Care
Honey Gouramis are shy, peaceful fish, which will appreciate an aquarium with a gentle flow rate and plenty of plant cover (including floating plants). They can be kept in community aquariums with other peaceful fish species, but do require a fair sized tank with numerous hiding places in order for the females to escape the amorous attentions of the males from time to time. Outnumbering males with females will ensure they're not unduly harassed by males in spawning condition. A great choice for planted aquaria, their ancestral native range gives them the capacity to thrive in unheated set ups which mirror the seasonal temperature fluctuations they encounter in their wild state.
Also available in a yellow strain - males are smaller and carry the same bright yellow dorsal fin seen in the wild type. Females may show signs of the lateral stripe of their darker kin. You may also see fishes confusingly labelled as Red honey gourami - these are a different species, the Red robin gourami, which is a variety of Thicklip gourami (C. labiosa) and can be found elsewhere on the databank.
Feeding
Honey Gouramis should be offered a varied diet of a good quality flake and small frozen foods such as daphnia and mosquito larvae. Have been known to help eradicate the aquatic pest Hydra, in aquariums that are overrun with them.
Breeding
In order to breed Honey Gouramis, you should set up a small shallow aquarium, and incorporate plenty of plants, both rooted and floating. The tank can be very gently filtered with an air-driven sponge filter, and the lid of the tank or cover-glasses must be kept tight shut. The male will construct a bubblenest amongst the floating plants, and then display to the female. Once she approaches the bubblenest, the male will embrace her in typical "anabantoid style" and wraps his body around hers. As they roll over, the female will expel some of her eggs, which the male fertilises simultaneously. The male will then release the female whilst he gathers up the eggs and places them into the bubblenest. The spawning embrace/egg collection is repeated over and over again until the female has expelled all her eggs. The male will then begin guarding the nest, making any repairs as necessary, and it is at this point that the female should be carefully removed. The eggs should hatch between 24-36 hours, and this is the time to remove the male. The fry will "hang" from the nest for up to 48 hours, after which time they will become free-swimming. They can be fed on tiny foods such as infusoria and powdered first foods, but be sure to keep up good water quality or you may start losing the young. It is vital that you avoid any cool air drafts above the water's surface during the first 6 weeks of their life whilst the labyrinth organ is under development.
