Honey Gourami (Trichogaster chuna)

Diet and Feeding Protocol

Natural Diet

In the wild, Honey Gouramis are omnivores that lean toward protein, feeding on small insects, insect larvae, and invertebrates at the water surface. They pick at food while hovering, using their threadlike pelvic fins to feel and manipulate items.

Captive Diet Composition

You must provide a balanced omnivorous diet consisting of approximately 40% protein, 10% fat, and 50% plant matter and microorganisms. Feed two to three times daily with portions consumed within 2 to 3 minutes.

• Staple Foods: High-quality insect-based micro-pellets such as Fluval Bug Bites in small granule size. These match their natural insect-heavy diet and produce superior coloration compared to generic flake food.
• Protein Supplements: Frozen or live bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, and cyclops offered 3 to 4 times weekly. Bloodworms are a reliable conditioning trigger for breeding.
• Plant Matter: Spirulina flakes and blanched vegetables such as peas, zucchini, or spinach offered once weekly.

Feeding Behavior

Honey Gouramis are shy feeders. In a community tank, faster or more assertive fish will outcompete them at feeding time if you are not paying attention. Feed small amounts two to three times per day, observe that they are actually eating, and consider target feeding with a turkey baster or pipette if they are consistently losing out to tank mates.

Common Dietary Mistakes

Overfeeding is the primary error; excess food degrades water quality. Do not rely solely on generic flakes; nutritional diversity prevents deficiency diseases. Because they are surface-oriented feeders, sinking pellets may be missed entirely.

Breeding Honey Gouramis

Breeding Difficulty

Honey Gouramis are among the easiest labyrinth fish to breed. They are sexually dimorphic, spawn willingly once conditioned, and males are attentive nest builders. Compared to Betta breeding, which involves managing significant male aggression and immediate female removal, Honey Gourami breeding is low-stress and manageable even for beginners.

Conditioning Breeders

Condition a male and female with live or frozen foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, and blackworms for 1 to 2 weeks before moving them to the breeding tank. When the male is ready, his coloration shifts dramatically: the body turns bright orange and the throat goes deep blue-black. He begins building a bubble nest among floating plants using mucus-coated bubbles to create a stable structure.

Spawning Tank Setup

Use a dedicated 10-gallon (38 liter) breeding tank. Lower the water level to 6 to 7 inches (15 to 18 cm); shallow water makes bubble nest construction easier and prevents fry from being scattered through too large a water column. Install a gentle sponge filter that will not disturb the surface or suck up fry. Add floating plants throughout but leave gaps for the male to access the top. Maintain pH 7.0, dGH 6 to 8, and raise temperature gradually to 82 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit (28 to 29 degrees Celsius) over several days.

Spawning Behavior

Once the nest is built, the male courts the female in tight circles beneath it. When she is receptive, he wraps around her in a spawning embrace and she releases 100 to 300 eggs, which he catches in his mouth and places in the nest. Remove the female immediately after spawning; the male becomes hostile toward her once spawning is complete.

Egg and Fry Care

Eggs hatch in 24 to 36 hours. The male continues guarding and maintaining the nest for the first 2 to 3 days. Once fry are free-swimming, remove the male. Fry are tiny and need infusoria or commercial liquid fry food for the first week to 10 days. After that, baby brine shrimp and microworms work well. Keep a tight-fitting lid or cover the surface with plastic wrap; young labyrinth fish need warm, moist air above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) to develop their labyrinth organ properly. Cold drafts through an open top at this stage can be fatal.