Description
One of the cutest and smallest gouramis to grace the fishkeeping hobby, Trichogaster chuna is also known as the 'dwarf' honey gourami. Sometimes also called the 'honey gold gourami', the males often exemplify this, varying in shade from a steel blue flank with yellow fin tips, and over to a golden, honey colored yellow, to a deep red-orange, depending on the age and specimen. The dorsal fin is typically the same color as the body, with a bright yellow band on the seam, as well as this same bright yellow in its ventral fins, the feelers on the underside. They sometimes have a black lateral line, but this is typically more apparent on the females, upon which it appears on a beige to pale brown washed body. Be aware that while these fish are commonly referred to as 'dwarf' gouramis due to their small size, they are not actually members of any dwarf complex of fish. These fish also display a very wide range of colors, so the common name 'honey gold gourami' is often not accurate; the males are often not yellow or 'golden' at all until they enter into breeding condition. These fish typically do not exceed 2.5 inches or so when fully grown, and as such are popular to keep in a small tank, as is common with some other types of gouramis as well.
In the wild these fish are already quite tolerant to different water parameters, due to the seasonal flooding that tends to happen in their native India and Bangladesh, which can alter both the ph and the hardness of the water quite drastically, but the most important thing is to have clean water which is efficiently filtered, but not an extreme amount of flow, since they are not built to handle a lot of current, and typically come from areas with very slowly flowing water, and almost no current. Well oxygenated water is always a good thing, but it is notable that this fish has a labyrinth organ, common amongst gouramis, which allow it to breathe atmospheric air if necessary, one compelling reason that dwarf gouramis are a good choice to keep in a smaller tank. This nano fish is also one that enjoys the presence of hardscape as well as plants, both as hiding places and as feeding areas, where microfauna tends to congregate.
If you are keeping this fish in a nano tank with slowly moving water, you will probably want to keep these fish as a species only, perhaps a pair that you could try to spawn in a tank as small as 2.5 gallons! You would be able to watch the male construct a bubble nest, and try to entice the female, quite similarly to a betta. If your tank is a bit larger, these fish are a great addition to a peaceful community aquarium, as they do not seem to have the napoleon complex typically present in dwarf gouramis. That paired with their delightful color palette make it a great centerpiece in a small community tank, and in such a setting these fish are typically also very personable! These fish do not ship individually bagged.
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