Dwarf gourami

A peaceful labyrinth fish for a planted tank of 50 litres or more. It often arrives from the shop already sick, so quarantine is not a formality.

Trichogaster lalius · Labyrinth fish · updated 11 November 2026

What it is and where it comes from

The dwarf gourami comes from South Asia: Pakistan, northern India, Bengal and Assam, Bangladesh. It lives in slow streams, ponds and canals, in rice paddies, in soft warm water and thick plants. Francis Buchanan-Hamilton described it in 1822. It appeared in Europe in 1869, a shipment reached Pierre Carbonnier in Paris in 1874, and bulk supplies from Germany began in 1903.

Today the trade almost always offers colour lines: "neon", "sunset", red, blue. The wild form with red and blue crossbars is rare, which is worth remembering when buying from a picture.

Housing and conditions

Temperature 22–27 °C, pH 6.0–7.5, hardness 2–18 °dGH. Current minimal, as the fish dislikes flow and murk. Diffused light, with floating plants and side thickets essential, because in an empty tank it hides and pales.

Volume from 50 l (13 gal) per pair, and Western references say 56 l, which is the same 50–60. Dark substrate, a gentle sponge or air-driven filter. Water changes of 20–25% a week. A tight lid, because warm humid air above the water is needed, or the labyrinth organ develops poorly in young fish.

Feeding

Omnivorous but small-mouthed: fine flakes, micro-pellets, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia. Plant matter is essential, or the fish nibbles tender shoots. Feed once a day, a portion gone in two minutes.

Overfeeding shows at once: a swollen belly, the fish at the surface, no reaction to food. Obesity follows, and spoiled water finishes the fish off in a couple of days.

Lifespan

Usually four to six years, longer with good care. Reference books give three to eight years, and the spread is easy to explain: much depends on the quality of imported fish, not only on the tank.

Temperament and tank mates

Timid, yet it jealously guards its corner, a rare combination. In a small tank a male chases the female to exhaustion, so cover matters more than tank mates. Keep a pair rather than a group, and add fish to an overgrown tank, not the reverse.

• small peaceful cyprinids, rasboras, corydoras and shrimp fit;
• bettas, other labyrinth fish and large barbs do not;
• two males in one volume are better not kept.

Diseases

Dwarf gouramis have a problem of their own: iridovirus (DGIV). Research suggests up to 22% of fish from Singapore arrive as carriers, the disease is incurable and passes to neighbours through the water. Symptoms: darkening, listlessness, refusal to feed, bloating. The rest is familiar:

• Ich. White spots and scratching. Malachite green products.
• Lymphocystis. Large grey growths on the fins, a virus that passes on its own.
• Fin rot. Torn fins after stress or fights, so water changes and an antiseptic are needed.

A vet makes the exact diagnosis; blind antibiotic treatment does harm.

Breeding

The male builds a bubble nest from bubbles and plant bits. Tank from 20 l, water 15 cm deep, 26–29 °C, and the female is added in the evening. Eggs number three hundred to eight hundred, larvae hatch in a day or two, and the fry swim on day four or five. The female leaves after spawning, the male once the young swim. Start: infusoria, then brine shrimp nauplii.

Who it suits

A beginner, with a reservation: care is simple, but imported fish are often already sick. A tank of 50 l or more, dense plants, a pair rather than a company. Minuses: a short life, iridovirus, timidity. A plus: a calm nature and a bright male in view. Check volume and stock in the calculator, and tank mate profiles in the reference.