Honey gourami

1) Where they come from

Honey gouramis come from slow, plant-choked waters in India and Bangladesh—think warm ponds, ditches, and gentle streams with lots of cover. That background explains pretty much everything about them: they like calm water, they feel safer with plants, and they’re not built for being pushed around by fast swimmers.

2) Setting up their tank

If you want honey gouramis to show their best color and actually relax, give them a calm, planted tank with gentle filtration. They don’t need anything fancy—just a setup that doesn’t stress them out.

• Tank size: 10 gallons works for a pair or a small group; 20 gallons gives you way more wiggle room with tankmates
• Temperature: mid-to-upper 70s°F (around 24–27°C) is a sweet spot
• Flow: keep it mild; aim the filter output at the glass or use a sponge filter if you can
• Plants/cover: floating plants (frogbit, salvinia) and bushy stems make them feel secure
• Lighting: moderate is fine—floating plants help soften bright lights

A lid helps, not just for jumping (they usually aren’t jumpy), but because warm, humid air above the water is easier on their labyrinth organ. If your room is chilly and the tank is open-top, they can get cranky over time.

3) What to feed them

Honey gouramis aren’t picky once they settle in, but they’ve got small mouths and they’re kind of polite eaters. In a community tank, fast fish will absolutely steal their food if you don’t plan for it.

• Daily staples: quality micro pellets, crushed flakes, small granules
• Protein boosts (a few times a week): frozen or live brine shrimp, daphnia, cyclops, baby bloodworms
• “Fussy new fish” trick: offer frozen foods for the first week, then mix in pellets

4) Behavior and tankmates

This is one of the few gouramis I call genuinely chill. They cruise, inspect plants, and do their slow, curious thing. Males can bicker, but it’s usually more posturing than damage—unless the tank is small and bare.

• Great tankmates: ember/neon/cardinal tetras (calm groups), rasboras (harlequin/chili), corydoras, kuhli loaches, otocinclus, small peaceful barbs (like cherries), most shrimp (adult shrimp are usually fine)
• Tankmates to avoid: fin-nippers (serpae tetras, many tiger barbs), big/boisterous fish, aggressive gouramis, bettas that are territorial, anything that wants high flow
• Group setup: 1 male with 1–2 females is easy; in bigger tanks you can do a small group with lots of sight breaks

You’ll know a male is feeling confident when his color warms up and he starts patrolling the surface under floating plants. If your honey gourami stays pale and hides nonstop, it’s almost always too much flow, too much activity in the tank, or not enough cover.

5) Breeding tips (if you want to try it)

They’re bubble nesters, and honestly they’re one of the more approachable “first breeding projects” if you’re curious. The male builds a little bubble nest under floating plants and courts the female with a lot of gentle herding.

• Set the scene: warm water, very gentle flow, floating plants (this is half the battle)
• Condition them: small, protein-rich foods for a week or two
• After spawning: the male usually guards the nest; the female may need to be moved if he gets pushy
• Fry food: infusoria/powder fry food first, then baby brine shrimp as they grow

6) Common problems to watch for

Most “problems” with honey gouramis come from stress rather than the fish being fragile. Keep them calm and clean, and they’re pretty forgiving.

• Hiding and staying pale: too much flow, too bright, too few plants, or aggressive/fast tankmates
• Not eating: new fish stress or food too large—try frozen foods and smaller pellets for a bit
• Fin damage: usually fin-nippers or too many males in a tight space
• Gasping at the surface nonstop: check ammonia/nitrite first, then temperature and oxygen; occasional surface gulps are normal, constant “panic breathing” isn’t
• Ich/velvet after purchase: common in newly shipped fish—quarantine helps a ton

Last little thing: take your time acclimating them and keep the first week quiet. Once they settle, they’re the kind of fish you end up staring at because they’re always gently exploring like they own the place.