Product Details

Gold Gourami – Trichopodus trichopterus

The Gold Gourami is a hardy and colourful freshwater labyrinth fish with a warm golden body, elegant feeler-like pelvic fins and a confident personality. This domesticated colour form of the Three Spot Gourami is a popular choice for larger community aquariums, especially planted setups with open swimming space and calm surface areas. It is generally robust and easy to feed, but adult males can become territorial, so tank mates and aquarium size should be chosen carefully.

Key Identification:

Common Name: Gold Gourami
Other Names: Golden Gourami, Three Spot Gourami, Blue Gourami, Opaline Gourami, Cosby Gourami
Scientific Name: Trichopodus trichopterus
Older / Trade Name: Trichogaster trichopterus
Strain / Form: Gold colour strain
Fish Type: Labyrinth Fish / Gourami
Water Type: Freshwater

Natural Range & Habitat:

Trichopodus trichopterus is native to Southeast Asia, where wild forms occur in slow-moving or still freshwater habitats such as marshes, floodplains, canals, ponds, ditches and heavily vegetated waters.

The Gold Gourami is a captive-bred aquarium strain rather than a wild colour form. In the aquarium, it does best in a planted setup with open swimming space, floating plants, gentle flow and shaded areas. Like other labyrinth fish, it can breathe atmospheric air, so it must always have access to the water surface.

Appearance & Adult Size:

Gold Gouramis have a deep, laterally compressed body with long thread-like pelvic fins used to feel their surroundings. Colour is usually yellow, gold, cream-gold or orange-gold, sometimes with subtle marbling, darker spotting or pale patterning depending on the individual.

Adults usually reach around 10–15 cm. Males often have a more pointed dorsal fin and slimmer body, while females are usually fuller-bodied with a rounder dorsal fin.

Aquarium Suitability:

This is a suitable fish for larger peaceful to semi-active freshwater communities. Gold Gouramis are hardy and adaptable, but they should not be treated as small nano fish. Adults need space, cover and suitable tank mates.

They are best kept in mature aquariums with stable water quality, plants and gentle to moderate filtration. Avoid very strong surface turbulence, as they naturally spend time near the surface and appreciate calmer areas.

Recommended Aquarium Size:

A practical minimum is 120 litres for a single adult or compatible pair, with larger aquariums preferred for community setups or groups.

Males can be territorial, especially towards other gouramis or similar surface-dwelling fish. If keeping more than one, provide plenty of space, plants and visual barriers. Avoid keeping multiple males in small aquariums.

Water Conditions:

Temperature: 24–28°C
pH: 6.0–8.0
Hardness: Soft to moderately hard water
Additional Notes: Stable water quality is important. Provide warm air above the water surface by avoiding cold draughts over the aquarium. Gentle surface access is essential, as gouramis use their labyrinth organ to breathe air. Avoid sudden temperature changes, poor water quality and very turbulent flow.

Temperament & Tank Mates:

Aquarium Category: Semi-Aggressive

Gold Gouramis are generally peaceful when young, but adults can become territorial, especially males. They are usually manageable in a spacious community aquarium but may bully very timid fish or spar with other gouramis.

Suitable tank mates include medium-sized peaceful tetras, rasboras, larger danios, peaceful barbs, rainbowfish, corydoras, bristlenose plecos, loaches with caution and other robust community fish. Avoid fin-nippers, aggressive cichlids, very tiny fish, delicate slow feeders, male bettas and multiple similar gouramis in cramped aquariums.

Feeding:

Gold Gouramis are omnivorous and easy to feed. Offer quality tropical flakes, small pellets and floating gourami foods as the staple diet.

Supplement with frozen or live foods such as bloodworm, daphnia, brineshrimp, mosquito larvae and small insect-based foods. Include some vegetable matter such as spirulina flakes or algae-based foods to support digestion and overall condition.

Behaviour in the Aquarium:

This species spends much of its time in the middle and upper levels of the aquarium, exploring plants, open water and surface areas. The long pelvic fins are used like feelers to investigate objects, food and tank mates.

Males may build bubble nests at the surface, especially among floating plants. During breeding behaviour, males can become more defensive of a chosen area and may chase other fish away from the nest site.

Care Notes:

Provide a secure lid, as gouramis can jump when startled. Floating plants, tall background plants and broken lines of sight help reduce stress and territorial behaviour.

Do not keep Gold Gouramis in small aquariums with delicate fish. They are best planned as medium-sized adult gouramis rather than small community fillers. Watch for aggression between males, and ensure all fish can feed comfortably. Keep the water warm and stable, with access to calm surface air.

Recommended For:

Beginner to intermediate freshwater aquarists

Availability:

Common / Captive-bred aquarium strain

Image Disclaimer:

All images are a visual representation of the fish you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Natural variation in size, gold colour intensity, body tone, marbling, fin shape, sex and markings can occur between individual fish.