by Tammy L Mahan

Created on: May 23, 2010

The Dwarf Gourami (Colisa Lalia) belongs to the Belontiidae family. The Dwarf Gourami is also commonly called the Red Gourami and the Powder Blue Gourami. The Dwarf Gourami’s native origin is Jumna, Ganges, Bramputra, West Bengal, and Bangladesh.

The Dwarf Gourami is the smallest of all the gourami fish species, measuring only two inches in length at adulthood. The males are a little bigger than the females (more in width than length) and the male colorin is a bright red-orange body that has a turquoise colored stripe that runs from the mouth to the fins. The females, like many species of animals, are less attractive. They have a dull silvery grayish-blue body. There are also several cross-breeds (hybrids) of the Dwarf Gourami, including the rainbow, neon, powder blue, and red. The males and females of these hybrids have the same colorings. However, the males’ color is much more vibrant and beautiful than the females’.

Unfortunately, the Dwarf Gourami often becomes a meal long before they even reach the pet stores or aquarium stores. They are freeze-dried and fed to longer aquarium species.

The Dwarf Gourami is a calm fish and due to its’ small size a five gallon aquarium is acceptable for a couple of pairs. They also do well in larger community aquariums as long as there are no aggressive or real large fish in the aquarium. They require a water ph of 6.0 to 7.5, a water hardness of four to ten, and a water temperature between seventy-two and eighty-two degrees Fahrenheit. Dwarf Gouramis’ are shy fish and do not like noise, so the aquarium needs to be in a quiet area of your home. The Dwarf Gourami is not real fond of bright lighting either so low lighting is recommended.

Their aquarium should also have plenty of plants, including live and free-floating, as well as plants that also cover small portions of the aquarium as these fish are top and mid level dwellers. Meaning they spend most of their time near the surface of the aquarium or in the middle and rarely, if ever, go to the bottom of the tank.

Dwarf Gouramis’ are omnivorous and also eat algae, which will help in keeping your aquarium algae free. They also enjoy a diet of store bought foods such as fish flakes. They will also eat frozen and freeze-dried food and vegetable tablets should also be a part of their diet. For a healthy well-balanced diet, Dwarf Gouramis’ should be fed live food such as worm pieces a few times a week.

The Dwarf Gourami is fairly easy to breed. A separate aquarium is needed to separate them from other fish and to separate the female from the male and eggs once they have been laid. The breeding aquarium water level should be about seven inches and the water temperature should be eighty-two to eighty-four degrees Fahrenheit. After the male has finished courting the female, she will lay anywhere from three-hundred to eight-hundred free-floating eggs. The male will care for the eggs. Once the fries have left the bubble nest and free-swimming, the male should be removed and placed back into the community aquarium.

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