Croaking Gourami

Croaking Gouramis (Trichopsis vittata) are a peaceful, shy species, and can be kept in a quiet community of small fish.  They are capable of producing an audible sound during courtship displays. Adult size 7 cm, recommended for the beginning aquarist. Minimum tank size: 40+ litres.

Behaviour

Because they are a micro-predator, you need to be careful when keeping them with small ornamental shrimps.

Males may bicker with one another when in breeding mode, but usually no harm is done, particularly if there are lots of hiding places in the aquarium.

As their name suggests, Croaking Gouramis are capable of producing an audible sound during courtship displays.

Tank Conditions

Although Croaking Gouramis will acclimatise to a wide range of water parameters, they will be at their best in softer, slightly acidic water. In the wild, they are found in shallow, slow-moving waters with a good amount of vegetation. They will therefore be happiest in heavily planted tanks with gentle water circulation.

The tank should be well planted and have hiding areas of rocks or driftwood, as Croaking Gouramis are a fairly timid species.

Their natural habitat is throughout much of Indochina, including the lower Mekong River basin in Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam, throughout southern Thailand, the lower Salween basin in Myanmar, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore.

Compatibility

They are compatible with Bala Sharks, Clown Loaches, Corydoras, Danios, Gouramis, Hatchetfish, Harlequin Rasbora, Kuhli Loaches, Liveberarers, Ottos, Plecos, Rainbowfish, Rainbow Shark, Red Tailed Shark, White Clouds.

The Croaking Gourami is not compatible with Cichlids.

Fish Compatibility Chart

Feeding

Offer a varied diet consisting of a good quality flake food, algae flake food, pellets and small frozen foods such as mosquito larvae, daphnia, brine shrimp, bloodworms and tubifex.

Breeding

Breeding is best accomplished by obtaining a group of at least six individuals and observe for pairing. A separate shallow softwater breeding aquarium should be set up with plenty of plants, both rooted and floating, and the temperature set to 27 °C. The pair should be acclimatised to this aquarium and allowed to settle in.

When they are ready to spawn, the male will construct a bubble-nest amongst the floating plants and then display to the female. Once she moves underneath the bubble-nest, the male will embrace her, wrapping his body around hers. As the female releases her eggs, usually approximately 10 at a time, the male simultaneously fertilises them. The eggs float up to the bubble-nest, and any that stray are quickly retrieved by the male. This spawning process will repeat several times until the female is depleted of eggs, which can total somewhere between 100 and 175. The male then begins to guard the nest, and at this point, the female should be removed. After 48 hours, the eggs should hatch into tiny wrigglers, and soon after will become free-swimming. The male should be removed as soon as the fry swim free of the bubble-nest, and the fry fed on infusoria (minute aquatic creatures such as ciliates, euglenoids, protozoa, unicellular algae and small invertebrates), progressing on to larger foodstuffs as they grow.

It is of extreme importance to maintain a warm layer of air between the surface of the water and the cover at all times whilst the fry are developing their labyrinth organ, critical during the first few weeks of their life.

Care

They will be at their best in softer, slightly acidic water.

See Fish Disease Diagnosis and Treatment at Rebel Pets for help with diagnosing and treating diseases.