species will actually lock lips, almost like they are kissing.  They are actually pushing on one another to see which one is the weakest and doesn't get potential breeding rights.  Eventually, one of the two will surrender in defeat.  You can check out the Kissing Gourami battle kissing in the video below...



As you can see, they get their name from the thick lips that are sometimes extended out. It is almost as if this aquarium fish is puckering up at you every time you go to feed them. Also known as the Kisser Fish, or the Pink Kisser this species of freshwater Gourami has a silvery peach body with rather large eyes. They can grow to about 12" in maximum length.

Kissing Gourami are inexpensive fish that should be placed in an freshwater aquarium of 30 gallons or more with plants, stones and hiding places. Be careful if you use live plants as this species of Gourami will eat almost anything. The one thing I really like about the this fish is that they help you clean the aquarium by grazing on the algae that tends to grow on the glass. This is very helpful and cuts down on the use of Aquarium Wipes between cleanings. The following aquarium water conditions are recommended, 72-82° F, KH 5-20, and pH 6.8-8.5. If you house these Kissing Gourami be certain that they can access the surface as they are surface breathers. While this fish is kept as a pet in many places in the world, in Southeast Asia it is commercially raised and is a major food source for many people. If you would like to breed a Kissing Gourami fish be sure to put pieces of lettuce on the surface of the water. They will use this to lay their eggs on during the spawning process, and after that the fry hatch they will munch on the lettuce as their first food source. After they grow larger this fish requires a typical omnivore diet of bloodworms, tubiflex, brine shrimp, and flake foods.

Opaline Gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus)

The Opaline Gourami or Trichogaster trichopterus is a popular aquarium fish that has a silver coloration with dark blue markings. Also known as the Marbled Gourami, Three Spot Gourami, Blue gourami, Cosby gourami, Gold gourami, Golden gourami this type of Gourami is small, growing to only about 6" and is considered to be quite peaceful. From what I understand the Opaline Gourami is one of the most interesting fish to watch grow up. Have a look at this video to see the baby fry in action...

Like a few other species of fish the Opaline Gourami breathes real air. This defines them as a Labyrinth Fish and means that you need to allow access to the surface of your tank in order for this fish to survive.

These fish require a tank of at least 30 gallons and are considered to be quite compatible with a lot of different tank mates of similar size and aggressiveness. As with most fish providing a lot of hiding spaces is crucial to keeping your fish happy.
The Male Opaline Gourami will build a bubble nest and then has a bizarre mating ritual in which the fish will dance in front of the female, flaring its fins and raising up its tail. This means that mating is imminent and if you want to encourage the process even more you should reduce your water level. After spawning the male can become aggressive toward the female Opaline Gourami so watch out. Sometimes separating them is the best idea. Make sure to change the water often after the fry have hatched.

The fry of this species can be fed infusoria and nauplii while the adult versions should be fed flake food and meaty food including bloodworms and brine shrimp. Water conditions for this freshwater aquarium fish should be 72-82° F with a PH Level of 6.0-8.0.

Chocolate Gourami (Sphaerichthys osphromenoides)

The Chocolate Gourami fish or Sphaerichthys osphromenoides is a difficult fish to care for. This aquarium freshwater fish is easily susceptible to bacteria and skin parasites so make sure you change the water often. They are a peaceful fish that works best when kept in pairs or with other peaceful smaller fish. The Chocolate Gourami grows to about 2-1/2" in length and should be kept in a tank no smaller than 40 gallons. Water conditions of 75-86° F and a PH level of 6.0-7.0 is highly recommended. This fish is greenish brown in color and has vertical yellow strips along its body. This fish is an omnivore so it should be fed meaty food as well as algae based foods. The best way to differentiate between the male and female is the yellow border that extends along the edge of the male's anal and caudal fins. These fish can breed in a tank so if you get so lucky these fish are quite entertaining to watch. After the male fertilizes the eggs the female will carry these eggs in her mouth for 14 days before they hatch. During this time the female Chocolate Gourami fish will not eat at all so it is very important to keep this fish healthy before breeding. This strange method of carrying eggs is called mouth brooding. To check out these fish in action have a look at the video below...

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